The Importance of Creativity

I recently mentioned on ADD Moms that my husband has taken up the guitar. He’s become obsessed with it actually, but it’s a healthy obsession. I think that everybody, AD/HD or not, needs some sort of creative outlet.

For me, it’s making what I laughingly call art. Right now, I’m into Artist Trading Cards, or ATCs. They’re sort of like baseball trading cards, except that they’re handmade and artistic. I don’t know how good I am at making them, but that doesn’t matter. I enjoy the process and that’s what does matter. It relaxes me and gets me out of my always thinking brain for a while.

I think that most people with AD/HD have highly developed right brains - the creative, non-linear side that doesn’t do well in school. Letting this side have some play time is good for both halves of the brain. It lets the left side get some well deserved rest and lets the right side work out some energy. It’s also great for helping ADD brains do what they do best - make amazing connections that no one else can see.

If your ADD child doesn’t have a creative outlet, I urge you to help them find one. It doesn’t have to be art or music, just some sort of creative expression that they enjoy. It could be cooking, or building with legos, even writing rap lyrics or learning card tricks. I bet they already know what it is, if they give it some thought. It’s that thing they do when they’ve got some free time, the thing they get lost in where time has no meaning.

Make sure that they have the opportunity to visit that place on a regular basis. It will be worth it.

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