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Lazy or ADHD?

By Peter Lloyd

The hallmarks of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) line up fairly closely with the hallmarks of creativity. So says a study that concludes, as you would expect, that people with the “disorder” are more creative than those without it. So why do we treat ADHD? Are we shutting down a primary source of creativity?

It must not be easy dealing with a child diagnosed with ADHD. So I would be the last to interfere with or even second-guess a parent’s response to a child who just can’t seem to concentrate or sit still. But I think rather than expect so many kids to conform to a normal standard of behavior, some effort might be made to encourage and channel behavior we may be undervaluing.

The study I refer to demonstrated that subjects with ADHD not only ranked higher on a range of creativity tests, they also turned out to be the kind of people who like brainstorming and enjoy generating ideas. Holly A. White, one author of the study, observes further that we admire personality traits like stubbornness in people we consider creative. A tendency to be easily distracted she interprets as an openness “to a lot of new ideas coming in. It allows for collisions of ideas we otherwise might not see.”

People with ADHD also exhibit, among other traits, a greater than normal degree of inattentiveness, hyperactivity, disorganization, as well as difficulty focusing. I’m suddenly reminded of my grade school report cards. My fellow students and I received, along with our letter grades (A through F), a report regarding certain behaviors, listed on a separate page. Those of us who did not consistently conform to those behaviors received check marks.

Although I have never been diagnosed as having ADHD, I have been accused of being creative. What’s more, I have argued that to be more creative, you should break the rules, look for inspiration wherever it might come from, and work the way you enjoy most. Check mark, check mark, check mark!

That last recommendation is particularly ADHD. Classified as a neurobehavioral disorder, ADHD makes it difficult for its so-called victims to engage in activities they do not enjoy. Does that remind you of any creative people you know?

I was told time and time again, “You can do the work, you just don’t want to apply yourself.”

Had I more spunk as a child I might have answered, “Yeah. What’s your point?”

I think now that I was misjudged as lazy. “When you want to do something, you apply yourself completely,” I heard so often. “If you would apply yourself to your school work, you could get all As.” Maybe.

How many brilliantly creative children and young adults do we discourage from reaching their full artistic or inventive potential in order to make their behavior more like those of us who are not so creative?

See also: Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder score high in creativity PhysOrg

Peter Lloyd is co-creator with Stephen Grossman of Animal Crackers, the breakthrough problem-solving tool designed to crack your toughest problems.
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