My ADHD Diagnosis as a Creative: Finding Focus in the Chaos

Today I wanted to share something pretty personal with you all... Recently, I received an ADHD diagnosis, and as someone who's built their life around creativity, it's been both eye-opening and validating in ways I didn't expect.

For the longest time, I thought my creative process was just... chaotic. The way I'd jump between projects, get completely absorbed in one thing for hours, then suddenly feel scattered and overwhelmed. Sometimes my brain felt like ideas and thoughts flowing everywhere, mixing together in ways I can't always control or predict. However, learning about ADHD has helped me understand that there's actually intention behind what I thought was randomness. Just like how a scattered, chaotic process can create something beautiful, my scattered thoughts often lead to my most creative breakthroughs.

Then there are moments where everything clicks into place. Where the chaos settles into focus, and I can channel all that scattered energy into something precise and intentional.

ADDRESSING MISCONCEPTIONS

I know there's been a lot of conversation lately about ADHD diagnoses, and I've heard people say things like “Everyone has ADHD these days” or “We all get distracted sometimes”. And while it's true that everyone might have moments where they feel scattered or unfocused, living with ADHD means experiencing these challenges at a level that genuinely impacts your daily life, consistently.

For me, it wasn't just occasional distraction – it was patterns that affected my work, my relationships, my ability to manage my business. Getting diagnosed wasn't about finding an excuse; it was about finally understanding why certain things that seem simple for others felt so challenging for me. I was a neurodivergent artist after all!

MEDICATION EXPERIENCE

I've started trying medication, and honestly, it's been a learning curve. Some days it helps me focus in ways I never could before – like being able to sit and work on detailed pieces like this without my mind wandering to the ten other projects I want to start.

And here's something that's been really eye-opening about trying medication - sometimes it does help me focus, but my brain can't always decipher what I actually need to focus on. I'll get completely locked into organizing my art supplies for three hours when I'm supposed to be editing a video.

It's like my brain gets this laser focus, but it's pointed in the wrong direction. People think ADHD medication just helps you focus better, but what they don't realize is that sometimes you get hyperfocus creativity on the wrong task entirely. You become so absorbed in reorganizing your email folders that you miss your actual deadline. And perhaps this is just me learning about my new medication. Maybe it’s not the right one for me.

REAL EXAMPLE - REAL STRUGGLE

The other day was a perfect example of how unpredictable this can be. I had planned to do my usual weekly video editing at the library - somewhere I thought would help me concentrate. But instead, I found myself completely overstimulated by everything happening around me.There were people asking librarians for help, toddlers exploring and being adorable, conversations happening at what felt like volumes way too loud for my brain to filter out. Even though I managed to get a few small things done, I couldn't focus on the actual video I needed to edit.

I came home feeling restless and scattered. My brain decided that I absolutely could not continue with anything unless I learned this new software I'd downloaded. The tutorial was hours long, but somehow that felt more urgent than the editing I actually needed to do. That's when I decided to do something that didn't require heavy thinking - like painting wooden magnets for an upcoming event. But here's the thing about ADHD - even while my hands were busy with this calming, repetitive work, my brain was stuck on a loop, thinking only about that editing tutorial. I couldn't be present with what I was actually doing.

It's frustrating because people might look at this and think 'well, at least you got something productive done,' but the mental exhaustion from fighting your own brain all day is real. Some days, working with ADHD feels like trying to tune into a radio station while someone else keeps changing the frequency.

ADAPTATION AND LEARNING

It's not a magic fix. I've had to completely change how I organize myself and approach my work. What worked before doesn't always work now, and what works now doesn't work every day. Some days the medication helps me hyperfocus on the wrong thing entirely. It's been about learning to work with my brain, not against it – whether that's with medication, new organizational systems, or just accepting that some days my creative process is going to look like that chaotic pour paint, and other days it's going to look like this focused, intentional work.

FINDING GROUNDING

There's something really grounding about this kind of work – painting these wooden frames. It's repetitive enough to keep my hands busy while my mind can wander and process. It's like meditation, but productive meditation. Getting this diagnosis has been like getting a user manual for my own brain. It explains why I work best with background music, why I need to physically organize my workspace when I'm feeling overwhelmed, and why some of my most creative breakthroughs happen when I'm doing something completely different – like taking walks by the river.

CLOSING

I'm still learning what this means for my creative practice and my business, but I wanted to share this with you because I know there are other creative folks out there who might relate to this experience. Your brain isn't broken if it works differently – sometimes it just needs different tools and understanding.


"Thanks for letting me share this part of my journey with you. If you have experiences as an ADHD artist, I'd love to hear about them in the comments. Until next time, keep creating in whatever way feels right for your brain.

Watch the full video below for my journey, along with some relaxing footage of me working on the wooden frames. 😁

My journey as a creative with newly diagnosed ADHD and how I have been managing it in the past few weeks.