ADHD and the power of art

When all else fails in times of uncertainty, make something

The painting “Witch Hunt” by Liz Fiorino (acrylic and watercolor on canvas)

I don’t know about you, but my head is swimming.

I can’t pull my eyes away from the barrage of bad news. I can’t turn off the spiraling thoughts of what could come next.

I’m finding it harder to suck in air. It’s all in my chest.

Since COVID, a corporate layoff, and my ADHD diagnosis helped me figure out who I am, I’ve curated my social media feed so aptly to my specific and seesawing interests that it now feels each post I encounter is contradicting the last.

I’m constantly reminded of the need to remain soft and joyful then slapped across the face with all the injustices in the world — a million reasons not to.

These two images showed up back-to-back in my social feed

Consuming all of this, I’ve been antsy, anxious, and scattered. Last weekend, in a moment of desperation, I decided I needed to put my energy somewhere — anywhere. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the face of a woman crying. I needed to paint her. She needed to be seen.

Two hours later, I woke from a hyperfixation blackout to this (time-lapse video below):

It’s a painting for which I could think of no better name than “Witch Hunt”. She represents all the women in history who were persecuted for advocating for women’s rights to education, healthcare, freedom, community, and equality. It’s a testament to all the women out there now who are feeling uncertain, uneasy, and unsafe as they watch our nation snap back to its patriarchal roots. The progress pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. We’re watching many simultaneous witch hunts occur right before our weary eyes.

Spoiler alert: There were never any witches - just people willing to stand up to power.

In times like these, I have to believe that art is resistance. I have to believe that painting our pain or writing it is taking action.

I have to believe that by creating, I’m connecting — and that connection will save us.

Did you need to hear this? Credit: Instagram account @womenwhorunwiththemoon

If I’m wrong, at least I can say I reaped the other benefits of making art, which include:

• Helping people with ADHD regulate strong negative emotions

• Boosting problem-solving skills, attention span, and working memory

• A feeling of accomplishment and improved self-confidence (dopamine boost!)

• Lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol

I can attest: painting this gave me a sense of control over my environment and a much needed calm.

…………………………

Maybe my social media algorithm is fine the way it is. Maybe there’s a way to stand up to power in my own soft, whimsical way.

And you can, too. You don’t have to be Bob Ross or Claude Monet to make something meaningful. Draw, paint, sculpt, build, write. Make something.

Do it for you and no one else. But please, please share it.

Keep on sharing the art that tells our stories and connects us when our connections to one another matter more than ever.

Some more inspiring memes and quotes from my social feed