Them ADHD feels are really real right about now.

SO, here are some things that have helped me while drawing (and doing other things that require extended focus)! Hopefully these could help someone else out, ADHD or not~

TL;DR: First sentence of each point. The rest is elaboration.

1) Minimizing my usual distractions and avoiding multitasking! Wearing headphones to reduce background noise, putting my phone on silent, closing out of Discord, and only allowing myself to use my browser to find references or write in a google doc and NOT to browse other sites while working… As a digital artist and writer, this helps keep my computer itself from becoming the distraction!

- 1a) I also like to get my browsing and watching out of the way in the morning while I wake up and before I take my meds, and in the evening as I’m winding down before bed. This keeps me from impulsively checking things when I need to be working instead, since I’ve either recently done so or know I’ll be checking them again soon!

2) Taking my ADHD med every day! Unless it’s an off-day when I won’t need it, of course. It improves my ability to focus and feel good about what I’m doing, and even reduces my anxiety and depression to boot, so it helps me stay on task with whatever I set my mind to! – 2a) I’ve been on several different ADHD meds over the years, and even self-medicated with caffeine and nicotine for years in-between (which I do not recommend), so it was a bit of trial and error before I finally found the one that works for me. This is the most productive I’ve been in years, so the journey to find it was well worth it!

3) Music! It keeps my ears occupied so I’m not aching for something to fill the silence, and doesn’t have video to draw my eyes away from the canvas. I like to compile playlists of music that inspires me, usually themed around larger projects or simply things I like to draw, and these provide a soundtrack to keep my head in the right space while I work! – 3a) However, the wordier a song is, and/or the “busier” the music is (like dubstep), the more likely I am to be distracted by it instead. Gentle, instrumental music is my usual go-to, especially post-rock like Hammock or Lights & Motion. That said, there are times where wordy or “busy” music works – it all depends!

4) Making a list of things I want to draw! Getting my ideas down as I have them keeps me from forgetting them later. This can be a written list with a few details for each, or a visual one where I draw tiny figures for poses, small layouts for backgrounds, or super fast rough sketches. I can look at these any time I forget what I was going to draw, and pick the one that speaks to me most in the moment!

5) Keeping my desk area clean and organized! Removing visual clutter from my peripheral helps my eyes stay on the screen, and having my most-used items where they’re easy to find keeps me from spending too much time looking around for them.

6) Honing the superpower of ADHD! Hyperfocus can be a beautiful thing when I’m totally immersed in what I’m doing, but can also make me over-work different parts of a piece while accidentally neglecting others. Zooming out often to see the entire picture helps me see what areas need work, and which ones I’ve done too much on, so I can shift my focus to where it’s needed! – 6a) I still have problems with this, especially since I’ve only recently been able to draw again, but it’s getting better with time and practice!

7) Lastly – not drinking coffee, carbonated drinks, or certain types of tea while my meds are active or too soon before taking them! The acidic nature and caffeine both affect the duration and effectiveness of the medication, especially since mine is extended release. As a caffeine addict, this has been a rough transition, but I’ve had a much better experience since making the change!

Chin up, don’t give up! Distractions and difficulties are bound to happen, but even small changes can have a big impact!

Apologies for wordiness, but I DID say this was a Comprehensive Guide, after all~