About making art with an ADHD brain
I’m glad you’ve found your way here. I hope you’ll consider subscribing and spreading the word with writers and other artists who may want to join the conversation.
Why Creatively ADHD?
Welcome. I’m Kate, a writer, editor, and book coach with a late-in-life diagnosis of ADHD—a revelation that was blindsiding. It was a lightbulb moment that cast nearly everything I thought I knew about myself in a new light.
I admit to having had a bit of a regret-fest after the diagnosis, speculating about how my life might have been different if I hadn’t had ADHD or if early on it had been recognized and treated and I’d had the tools and resources that might have helped. As I tallied the regrets, what stood out most in my mind was the vast graveyard of unfinished or discarded writing projects. I wondered, would the field be littered with the refuse of my abandoned projects if I’d known how to make the most of the inherently creative qualities of ADHD and work around those that made creating so challenging?
Once I absorbed the diagnosis, I became deeply intrigued by the relationship between ADHD and creativity, particularly about the way neurodivergence influences the creative process. I drew on my background as a health writer and—with an assist from hyper focus—launched into learning everything I could. The more I dialed in to the research, the more I saw the myriad ways ADHD affects the making of art—sometimes for good but often not, and I began to look at my work and my writing in a new way. Increasing I came upon ways to help myself write with, instead of against, my ADHD brain, and began to bring that knowledge to my work with others.
I started this Substack to bring writers and other artists together—to create a community of people equally interested, and invested, in understanding how ADHD influences creativity, a space where artists can share their experiences to enlighten, uplift, and educate each other.
What you’ll find here
As anyone with ADHD knows, routines and scheduling aren’t our superpowers, so I’m reluctant to commit to specific publication days, but I can pledge to share at least one or two posts each week. These might be:
essays and articles about the creative process and the relationship between creativity and ADHD
interviews with writers and other artists about their experiences and what’s helped them
“Five Things”—a weekly collection of five favorite things related to creativity or ADHD—books, podcasts, quotes, social media feeds and more
Random thoughts and questions
All content will be free for two months, after which it will be paywalled, with the archive—along with access to chats and occasional special features— available to paid subscribers.
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
A little about me
I’m a journalist, essayist, developmental editor, and certified book coach. When I’m not working with clients or writing on assignment, I’m making headway on a memoir about maternal abandonment and family secrets, the latter being the topic of my online magazine, Severance.
If you’re a writer needing editing or ADHD-informed coaching services, please find me here. I work exclusively with nonfiction writers, including those writing memoirs, narrative nonfiction, and prescriptive nonfiction.
Join the community!
I’m glad you’re here! I hope you’ll participate in a gathering of writers and other artists who share your interests. I invite you to engage in the comments section and Notes and spark some conversation.
I look forward to knowing more about you!
To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
