Writing and ADD/ADHD

11 Advantages Of Having ADHD As A Writer

1. ADHD hyperfocus for hours on things WE find interesting.

2. Naturally very high levels of curiosity. No ADDer had to take a course on how to be creative. We have to limit ours to actually complete things.

3. Extreme creativity (intellectual, emotional, artistic, kinesthetic, or mechanical or combination thereof).

4. Great hunters of information. Whether on the Internet, in a library, or calling up individuals and organizations to find out information others can’t find. See Thom Hartmann’s ADHD Hunter Farmer Theory.

5. Frequently scanning our environment for changes. As long as it’s not paperwork, the Kryptonite of ADHD Adults. Especially taxes, even if the government owes us money.  We’re able to notice things others do not, including patterns, because we don’t filter sensory input that well. Can also be a disadvantage too, ie easily lead to overload and overwhelm if we don’t learn to manage our ADHD properly. Here are 10 ways to do so.

6. Willingness to challenge the status quo and conventional wisdom. Sometimes very easily and often:) Many of us ADDErs are not afraid to go in a different direction than the herd.

7. Fast processing minds IF we find the topic interesting. Downside, sometimes listening to slow talkers can be painful, since we often already know where they’re going before they finish, and we want them to get to the point.

8. High energy levels. Sometimes you need to stay up late to get things done. Or put in more extra work to meet that deadline.

9. Ability to multitask with ease. Have 2 or 3 browser open with multiple tabs? And a dozen other applications open? You might have ADHD.

10. Deadlines help us focus and power through to complete things. Some of us ADDErs wait until the last minutes before a deadline and use that stress and occassional panic to crank up our adrenaline levels to get things completed. Adrenaline helps us focus. Ideally don’t do this as your only strategy or you’ll brown out or burnout.

11.  Telling us it can’t be done, or we’ll never be able to do it, actually can be a strong motivator for us. Thank you ODD:) We can be very persistent if we want. I.e., getting 75 libraries and bookstores in 23 BC cities to create ADHD book displays with no paid staff in a short period of time.

Are you a writer who has ADHD? What do you think are some of the other advantages of having ADHD as a writer? What are some of the disadvantages? Tell us in the comment section below this post.

from http://bcadhd.com/2013/10/10/11-advantages-adhd-writer/