My ADHD is my Superpower
It wasn’t until I was in my Social Work Masters’ program at Tulane University in New Orleans in 1995 when I was 37 years old that I finally realized how to study and get A’s.
All those years before, I struggled.
Really struggled!
What I finally learned was that I needed to have complete silence to be able to think and focus, otherwise I became overwhelmed and would shut down.
I also learned that I needed to go over all my reading material at least three times to be able to understand it and comprehend it.
Not only that, but each time I read it I had to create a more visual system that would help me grab just the essence of the material.
By the third, and sometimes the fourth, time I came away with a more succinct outline, or bullet points.
Once I did all of this…and yes, it took me SO much time…I finally understood the material and wasn’t overwhelmed.
What I instinctively did was to create my own system for learning.
AND IT WAS COLOR CODED.
Fast forward till now when I’ve been teaching abstract art online and sharing my condensed version of learning.
You can go from overwhelm to organized concepts, simplicity, and easy to grasp step-by-step methods in my art Academy.
This came about from my learning difficulties and ADHD, but I think of this now as my superpower.
And all my students get to experience the benefit.
In the research I’ve done about the connection between ADHD and artists there is quite a lot of information.
It’s even thought that Da Vinci, Van Gogh, and Picasso may have all had ADHD.
Some of the benefits I recognize that artists with ADHD might possess are:
Out-of-the-box-thinking.
Spontaneity
Impulsivity
Heightened sensory perception
Nonlinear thinking
It’s important to understand that while these potential benefits can improve your creativity, managing the challenges associated with ADHD can be exhausting.
One of the key benefits of ADHD for artists is the ability to think outside the box.
This allows you to approach artistic ideas with a fresh perspective and explore new ideas.
Your mind can wander freely and can often lead to the creation of original and thought-provoking works.
Being impulsive can lead you to take more risks, which I do ALL the time.
So, my impulsivity and impulsiveness are very positive things in my painting process.
In my life outside of art, maybe not so much.
While ADHD may present challenges in various aspects of life, it can also be a source of advantage for artists.
Is it a disorder, or is it a gift?
I’ve come to be grateful for it and think of it as my unique superpower.
Sending you a world of love and creativity.
Adele
* Click HERE to learn about the Art with Adele Academy.
* Click HERE to get my FREE minicourse, “Kickstart Your Abstract Painting.”
