About

But the cat came back, he couldn't stay no long-er,

Yes the cat came back the very next day,

the cat came back, thought he were a goner,

But the cat came back, for he wouldn't stay away.

Harry S. Miller

The Cat Came Back is a micro-enterprise founded by autistic artist, musician, researcher, and certified coach Jacqui O'Reilly. It offers a variety of services, including one-on-one coaching, peer support, mentoring, and creative development groups for those seeking to deepen their self-expression and explore their creative pursuits. Jacqui’s work is especially supportive of people with neurodivergent lived experiences, who often rely on creative adaptation to thrive.

Jacqui is a middle-aged, cis autistic woman, born in Aotearoa New Zealand and now based in Sydney, Australia. She faced many challenges in socially expressing her autistic identity through much of her life, including experiences of high masking and selective mutism. These challenges led to barriers, misdiagnoses and health struggles that shaped her journey. 

Fostering special interests is essential for the well-being of autistic individuals, and Jacqui’s passion for music, singing and songwriting has been a lifelong source of resilience and connection. Despite numerous obstacles, her creativity led her to unique experiences, including performance work, community arts projects, arts administration and production work in arts centers, and advocacy work for improved access to the arts for all.  Her creative pursuits became a form of expression and social connection that was otherwise difficult to engage.

After years of balancing creativity, education and health, Jacqui received support to commence understanding her autistic identity, a journey that continues and has led her to embrace a positive identity within the vibrant evolving culture of neurodiversity. 

In 2022, after a decade of showing up at university, Jacqui graduated with first-class honours from the University of New South Wales with an Honours degree in Media Arts. In 2023, Jacqui became a certified coach, marking her interest in supporting others on a similar journey. 

Launching her micro-enterprise is the next chapter in Jacqui's journey, as she looks forward to helping others cultivate enduring creative expression and explore artistic passion with curiosity and insight in 'clever cat' ways.