I had no idea hyper-focus was a thing until I started reading up around what ADHD is.  Many people with ADHD have the inattentive trait and this includes having a fairly short attention span. I’m not even joking when I say I have just completely forgotten what I was about to write. Um…that was it – if something doesn’t interest me or if there are even small distractions I really struggle to concentrate (right now I’m writing this at the art fair so many distractions!). For example if I have to concentrate on a spreadsheet or some kind I can zone out for periods of time or have the urge to stand up or do something else. I have managed this through coping strategies which I didn’t even know I was using such as taking regular breaks (every half an hour sometimes just to walk around the house and sit back down) as well as promising myself treats for doing small sections (like ‘you can have a bag of crisps if you just get this next ten minutes done’). To try and explain this need to stand up further, it’s like someone has poured a pan of boiling water down my back and if I don’t stand up I may explode!

On the other hand I can sit focused on something for hours if it really interests me, forgetting to eat and ignoring my surroundings. This is mostly how my art happens! So I try to use my hyper-focus to help me through the inattentive moments. The amount of pictures I have drawn through sitting in all day meetings definitely goes into the hundreds!