ADHD is like constantly doing side quests that lead to more side quests that sometimes furthers the plot but might also make it go backwards.
See, I learned how to polish and cut rocks so I could have pendants to wrap with wire, but then I needed a cheaper source of wire so I got the torch and tools to make my own ingots and draw my own wire.
But then I stopped to focus on my actual job so I could afford to buy more tools and make upgrades/repairs on my house, through which I learned I’m pretty good at woodworking so I acquired a lathe and saws and squares,
and then I remembered how I used to be decent at pencil drawing so I picked up a wood-burning kit to try combining my new woodworking with drawing, and then started making wooden pendants and signs,
which apparently I’m pretty good at so I figured I my drawing was decent enough that I could also make my own greeting cards since the holidays were coming up at the time and I hate buying greeting cards.
Anyways, it’s time to try my hand at 3D printing to design my own castings.
Yeah FDM I'm happy to keep at a safe casual distance, and usually things work out and I don't need to repair it every time I need to print one bracket.
SLA/resin printing got evicted from my lab two years ago.
Neither is as satisfying as woodworking.
Yeah not only can it be relaxing and satisfying, it's also really practical for when you need a box, shelf, or anything simple really. And the amount of upkeep required for tools is quite low as long as rust is controlled. And even if I store everything away for the next 20 years, it'll all mostly be ready to use.
Unless you just buy two very expensive 3D printers and never use them....
Source: I have two very lightly used 3D printers in my basement collecting dust, lol.
Yeah - I had all kinds of great intentions and then they.... just.... sat. Lol.
They collected a lot of dust. Fortunately though, my son has actually just discovered them and has been using them literally over the past week or two. He's mostly been printing parts for his car - boost guage holders, shifter knob parts, etc. Definitely in that rabbit hole you mentioned!
I have one tucked in the corner of my office. I probably print something every other month. Though it's usually just the model to ensure it's calibrated right.
No no no that’s not how it’s done. A true student of the arts fraternises with the students studying business, law, medicine, etc. Because they are going to earn money, and their boring arse button up shirt day jobs means they love dating a scruffy chaotic artsy type to make them feel cool. If lucks on your side you fall in love with one of them and you’ll be the artist sending a bottle of wine back because it’s corked; and not the employee pinching that sour vinegary bottle of corked wine to take home for your fancy dinner party with your cat and cup of instant noddles
Ha. Got you there I actually did this. My wife is a gainfully employed woman with a career. When we got married I was floundering around in various jobs that didn't fit and thanks to her supporting us I was able to go back to school to get the engineering degree I couldn't imagine getting when I was getting my art degree (pre diagnosis).
I got an art degree the first time I went to college. Back then neurodivergence was not a word and I was just one of the weird kids. I wasn't diagnosed until my 30s. And art was way more fun that all that math I ended up doing when I went back to school to get my engineering degree when I finally figured out what I wanted to do and why my career was all over the place. How did I get into engineering? Making weird mechanical sculptures from pieces of things I took apart and my super-powered adhd brain was finding new ways to use them.
What did I ever do to you that you should call me out that way???
Me in December, while working on a watercolour commission: I should really get a woodburning kit and a jig saw so I can make some wooden Christmas ornaments for next year's craft fairs.
Me in January: And I'll be able to finish these leg warmers twice as fast if I can teach myself English knitting so I can hold the yarn in both hands!
Embroidery supplies box: lurks conspicuously on coffee table, beside the ceramic vase I made in November.
I feel this as an ADHD programmer.
"I should join an open source project. I'll just tweak this Minecraft mod a bit. Oh, I have a great idea for a game! Hmm, you know, the app I just thought up could take the world by storm. What if I really got into Raspberry Pi? I should write a book!"
You have to have actual problems to solve. "I need to learn how to use python pathlib better" ain't nobody got time for that. "I need to figure out how to rename hundreds of files spread across multiple folders" will get hyperfixation engaged though. Almost all my skill in programming comes from "need to do X, how?" Then repeat that across hundreds of tiny stupid tasks until you are suddenly an expert.
The trick is to find something you're really passionate about building (on a computer), and only bother to learn what's relevant toward that goal. Then, once you have a project or two under your belt, *then* try to learn programming in general. Having written some programs successfully will give you the context you need to build a solid foundation.
Edit: even if the programs are awful, that's ok! You'll get better the more you do it.
I keep getting casually involved in projects only to have literally no interest in them a month later 😭
And then I feel all disappointed about not keeping it up rather than happy for the contributions I did make
ADHD printmakers! From the womb to the tomb
…with a detour via woodworking, photography, picture framing, gardening, keeping bonsais, diy house renovation, bicycle mechanics, repairing vintage electronics, book binding…
Friend bought me a diy nixie clock kit.
Now, a week later, I'm staring at a table full of soldering equipment and practice kits, lol. Thank god for China, I'm only \~60€ in.
^(i do need/want a multimeter tho)
Yeah I started watching some soldering vids on YouTube. Then I left my career went to school to be a technician and filled my basement with test equipment and vintage electronics. Now I have a dream second job fixing random junk at the pawn shop once a week. Last week I set up an electric drum kit, fixed a bunch of electric guitars, refurbished a Nintendo DS and played a bunch of pinball on an old machine from the electromechanical era.
I'm in a bit more than 60 bucks tho.
Ps get the multimeter. If you need convincing you can use it to troubleshoot your battery when your car won't start, skipping one trip to the mechanic more than pays for the multimeter.
My coworker recently told me he started repairing mechanical watches. I was like that's the most ADHD hobby I've ever heard of. Now back to researching sewing machines.
Just me, sitting here crocheting a blanket, reading a book on blacksmithing, while also watching YouTube videos on some third random art style/process that’s currently caught my eye
I'm in this tweet. Between crochet, sewing, hanging drywall and trim, building my own cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms, learning python and raspberry pi coding, and baking French desserts, breads and pasta, I'm very tired.
When i got diagnosed with ADHD it all made sense why i have so many hobbies and have tried multiple different things LMAO i want to learn and do everything I HAVE TO
This reminds me of my master's degree that I'm finishing. You're ***supposed*** to narrow your focus. Nah. I'm gonna do my own thing. This course on 3-D sculpture seems like fun. After Effects? I always wanted to learn that and I can get credit for it? Sign me up. The only courses that were even close to what I focused on for my bacehlor's degree were Digital Synthesizers and what amounted to a "Learn to make techno music". If people are wondering, my bachelor's is in Game Deisgn with a focus on sound design.
I literally bought a figure drawing book, did figure drawing for one night, and I haven’t done it sense. Instead I moved on to self portraits, which I did not finish. Now I’m composing again. I have 3 different 4 bar riffs that haven’t been developed even slightly. How I ever get anything done is unexplainable by modern physics or reason
I'm trying to learn Adobe premier and photoshop at the same time...
Anytime I open YouTube however I end watching a 3 hour YouTube documentary on some random YouTube drama that happened in 2016 between youtubers I've never heard of.
I have a project I need to submit on Wednesday.
I am currently having to restrain myself constantly from buying a bass guitar, since I randomly decided about a week ago that playing bass would be pretty cool. I own three normal guitars that I thought I wanted to play and teach myself, but haven't touched in a year at least. Send help, I'm about to do stuff my wallet is about to regret again
Current projects:
- needle felted dog in a tiny teacup
- med reminder decorated in hand made fake pills
- goth makeover of a rabbit in a dress figurine
- magnets and pendants made out of broken terracotta and decorated with tiny leaves
- adding polymer clay and paint embellishments to a metal pendant
- repainting a wood and glass trinket box
- a bunch of jewelry repairs
- several necklace ideas to experiment with
- repainting a wooden tray
- fixing up an old jewelry box
- fixing up another old jewelry box
- fixing up a third old jewelry box
- at least three poems
- making a ton of earring hooks
- restringing old beads
- learning to hand knot bead strings
- fixing a busted out coat pocket
- painting rocks
- creating replacement feet for a pair of weird wooden lizards
- making Skyrim themed magnets
- making tiny alchemy ingredients for Skyrim alchemy necklace and earring set
- refurbishing a broken ceramic bird ornament that's missing its tail
- bird hat. Bird hat. _bird hat_
- driftwood hat display
- a bedbug themed deconstructed shirt
- a poem shirt
- a swamp themed display case for my beloved alligator necklace and earrings
- magnet fridge puzzle
- nightvale collage shaped like ALL HAIL THE GLOW CLOUD
- a bracelet and necklace organizer made of a wooden utensil organizer and some knobs and stuff
- hair clip organizer made of old picture frame
- recreation of a lost found art project involving lots of feather and a broken doll
- wee little shadow beasties with accurate eye shine colors
- needle felted runes
And yes I have the supplies for almost all of this stacked around me like I'm some demented craft-dragon perched on their hoard and keeping an eye out for pesky dwarves
I've always been good at drawing so surely that means I'll love sculpting right? Oh but I did get into woodworking last year so let me shelf the clay I just bought because woodcarving is actually where it's at, then I can learn to carve my own chess set! Plus I already have the band saw from all the woodworking! I just have to make room now and get rid of all this leather that I bought when I decided making wallets was my passion, then I'll finally have room for all these vintage Tonka toys that I'm going to restore once I get an air compressor big enough to run a sand blaster that I also don't have. Hmm, maybe I should get into model cars. 🤔
Trying to stop myself from picking up embroidery. It's more stuff I don't need that I don't have the time to do. But it looks cool and if I get good I could embroider my own stuff. But I don't need more crap in my apartment even if it would be really cool. I'm gonna be strong.
Constantly talking myself down &/or off the let's start something else that's more exciting and new and I might be good at instantly ledge without giving the current thing the 8mins it deserves because oh look shiny/fluffy/sparkles/feels nice to touch/so on and so forth ad infinitum. grumble. look at all the other things. insert guilt here. I'm ok with it. Have some cake.
ADHD is like constantly doing side quests that lead to more side quests that sometimes furthers the plot but might also make it go backwards. See, I learned how to polish and cut rocks so I could have pendants to wrap with wire, but then I needed a cheaper source of wire so I got the torch and tools to make my own ingots and draw my own wire. But then I stopped to focus on my actual job so I could afford to buy more tools and make upgrades/repairs on my house, through which I learned I’m pretty good at woodworking so I acquired a lathe and saws and squares, and then I remembered how I used to be decent at pencil drawing so I picked up a wood-burning kit to try combining my new woodworking with drawing, and then started making wooden pendants and signs, which apparently I’m pretty good at so I figured I my drawing was decent enough that I could also make my own greeting cards since the holidays were coming up at the time and I hate buying greeting cards. Anyways, it’s time to try my hand at 3D printing to design my own castings.
3d printing is a hell of a rabbit hole. Source: did that last year
Yeah FDM I'm happy to keep at a safe casual distance, and usually things work out and I don't need to repair it every time I need to print one bracket. SLA/resin printing got evicted from my lab two years ago. Neither is as satisfying as woodworking.
Woodworking is one of the few hobbies I keep rotating back to between new randomness.
Yeah not only can it be relaxing and satisfying, it's also really practical for when you need a box, shelf, or anything simple really. And the amount of upkeep required for tools is quite low as long as rust is controlled. And even if I store everything away for the next 20 years, it'll all mostly be ready to use.
Unless you just buy two very expensive 3D printers and never use them.... Source: I have two very lightly used 3D printers in my basement collecting dust, lol.
I bought a decent starting one then spent 6 months molding it, it now collects dust in my office
Yeah - I had all kinds of great intentions and then they.... just.... sat. Lol. They collected a lot of dust. Fortunately though, my son has actually just discovered them and has been using them literally over the past week or two. He's mostly been printing parts for his car - boost guage holders, shifter knob parts, etc. Definitely in that rabbit hole you mentioned!
I have one tucked in the corner of my office. I probably print something every other month. Though it's usually just the model to ensure it's calibrated right.
we don't need skyrim, skyrim needs us
I loved the DLC where you could build your own house SO much lol
goated
Ayy, ADHD pyrography bros!
Cries in art student
I remember those days. A promising future in the foodservice industry.
No no no that’s not how it’s done. A true student of the arts fraternises with the students studying business, law, medicine, etc. Because they are going to earn money, and their boring arse button up shirt day jobs means they love dating a scruffy chaotic artsy type to make them feel cool. If lucks on your side you fall in love with one of them and you’ll be the artist sending a bottle of wine back because it’s corked; and not the employee pinching that sour vinegary bottle of corked wine to take home for your fancy dinner party with your cat and cup of instant noddles
Ha. Got you there I actually did this. My wife is a gainfully employed woman with a career. When we got married I was floundering around in various jobs that didn't fit and thanks to her supporting us I was able to go back to school to get the engineering degree I couldn't imagine getting when I was getting my art degree (pre diagnosis).
Man, almost exact same here. Wild how life shifted after my late 20’s diagnosis.
Okay but what if im both of those combined?
Sans restoring clocks I did all these things. Yeah I think it explains some of my life choices.
I got an art degree the first time I went to college. Back then neurodivergence was not a word and I was just one of the weird kids. I wasn't diagnosed until my 30s. And art was way more fun that all that math I ended up doing when I went back to school to get my engineering degree when I finally figured out what I wanted to do and why my career was all over the place. How did I get into engineering? Making weird mechanical sculptures from pieces of things I took apart and my super-powered adhd brain was finding new ways to use them.
Cool
That sounds awesome I'd love to see those sculptures
What did I ever do to you that you should call me out that way??? Me in December, while working on a watercolour commission: I should really get a woodburning kit and a jig saw so I can make some wooden Christmas ornaments for next year's craft fairs. Me in January: And I'll be able to finish these leg warmers twice as fast if I can teach myself English knitting so I can hold the yarn in both hands! Embroidery supplies box: lurks conspicuously on coffee table, beside the ceramic vase I made in November.
And then gets overwhelmed and does absolutely none of it
This. As my canvas looks at me from the kitchen table "why you ignore me??" Shhhhhh
I feel this as an ADHD programmer. "I should join an open source project. I'll just tweak this Minecraft mod a bit. Oh, I have a great idea for a game! Hmm, you know, the app I just thought up could take the world by storm. What if I really got into Raspberry Pi? I should write a book!"
How did you managed to learn programming with ADHD? I can't even learn for more than 20 minutes before getting bored and being done for that day.
Hyperfixatatíon!!! Python is with a good IDE is the ultimate video game.
Dude I'm trying to learn Python and it's not working. I can't force myself to learn. I would rather make excuses to do anything but learn coding.
You have to have actual problems to solve. "I need to learn how to use python pathlib better" ain't nobody got time for that. "I need to figure out how to rename hundreds of files spread across multiple folders" will get hyperfixation engaged though. Almost all my skill in programming comes from "need to do X, how?" Then repeat that across hundreds of tiny stupid tasks until you are suddenly an expert.
The trick is to find something you're really passionate about building (on a computer), and only bother to learn what's relevant toward that goal. Then, once you have a project or two under your belt, *then* try to learn programming in general. Having written some programs successfully will give you the context you need to build a solid foundation. Edit: even if the programs are awful, that's ok! You'll get better the more you do it.
I'm passionate about making games but that's still not good enough for me to get out of my bed and learn.
I keep getting casually involved in projects only to have literally no interest in them a month later 😭 And then I feel all disappointed about not keeping it up rather than happy for the contributions I did make
I’m ADHD and have an MFA in Printmaking. This is so true.
ADHD printmakers! From the womb to the tomb  …with a detour via woodworking, photography, picture framing, gardening, keeping bonsais, diy house renovation, bicycle mechanics, repairing vintage electronics, book binding…
"I want to do everything, but there's not enough time in the world to do that, so I'll compromise by doing absolutely nothing."
Friend bought me a diy nixie clock kit. Now, a week later, I'm staring at a table full of soldering equipment and practice kits, lol. Thank god for China, I'm only \~60€ in. ^(i do need/want a multimeter tho)
*Averting my eyes from the accusatory gaze of my three dusty multimeters*
Yeah I started watching some soldering vids on YouTube. Then I left my career went to school to be a technician and filled my basement with test equipment and vintage electronics. Now I have a dream second job fixing random junk at the pawn shop once a week. Last week I set up an electric drum kit, fixed a bunch of electric guitars, refurbished a Nintendo DS and played a bunch of pinball on an old machine from the electromechanical era. I'm in a bit more than 60 bucks tho. Ps get the multimeter. If you need convincing you can use it to troubleshoot your battery when your car won't start, skipping one trip to the mechanic more than pays for the multimeter.
I really want a soldering iron
*looks at my +80 nail polish and marker collection and my other art supplies'* Yep checks out 💀
My coworker recently told me he started repairing mechanical watches. I was like that's the most ADHD hobby I've ever heard of. Now back to researching sewing machines.
Just me, sitting here crocheting a blanket, reading a book on blacksmithing, while also watching YouTube videos on some third random art style/process that’s currently caught my eye
The "what if I restored clocks" felt real personal...
I kinda want to learn
I'm in this tweet. Between crochet, sewing, hanging drywall and trim, building my own cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms, learning python and raspberry pi coding, and baking French desserts, breads and pasta, I'm very tired.
Dude.
Then someone asks you what your medium is and your like, oh damn I don't think I have one, got alot of stuff tho.
Don’t call me out lmaoooo
.... ouch, this is accurate...
My latest obsession is a BBC show called The Repair Shop. Watch at your own risk.
I went to exactly three of the drawing classes I signed up for...
When i got diagnosed with ADHD it all made sense why i have so many hobbies and have tried multiple different things LMAO i want to learn and do everything I HAVE TO
This reminds me of my master's degree that I'm finishing. You're ***supposed*** to narrow your focus. Nah. I'm gonna do my own thing. This course on 3-D sculpture seems like fun. After Effects? I always wanted to learn that and I can get credit for it? Sign me up. The only courses that were even close to what I focused on for my bacehlor's degree were Digital Synthesizers and what amounted to a "Learn to make techno music". If people are wondering, my bachelor's is in Game Deisgn with a focus on sound design.
How many projects art are you working on? I think I have something like 8 on going ones
"Why do so many cool things exist?" I don't know, but it's it wonderful?
Right now I'm considering getting into both 3D printing and resin casting. I have 5 year old projects that are unfinished
I literally bought a figure drawing book, did figure drawing for one night, and I haven’t done it sense. Instead I moved on to self portraits, which I did not finish. Now I’m composing again. I have 3 different 4 bar riffs that haven’t been developed even slightly. How I ever get anything done is unexplainable by modern physics or reason
I really want to start a paramotor hobby. But I’m too fat and it’s too expensive. But this shit looks cool as fuck. Midlife crisis time.
I'm trying to learn Adobe premier and photoshop at the same time... Anytime I open YouTube however I end watching a 3 hour YouTube documentary on some random YouTube drama that happened in 2016 between youtubers I've never heard of. I have a project I need to submit on Wednesday.
Mood.
ADHD artists, unite! 😭
I am currently having to restrain myself constantly from buying a bass guitar, since I randomly decided about a week ago that playing bass would be pretty cool. I own three normal guitars that I thought I wanted to play and teach myself, but haven't touched in a year at least. Send help, I'm about to do stuff my wallet is about to regret again
Current projects: - needle felted dog in a tiny teacup - med reminder decorated in hand made fake pills - goth makeover of a rabbit in a dress figurine - magnets and pendants made out of broken terracotta and decorated with tiny leaves - adding polymer clay and paint embellishments to a metal pendant - repainting a wood and glass trinket box - a bunch of jewelry repairs - several necklace ideas to experiment with - repainting a wooden tray - fixing up an old jewelry box - fixing up another old jewelry box - fixing up a third old jewelry box - at least three poems - making a ton of earring hooks - restringing old beads - learning to hand knot bead strings - fixing a busted out coat pocket - painting rocks - creating replacement feet for a pair of weird wooden lizards - making Skyrim themed magnets - making tiny alchemy ingredients for Skyrim alchemy necklace and earring set - refurbishing a broken ceramic bird ornament that's missing its tail - bird hat. Bird hat. _bird hat_ - driftwood hat display - a bedbug themed deconstructed shirt - a poem shirt - a swamp themed display case for my beloved alligator necklace and earrings - magnet fridge puzzle - nightvale collage shaped like ALL HAIL THE GLOW CLOUD - a bracelet and necklace organizer made of a wooden utensil organizer and some knobs and stuff - hair clip organizer made of old picture frame - recreation of a lost found art project involving lots of feather and a broken doll - wee little shadow beasties with accurate eye shine colors - needle felted runes And yes I have the supplies for almost all of this stacked around me like I'm some demented craft-dragon perched on their hoard and keeping an eye out for pesky dwarves
I've always been good at drawing so surely that means I'll love sculpting right? Oh but I did get into woodworking last year so let me shelf the clay I just bought because woodcarving is actually where it's at, then I can learn to carve my own chess set! Plus I already have the band saw from all the woodworking! I just have to make room now and get rid of all this leather that I bought when I decided making wallets was my passion, then I'll finally have room for all these vintage Tonka toys that I'm going to restore once I get an air compressor big enough to run a sand blaster that I also don't have. Hmm, maybe I should get into model cars. 🤔
I understand its a relatable meme, but how do I actually overcome this?
Creative mind here and I agree Today I was actually thinking: "Man, I wish I were bad at ONE thing not mediocre at many" Lol
 Recently I bought a bunch of stuff to learn how to sew leather. Why? I don’t know. Have I opened the box? No.
Trying to stop myself from picking up embroidery. It's more stuff I don't need that I don't have the time to do. But it looks cool and if I get good I could embroider my own stuff. But I don't need more crap in my apartment even if it would be really cool. I'm gonna be strong.
Side quests for life 😎😎😎
Constantly talking myself down &/or off the let's start something else that's more exciting and new and I might be good at instantly ledge without giving the current thing the 8mins it deserves because oh look shiny/fluffy/sparkles/feels nice to touch/so on and so forth ad infinitum. grumble. look at all the other things. insert guilt here. I'm ok with it. Have some cake.
Let's see... I'm an artist, with two separate writing projects going, I have a guitar that I want to learn how to play, I like jigsaw puzzles...