How to be Creative When You Have Raging ADHD (or even if you don’t, probably)

As I write this, I’m still figuring it out. I’m no guru. I’m a fraud!

Like several others, I’ve learned a lot about myself over the course of the pandemic— mostly, parts of me which had been screaming for years to be acknowledged, only to be drowned in repetitive tasks, fixations on money, time, or my weight, and White Claws. My biggest takeaway has been that I am, and always have been, someone who favours art, culture and freedom over ‘left-brain’ activities, routine and structure. I want to live a creative life— jump from art form to art form, make my own way, etc. I figured this should be simple enough.

Then I spent roughly six months living exactly the same way I always had. Nothing written, painted, recorded, created— besides obligatory research papers and a sad credit score. And I don’t blame myself for that, seeing as though those six months were spent locked in a small apartment during a global pandemic. 

1. Start Shitty. This is important. In the time that I’ve spent ruminating about how to start writing, what topic to start with, what medium to use first, why I didn’t start sooner, etc., I could have written a full-length novel. Just start. Set aside an hour of your time and focus your energy on one specific creative outlet. This is obviously most fruitful when you’re genuinely in the mood to create, but if you’re finding yourself in a rut— constantly thinking about creating but never feeling up to it— Just. Make. Something. Don’t worry about whether or not it will suck, because the reality is it’s probably going to. No one creates a masterpiece on their first attempt— you can always edit your work, as long as you have something to edit. In any case, you will feel 100 times better because you finally did it! 
2. Harness your hyperfixations. Most of us neurodivergent folk have experienced becoming completely and utterly engulfed by a special interest— a sudden calling to compulsively sift through wikipedia articles on the history of former Yugoslavia, play the Sims, or bake pies until ten hours have passed in what felt like a blink. Stop calling this “wasting time” and start calling it passion! If you wake up with a sense of curiosity and openness about a creative medium you’ve been interested in forever, give yourself permission go on a deep dive of hip-hop dancing youtube tutorials, or spend the day making sketches of the plants in your bedroom. If you have ADHD and can keep plants alive, you already have it together more than I do and here you are, reading something I created! Go make stuff for me to look at!
3. Change your scenery. If you’re constantly creating in the same place, you’re essentially recycling your sources of inspiration— and could end up hitting a wall. If you have some extra cash, I highly suggest the ‘staycation’ method: Find a hotel or Airbnb in your area that inspires you. Romanticize it a bit— create a playlist that lines up with the energy you’re trying to communicate through your art, bring along some pieces of home to create a space that’s comforting, without the distractions that inevitably come with literally being at home— i.e. a neglected pile of laundry, a well-meaning but distracting pet (or person), or spinach that is wilting that you should really use for a smoothie or something. A more accessible, day-to-day version of this is settling in for an afternoon at a coffee shop, nearby park, or even just a different room of your home than your go-to workspace. Remember that god-tier dopamine rush you got from rearranging your bedroom furniture as a kid? A similar philosophy applies here.
4. Spend more time alone. This one is easy right now— most of us are probably already well-acquainted with it. The thought of spending even more time in isolation might sound horrifying, but there is power in consciously choosing to be alone with your thoughts (again, does not sound pleasant, but trust me). I’m fairly introverted, so this may not hold true for everyone, but I find that the creative process— especially the beginning—is much easier when you don’t have to make space for the thoughts and opinions of other people. After all, your creations come from you!
5. It’s never too late. This is the single most damaging, limiting belief I’ve ever experienced, perfectly designed to keep you stagnant, uninspired and unmotivated forever. We exist on a spinning orb of hydrogen in a constantly expanding mass of dark matter. No one knows what they’re doing, let alone actually being behind or ahead of anyone else. Stop letting time that could be spent creating something you love instead be filled with overthinking how your passions fit into society, how “cool” or “appropriate” they are for your age, or how well they can be monetized. While there is something to be said for realistic goals and soft deadlines, let them come from you, not a desire to race another human to some imaginary finish line.

That’s all I have for now. Going to take my own advice and indulge in an hour-long Compulsive Yugoslavian HIstory Wikipedia Wormhole. It just feels right.