Hypercast: An ADHD Podcast
Hypercast is your companion through the world of ADHD, offering an authentic and engaging look at life with ADHD. Join ADHD coaches Melissa and Brianna as they navigate the complexities of ADHD with heart, humor, and expert insights. From discussions on the latest research to personal stories of triumphs and struggles, Hypercast delves deep into every facet of ADHD.
Whether you're newly diagnosed, a long-time ADHDer, or someone who loves and supports an ADHDer, this podcast is for you. We explore a variety of topics, from ADHD relationships, late diagnosis, and co-occurring conditions to practical advice on everyday challenges.
Hypercast provides a supportive space for open, honest, and well-informed conversations about ADHD, including the cultural misconceptions and stigmas surrounding it. Melissa and Brianna share strategies, tools, and encouragement to help listeners thrive and navigate a world not built for their neurodivergent minds.
Tune in for insightful discussions, real-life experiences, and resources to help you along the ADHD journey, and know you're not alone. Hypercast is your auditory haven, bringing community and understanding to every episode.
Hypercast: An ADHD Podcast
ADHD and Creativity: Think Outside the Box
In this enlightening episode of Hypercast, we explore ADHD and Creativity, uncovering how creativity can be a powerful asset. We debunk common stereotypes and showcase how those with ADHD are natural innovators, capable of thinking outside the box to develop groundbreaking ideas and solutions. This conversation is a celebration of inclusivity and self-acceptance, encouraging listeners to harness their creativity and view ADHD through a lens of strength and opportunity.
Melissa's Contact:
Email: melissa@likemindcoaching.com
www.likemindcoaching.com
Brianna's Contact:
Email: info@understandingadhd.ca
www.understandingADHD.ca
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Hi, there you're listening to Hypercast, an ADHD podcast. I'm Melissa, an ADHD coach and advocate.
Brianna:Hi, I'm Brianna, an ADHD coach and soon-to-be therapist. We are here to explore all things ADHD from unexpected challenges to unique strengths.
Melissa:Join us as we share insights and strategies that empower you to live your best ADHD life.
Brianna:Ready? Let's dive into today's episode.
Melissa:Hello and welcome to Hypercast. Hi, welcome back to.
Brianna:Hypercast, and today's topic is ADHD and creativity. Adhd and creativity why is it important, melissa? Tell me.
Melissa:Most people I have met with ADHD are incredibly creative. Creativity, I think a lot of people may think it means specifically artistic, but it could also mean conceptually creative. We're out-of-the-box thinkers. Why do you think it's important, Brianna?
Brianna:That's very interesting. My first thoughts when it came to creativity was definitely not artistic. It was definitely in terms of scientific invention, but I guess that's my bias there. Why do I think it's important? Great question. I think that a lot of the stereotypes surrounding ADHD are that it is a disability we cannot deny that but that it's all bad, that there's no good sides of it and there are quite a few upsides, and one of the ones that constantly gets referred back to is this creativity, this out-of-the-box thinking, this innovation, and that stems directly from some of our symptoms, which is impulsivity and the distractibility, the chaotic mind. Like all of that comes to creativity and original thinking, original thoughts. So if we were able to challenge stereotypes, promote inclusivity, remove some of the stigma around that encourage like self-acceptance, and just understand that ADHD doesn't have to be all bad and that there are actually strengths that come from it and if we talk specifically about creativity, there are huge strengths that can come from that.
Melissa:From the science side. How does ADHD influence creativity Great question.
Brianna:So the studies that I have found about ADHD and creativity like all say that people with ADHD outperform non-ADHDers in terms of creativity. Specifically, people with ADHD outperform non-ADHDers in terms of creativity. Specifically, what Conceptual expansion. So we are really great at connecting the dots between things. If you've ever had a conversation with an ADHDer and they're jumping from polar bears to Santa Claus, to outer space, to dance parties, you know, like the 1980s rebellions or whatever I'm not sure there's actually any rebellions in the 1980s.
Brianna:My point is we are so good at taking one point and connecting it to a million different thoughts because our brains are just going that fast. We're making all these connections way faster than a neurotypical. So that's point one in terms of creativity. We just think real fast and make enormous connections that a neurotypical may never think of Realistically. They just might not have the capability in their brain to make that kind of connection. And then the other point that leads to creativity in the brain is we are able to overcome knowledge constraints. So if a neurotypical is taught to do something one way, they'll do it that way. People with ADHD don't live in that box. We live in the what if there was a different way to do this. I wonder if I could do it this way. Wouldn't it be interesting if I tried it like this and then it works, so that curiosity piece leads straight into the creativity.
Melissa:I think of the times when I'm happiest and most grounded and, funnily enough, those are the times when I feel like I'm pushing boundaries, when someone tells me I'm supposed to do something in a specific way and I'm able to push the boundaries. That's when I feel like the most me I am oh absolutely.
Brianna:I get so much joy out of figuring out a new way to do something that's creative and even in the silliest ways. I'm playing Tears of the Kingdom and you have to build structures to keep up a signpost and my neurotypical boyfriend gets so mad at me that I don't do it the way the puzzle is designed right. There's a very clear way to solve the puzzle. You put a block here and a stone here and it holds it up and I'm like what if I built a teepee and use some things from over here and I held it up and it's like wibbly wobbling and there's a million pieces and it's dumb. But I had so much fun doing it differently and not doing it the way I was supposed to.
Melissa:Yes, pushing those boundaries I find it weirdly fun. Maybe that's the part of me where I tend to gamify things, when I don't like the way someone's taught me to do something or it doesn't work for me.
Brianna:Yeah, there's ADHD pieces that go along with that, like, that nonconformity piece is shamed by society, right? So there's that one aspect of it, whereas if you don't fit in, if you don't do it the way you're supposed to, then there's problems, there's consequences. You don't get promoted at work. All the teachers who are like show your work and I did it backwards or sideways, and they're like that's not the way I taught you to do it. I'm like I got the right answer, though Some of the teachers who were good were like oh yeah, you did get the right answer. That's so interesting that you did it that way. And some of them were like you didn't do it the way I taught Zero.
Melissa:I failed multiple math classes because I didn't do things. I had the right answer, but I didn't do things the way they wanted me to.
Brianna:Yeah.
Melissa:Very upsetting.
Brianna:You shouldn't be penalized for your brain being different and for you finding a creative solution Right. That kind of creativity should be praised. Critical thinking skills are. Creativity should be praised. Critical thinking skills should be taught. It shouldn't be route memorization. But yes, the other piece of this nonconformity thing is a lot of times there is demand avoidance. It can even be called pathological demand avoidance, where if you're told to do something, you are not going to do it, and that's very common people with ADHD. And that's the reason the why is so important. That's the reason we start all these episodes with explaining why we're even talking about this today. Because if we with ADHD don't know why we're supposed to be doing something the way we're being told to do it, we're not going to do it that way. We're not going to just blindly follow instructions. We're not followers, we're leaders, and that can get us into a lot of trouble also, but it can also lead to a lot of benefit for ourselves and for society overall.
Melissa:And if society could actually embrace this neurodivergent thinking, where could we go with that Exactly? If I have 12 ideas or different ways to approach this problem we're having, then why can't we try four of them? But if those 12 ideas don't match the one idea you have, then apparently it's wrong.
Brianna:Yeah, there's a lot of people on power trips who are like it's my way or the highway.
Melissa:Corporate and management styles are starting to change a bit. They're becoming informed about how to harness unique brain wiring. I was reading one study that came out of Australia that showed when companies actually embraced neurodivergence on their teams and accommodated them properly, there was about a 30% increase in productivity.
Brianna:Yeah, that productivity increase. If you just let us go, you're like, hey, you're creative, can you solve this problem? Go, we are going to do the best job. We're going to be so creative, we're going to come up with a million solutions.
Melissa:Productivity goes way up if you just give us what we need in with different ideas and definitions of creativity, because creativity can be directly linked to the arts music, dance, theater, writing but, as you're saying, innovation is definitely a part of that creativity factor.
Brianna:Yeah, it absolutely is and, like I said, I suppose that's my bias because I am very much into the sciences rather than into the arts, but that's how I use my creativity. I use my creativity to think of creative solutions to problems and like scientific things, like innovation, invention, research, that type of thing. Yes, I know a lot of ADHDers are really gifted artistically. Yes, I know a lot of ADHDers are really gifted artistically, so they're amazing at painting or writing or digital art or I've seen needlepoint. People are just so good, so creative, so crafty, a lot of Etsy, a lot of Etsy community for sure, and it's beautiful and I'm not knocking that in any way, shape or form. But in terms of stability, financial stability, the arts are still hugely undervalued.
Brianna:Right. So if we're only talking about creativity and ADHD in terms of the arts, you're really limiting a lot of options for people.
Melissa:And some of us may approach creativity or use our creativity, maybe not as a career, but as just things we like to do.
Brianna:Absolutely. Which is so important. I hate the whole capitalist. All your side hustles have to be making you money. Why can't we just have hobbies again? Why can't we just experience?
Melissa:joy and guess what People with ADHD really like them a good hobby joy and guess what?
Brianna:People with ADHD really like them. A good hobby, Absolutely. Everyone needs a brain break and needs a creative outlet and needs something to get them away from whatever their stressors are in their life. But for people with ADHD it's super important because we often experience more stress. Taking that pause and doing something creative, which is what our brains are craving, can actually reduce like depression, anxiety symptoms, stress symptoms, alleviate burnout.
Melissa:It is so important for us. What are your hobbies, what are your creative outlets outside of the everyday?
Brianna:hustle. Let me think of some creative hobbies. I love to sing. I love photography. Photography is a big one for me. Back in the day when I had time, I used to do like fantasy photo shoots, where I would go with my friend. We'd get all dressed up and go to a location and take some photos and then we'd edit them and add fairy wings or like glowing lights or whatever. I have some really cool photos. I just really enjoy the creativity that comes with taking pictures and experiencing life through a different lens. That's awesome.
Melissa:What about you? I feel like I have every hobby under the sun. Woodworking is probably one of my big ones. It is somehow both right and left brained and there's something satisfying about that. And I also like costume design. Halloween is my, is my jam. Every now and again I go full cosplay. I got very excited about you talking about fairy.
Brianna:I would love to be good at cosplay. That was going to be my next hobby. I actually bought some some stuff to make a pauldron which is like a shoulder armor piece. I'm really interested in going to Ren fairairs and just like being creative with costumes.
Melissa:That sounds super exciting. I'm not going to lie.
Brianna:I know for a fact that you have one very out there thing that you've just started.
Melissa:Oh yeah, Doing aerial silks. I've always wanted to join the circus, so I started doing aerial silks classes. I actually purchased an aerial silks hammock which I have already marked out the joist in my gym and I'm hanging. See, look, here are my carpentry skills, meeting up with my deep desire to always want to join the circus. I love that there are so many hobbies I've picked up and I've never gone back to. I think you called that the hobby graveyard.
Brianna:Yeah, the hobby graveyard. There's so many things that I just I'm so excited about and like deep dive into learning about, spend a whole bunch of money getting the stuff for, and then I don't do it. Or I make like half of an elf year and then I'm done Right Like it's, and I know that this is common. I know that this is not just me. I know every single ADHD out there has a hobby that they've abandoned.
Melissa:Yes, one hobby At least one hobby I'm apprehensive about just collecting and having more things that are in the closet of fun, things that I once tried but I haven't gotten rid of yet. I just wanted to point this out. I want to give permission to not just myself but everybody out there. You can donate that thing.
Brianna:You don't have to hold on to it, you know what I have a box of old t-shirts that I was going to turn into a quilt that I haven't touched in eight years, and I've just been holding on to this bag of old t-shirts. Maybe someone else would get joy from them, and I would also definitely get joy from not having a large trash bag just on top of my closet.
Melissa:I feel like all of us have either a large trash bag or some equivalent.
Brianna:I just don't even see it anymore. It's just like out of the way. It doesn't even bother me that's awesome.
Melissa:So what are balanced ways that we can use creativity in our daily lives?
Brianna:Why does it have to be balanced? Why can't we be creative all the time? That is a very good question. Not like it drains us of energy, it actually gives us energy.
Melissa:I can think of times when I'm overusing my creativity, that I feel like it can be draining. Explain Personally when I have too much stuff around me, I get really emotionally exhausted because the things take up a lot of emotional space for me and that causes decision fatigue, which takes up a lot of mental space for me. So sometimes when you spend money on things, it can be hard to let go of them and when I look at the emotional tax that causes me, yeah, clearing that thing out it creates space for myself and potentially creates space for a new hobby that I may want to try.
Brianna:This is interesting. One fun fact I wanted to mention before I forget is clutter Visual clutter for people with ADHD very hard. It does take energy away from us to just have visually cluttered spaces and obviously with our ADHD we're tending to live in messier spaces, so having that visual clutter is actually quite difficult. And then also for women typically for women visual clutter actually causes more stress than in men. So if you're a woman with ADHD, good luck. But there's actual scientific, documented proof or not proof, because we can never say proven science Evidence that supports visual clutter is detrimental to the health of people with ADHD.
Brianna:That strategy of clearing away stuff you said for new hobbies that's so big, You're like I haven't touched this thing in forever. I want space for joy. If I get rid of this, I could have space to go get new things, to try out new stuff, and not just being like my creativity has died because I'm just in a graveyard of hobbies that I really want to get to but I haven't, can't get to them. I just I just can't. Yeah, and I want to do new stuff but I don't feel like I can justify the new stuff until I finish the thing. I have a gallery wall. I bought frames. I don't have any art to put it in. I was gonna put my like my photographs in there, but I don't have a printer and I have them all and they're ready and I just have empty frames on my wall and I just want to fill it, but I can't do anything else until it's done and I just, and this thing we're talking about.
Melissa:So my spouse is a comic book collector and has been since he was a child, and he has specific things that he collects, that he loves. Some people had even given him comic books. His collection got massive and I turned to him one day and I asked him this question. I said do you love everything that is in your comic book collection? And he just went quiet and about a minute later said, no, I do not love everything that's in my collection. And so he took the effort to go through his entire collection, figure out what he really loved, sold things that he didn't care that much about and actually used that money to buy things that had been on his wish list for years. So he actually loved his hobby even more because he made space for things he loves.
Brianna:Wow, I am having a moment here just hearing that. So, yeah, I guess giving yourself permission to move on from stuff that no longer brings you joy, not being so tied down to one hobby, able to just do the new thing, try the new thing, move on to the new thing. I started saying that my hobby was collecting for hobbies, because I never actually did anything with the stuff and I was like just researching it and collecting the stuff brings me joy.
Melissa:I think it's important to like harness our creativity and figure out what about our creativity truly does bring us happiness and joy.
Brianna:We've talked about this abstract form of creativity in terms of what makes us really good inventors and really good at jobs. And then we've talked about it in terms of, like, artistic things and hobbies. But creativity also is just a really useful skill to have in your daily life. Fun little fact is, if you're trying to like learn something new, it'll take you approximately 400 repetitions to create new synapses in your brain. So if you're trying to learn something new or do something new, it'll take you approximately 400 repetitions to do that. It will take you 10 to 20 if it's done through play, through creativity, imagination, crafts, puzzles, board games. If you're doing it through play, you're going to learn that new skill way, way faster.
Melissa:That's fascinating, isn't?
Brianna:it. So there's one thing that you can use your creativity for every day is just finding a fun way to learn the thing that you need to learn. Creativity for every day is just finding a fun way to learn the thing that you need to learn, because it'll be way faster for you.
Melissa:What ways can we gamify or make those things playful? You said gamify.
Brianna:That's it. That's the solution. Gamify If you're trying to learn I don't know how to cook something new gamify it. Learn how to make it fun. Try something creative. Be like oh, I'm going to only use ingredients that start with the letter S or something, and just find a way to make it fun, and then learning the skill of cooking would be faster.
Melissa:Make it creative, talking about gamifying, like sometimes I even I'll put a clock on and say can I race myself? Can I race myself to do this task, especially when something's really mundane and boring like scrubbing a toilet?
Brianna:The only way I will unload my dishwasher is by making myself a cup of tea. It steeps for five minutes. I have five minutes to unload my dishwasher and then at the end of it, I have a cup of tea.
Melissa:I think you can also use this creativity piece for creating systems for yourself. I weirdly like planning and seeing if something works. If I have a problem, I want to find a solution and I will ask myself a bunch of questions. I will design a system and be like okay, you've got three days to see if this works and if not, we need to see how to adjust it. That is how I've gamified finding solutions and using my creativity to make it fun.
Brianna:But that's exactly it. That's huge. Like creating systems is the solving of everyday problems using creativity, because we talked at the top of this episode about how being told what to do the systems that are already in place, being taught a certain way to do something, isn't going to work for us, so we need to be creative to create a solution that works for us and for our brains, and that's how you do tasks like getting ready for work in the morning or like the little everyday problems. You have created a system that works for you. It's not the system that everyone else uses, because that system's for neurotypicals. That's not for you. You have to create your own thing and create creativity. It's all the words we're using, right. It's built into everything.
Melissa:I feel like this also employs another strength that a lot of people with ADHD have, which is curiosity.
Brianna:We're very curious about the world, and it opens up that part of the brain that's the thing, the nonconformity, it's the breaking out of the structure of knowledge, like that curiosity of what else is out. There is something that our brain, that is creativity. What else is out there is a creative thought.
Melissa:Do you ever find yourself having a bunch of creative projects that you're trying to balance and don't have time to do all of them? Like I want to do Ariel Silks and I want to do Woodworking, but making sure I finish a project sometimes? Sometimes I have to ask myself is this a project I want to finish? And maybe I have to also ask myself what's bringing me the most joy in this moment. Am I answering my own question here?
Brianna:I think you might be, but I'll add to it because I think I see where you're going. Currently I am so busy I have no time for hobbies, so what I have done is put creativity into the things that I'm already doing. So I'm a student, so when I'm writing papers for my classes, I will find a creative topic. I won't just do one of the wrong ones. I find something that's really interesting to me, somehow fit it into the assignment criteria, and that's where I put my creativity out into the world, because it's so important for me to be creative. But having a million projects on the go when I'm already so busy, it's just not possible for me right now. But in, I don't want to just do these assignments and get them over with. I want them to be fun, I want them to be interesting for me. I want to use my creativity and make it for me rather than for someone else. I don't know if that relates?
Melissa:I think it does. It totally does, because I think there's so many times in life where we go through a period of stress or a period where there are things that are very consuming, that require us to be present for them, but what you're doing is you're utilizing your natural creativity and curiosity to make these things work for you. To make these things work for you, and that is an everyday life strategy, because we have these big projects that come up at work or school or just life in general. Things happen where we have to deal with them, and finding ways to be creative in approaching them is a way to actually make them a little bit easier for us to do, instead of feel like such an intense drag.
Brianna:Absolutely. What have we talked about today? We've talked about ADHD and creativity. We've talked about it in terms of innovation, artistry, solutions. Our brains are better at creativity Scientifically evidence, we have it all. Our brains are better at creativity. We make connections faster. We don't have to fit into the conformity box of this is the way things have always been done. That's what allows us to be so innovative and to have all these interesting hobbies and like novelty seeking things, and we just become more interesting people as a result, and then we can use our own creativity to improve our lives, like the stuff we were just talking about at the end there, in terms of using it to get schoolwork done, like me and my master's degree or using it to get chores done in your house, or using it to learn a new skill. If you want to learn guitar and make it a game, gamify it.
Melissa:Or use it to create a system that makes your daily life simpler and easier for you.
Brianna:Yeah, exactly, the key takeaway from this episode is to understand that ADHD can have some benefits too. Right, it is a disability, but there are also some superpowers that come along with it. There is balance. It's not one or the other. So if you embrace the skills that your brain has and use them to your advantage, it'll be fun for you, it'll make your life easier. And don't let anyone tell you that you have to do things the way that you've been told to. You are allowed to use your creativity and break the mold, leave the conformity box and be your own person and create Absolutely.
Melissa:Yeah, and listeners. We'd love to know what your creative life solutions are. You can hit us up over on Instagram or on Facebook. Our information can be found in the show notes or on our website at hypercastpodcom.
Brianna:Yeah, we'd love to hear about your hobbies. If you have an Etsy business, hit us up.
Melissa:And if any of you have some active hobby swap thing going on, we'd love to hear about that.
Brianna:Absolutely, yeah, and then tell us about your like, how you've used creativity to solve daily problems and set up some systems, because you know, maybe it'll spark something for someone else and you can help out a fellow ADHDer. Absolutely.
Melissa:If you're looking for more personalized help with ADHD, we offer coaching services to guide you on your journey. Check out our websites for more details and to book a free consultation on your journey. Check out our websites for more details and to book a free consultation. Brianna's website is understandingadhdca. Melissa's website is likemindcoachingcom. Thank you so much for joining us. Bye, bye-bye. Thanks for joining us on this episode of Hypercast.
Brianna:If you've enjoyed today's episode and want to stay connected, be sure to rate and subscribe, and check out the show notes for links to our social media and websites.
Melissa:Whether you're seeking practical tips, heartfelt stories or just a sense of community, hypercast is here for you.
Brianna:Remember you're not alone in your ADHD journey. Together, we can navigate the highs and lows with courage and compassion.
Melissa:So until next time, take care, stay curious and keep embracing your unique neurodiversity.
Brianna:Catch you on the next episode of Hypercast.
