Thursday Seeds: ADHD? No Problem!

Passive Resistance. Using Obstacles against themselves. Doing this is more active than it sounds. That’s what this whole book I’m reading says. 

I’m interested in this because the theme of my post today is this: 

ADHD? No problem! Turn around to the other keyboard.

This is the concept or hack that I picked up from Madeline L’ Engle.  She also taught me to meditate and write and several other things just from reading her books. One of which is naming your home even if it isn’t a farm. Hers was named Crosswicks. She is a mentor of mine. I’m pretty sure that her discussion on writing tables was in her book called Walking on Water.

She called her writing space the “ivory tower”.  It was in the attic and she was an early proponent of word processors back in her day. So on her desk was the processor or computer. Opposite her chair, was another keyboard. Musical. She would stop writing because of some stopping place, maybe she needed to wait for info to arrive or she was frustrated about a topic, but she would stop and turn opposite to the work and start her practice on a fugue. She loved them and actually was active in the music department in her church.  By the time she was ready, she could turn back around and continue writing. She didn’t have to pack up anything, both keyboards sat in the ready for her. 

Her family would even ask if she had been to the ivory tower if she got cranky or snappish about life things. It became a joke. I can relate! If you ever tell me that, you’ll get the look.

This is exactly what I was reading about today in the Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. When you can just “stop the presses” for just a little while, new solutions and ideas show up. The ADHD has a place to go. You are on the music channel. Writing has a place to breathe and really, vice versa if the fugue practice isn’t going as well.

Last week’s post was about Art begetting art. It’s a sort of hack too. If you aren’t excited about the main art, a side art can get you in the grove or inspired to go back to the first project with new eyes. The good writers do this in some form or fashion. Music writers do it too. If you are a song writer, you have two lines working anyway, the lyrics and the melody line.

“Did she write today?”  NO.

“Did she write today?”  No. She sang.

“Did she write today?” No. Farmer’s Market

“Did she write today?” No. A festival

Then, by magic:  A whole massive chapter appears out of nowhere.

The book locations and time frame are set

A new character appears.

This is how it can go.

Another one, if you are having issues with writing your book, move back to your journal. You know the one place where you get stuff out and feel pretty safe? Chapters show up in there if you let them.

Remember that you are free to change directions and when you return, new things happen. New products show up, whole concepts or garden plans show up in your head. Ideas shift and energy does too.  The Sun is in a different position than it was when you got anxious; when you were overthinking.

When you paint, there is a time when you need to leave it alone. It’s done, it’s time to move on. 

Other times, you won’t see the next step needed until the paint is dry the next day.

Use the “block” as a catapult or even a stair step in another project. A new canvas gets a background coat.

And here’s another thought: that other art form you have going DOES NOT HAVE TO BE GOOD!  No pressure. 🙂  

I know you know these things. We all know them. We just need to tell ourselves these things over and over again when we get all stressed out.