Blessing And A Curse — My Eternal Excess of Ideas
ADHD is an engine for endless excess of ideas that never leave the draft folder.
I just counted.
As of this writing, I have — and wow, this shocked even me! — 52 articles in various states of writing development. Some of those are admittedly no more than a topic idea, but the majority have a paragraph, several paragraphs, or a solid start to a fleshed-out form. But, some are half-written — and about 2 years old. They’re incomplete works of perfection! And works of split attention.
Narrowing focus vs opening to ideas
I’ve written previously about my distractability — and workarounds, like using dictation to write, that I use to combat that. Creativity is a familiar trait among those with neurodivergent disabilities, such as persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, learning disabilities, and more. Although this shows up in many different ways, it’s likely that executive functioning differences play a role in generativity.
Consequently, coming up with ideas is never a problem for me. Rather, finishing long projects presents a challenge. Some days, my ADHD makes my ability to focus on the planned tasks difficult. While I’m frequently very productive, I catch and correct myself crossing off to-do items — but the wrong ones. Finishing an article is challenging if I can’t do it in one or two sittings. The amount of cognitive energy it takes to concentrate and pick up where I left off can feel immense. (If that feels like you, I recommend reviewing the World Health Organization’s Adult ADHD Screener with your doctor or mental health provider.)
New ideas take less energy — for me.
A new idea is like the wind in my sails. I purposefully organize my schedule to allow for work time immediately following my meetings — which frequently lead to new idea—for this reason. This also impacts how and when I delegate work.
I am fascinated by the struggle to come up with ideas. And some days, I am jealous. I would happily balance my idea count with the ability to finish a focused draft at the same pace they can. This sometimes feels like the introversion/extroversion defining split. Do you get energy from being alone or with other people? Do you get energy from new ideas, or are you exhausted by them?
A perfect example of why I am feeling ready to share my experience was spurred last week. In a Facebook ADHD support group, another early-career scientist asked how others in the group with academic careers managed to write their doctoral dissertations. I shared my tips. First, stand while writing; second, dictate writing instead of typing. It blew her mind — and made my day!
Neurotypical writers lament the need to ideate articles while those with ADHD have an endless excess of creative ideas. Writers with ADHD may also have less energy to revisit and flesh out the ones they fell in love with when they popped into our minds.
Many fellow writers and entrepreneurs are neurodivergent
My hope is that talking about my ADHD as a writer will help our neurotypical counterparts understand how it can sometimes influence writing. As a startup founder, this is terrifying to admit. I know investors might read this one day. So, this does make me somewhat nervous to spell out in black in white — but it’s time I did.
For one thing, I am the cofounder of a behavioral health tech company. For another, I believe how I run the company operations matters immensely from a social and economic justice point of view. My transparency matters. Shame and stigma about using mental health resources are high in the US, rampant in all corners of American life and industry. I am still hesitant to write “My name is Annette Miller — and I have ADHD,” today. Yet, anyone who follows me should be able to see — it if they can read between the lines — that it is the case. I’ve written about ADHD a lot lately. In fact, the most popular article for Enriched Couples publication thus far is on the neuroscience of ADHD.
Admitting it to fellow writers and the general audience of Medium is more comfortable than directly to investors. Fellow creative thinkers are more understanding than pedigreed, professional investors. I know I’ll find the right ones for me — the investors who get that we are real humans with imperfections.
All founders have flaws. I know mine.
It’s worth noting, in closing, that many entrepreneurs are thought to have ADHD. The creative-thinking and experimental dispositions that adults with ADHD have are well-matched with the constantly changing challenges of a startup. But, the story of ADHD and entrepreneurship’s relationship are a narrative for another day — at least, my writing drafts folder says so.
Annette Miller is the Cofounder and CEO of Enriched Couples, a financial therapy platform that uses psychology to guide couples through unifying their values, financial priorities, and future goals.
