I am an artist harnessing adhd
The View from my front gate. Canby, Oregon
ADHD and Art
I have ADHD. Probably not news to people who know me well. :-) I was finally diagnosed in my mid 40's.
How does ADHD affect my art? ADHD can be associated with creativity, focus, impulsivity, "procrastination", empathy and a lot more. All of the traits above have two sides - creativity is great when you want to make something new or novel....it's not so great when you need to focus on entering something boring like a spreadsheet. Hyperfocus allows me to dive deep into whatever I'm interested in.... but it can also squeeze out daily chores. Impulsivity allows me to take risks in what I create, but it also isn't so great when I'm shopping on Amazon. Procrastination. I've always "procrastinated" waiting until the last minute to write school papers, cram for tests and deposit checks. But, thanks to my buddy hyperfocus, I can save the day. I work best under pressure. I performed well in school - I even got an MBA with almost perfect scores in classes. Empathy allows me to put myself in another person or animals shoes. It gives me an ability to feel into whatever I'm doing. For me, feelings have texture and color.
My studio is always a mess with projects in different stages everywhere. I feel like people want to see a neat and organized workspace (Instagram ready), that is not me. I'm learning that the studio is for me, and I'm perfectly happy in it just as it is. I live for the uninterrupted Flow State, and a relaxed private studio allows me that luxury.
ADHD when the Rubber Hits the Road
I Dabble: Have you noticed that I dabble (or focus) on a little bit of everything? From watercolor, acrylic, pastels, mixed media, collage, to model horses etc. I will go through phases of weeks to months of one type of focus (like painting, model horses, collage) and will play it out and return to another style of expressing myself. When I'm into something, I'm 100% into it, I enjoy trying to become an expert on a niche.... If you see a chunk of time where I'm only doing one thing, for example paintings of the St Johns Bridge, don't worry, I'll soon cruise into another artistic groove. I like to explore themes in detail, fully take them in, and express them the best I can with where I am at in my journey at any given time. All of the different styles feed on one another. There is a lot of cross pollination. I feel like it may be confusing for people that like my work for me to move from style to style - it's just how I do things best.
Limited Commissions: A lot of time commissions are of beloved pets or people that have passed. Doing too many commissions take a toll on me. So I pace myself. When I am on the same wavelength with someone, it's magic.
Procrastination: I'm deadline driven. I've always worked best when I have a solid chunk of time to devote to focusing on a given thing. Sometimes it leads to inertia - when I cannot get the window of time I need. I've learned though, that scheduling time and setting a personal deadline -but still being kind to myself regarding execution- I can usually deliver on-time.
