ADHD Reflections
by Jason Longo

Do I Really Like Helping People… or Am I Just Avoiding That One Project Again?

0
Share

Sometimes I think I’m a generous, helpful, community-minded person. You need help moving furniture? I’m there. Want help designing your logo or fixing your printer? Let me grab my coffee. Need someone to brainstorm your business idea for two hours while I “accidentally” ignore my own deadline? I’m your person.

But recently, I asked myself a question I wasn’t ready to answer:

Do I really like helping people, or do I just like it when they give me an excuse to avoid my own tasks?

Cue the uncomfortable silence.

Because the truth is… helping others feels productive. It feels like I’m doing something good. It’s rewarding! But when I zoom out and look at the big picture, sometimes it’s just creative procrastination in a shiny disguise.

Especially when I’m avoiding that project — you know, the one that’s either overwhelming, boring, or tangled in perfectionism.

It’s a strange paradox: I can help three people write their resumes in an afternoon, but can’t seem to send one email that’s been on my to-do list for a week.

The twist? Helping people does bring me joy — but sometimes the joy is amplified by the fact that I get to delay doing my own scary, tedious, or emotionally-draining thing. It’s a two-for-one dopamine deal.

So what do we do with this awareness?

I’m learning to check in with myself. Before I leap into someone else’s urgent project, I ask:

  • Am I genuinely excited to help — or am I escaping something uncomfortable?

  • What’s the project I’m avoiding?

  • Can I set a small timer and just start it for 10 minutes before running to someone else’s rescue?

Spoiler: sometimes I still choose to help them first. But at least now I know what I’m doing. Awareness is the first step, right?

And hey — if you’re reading this while avoiding your own project… I get it. Helping others is comforting. But your work matters, too. Especially the stuff you secretly want to finish — once the dishes are done and your neighbor’s website is updated.

Author

Jason Longo

As an artist, musician, project manager, and neurodivergent creator with a background that blends design, education, and marketing, I’ve spent my life navigating the intersections of creativity and focus.

Through Creative with ADHD, I share tools, systems, and insights for fellow creatives living with ADHD. From digital planners to thought-provoking blogs, everything I create is designed to support focus, flow, and follow-through—without sacrificing your spark. Whether you're chasing inspiration or corralling chaos, you're in the right place.

View all posts | Website

Related Posts
Creative with ADHD Default Hero - 1200 x 675 px

Do Creatives Have It Better or Worse? ADHD, Art, and the Shared Struggle

0

Being creative with ADHD can feel like a paradox.

On one hand, creativity is a superpower — a way to channel thoughts, emotions, and energy into something meaningful. On the other hand, ADHD doesn’t care about your vision, your deadlines, or the fact that your third coffee of the day still hasn’t helped you finish that one idea you started two weeks ago.

So the question is: do creatives with ADHD have it better or worse than others with ADHD? Or are we just differently challenged?

The Shared Struggles of ADHD

ADHD isn’t selective. Whether you’re an artist, engineer, teacher, or truck driver — it brings some universal struggles:

  • Executive dysfunction: Starting tasks, finishing them, prioritizing — all a mess.

  • Emotional dysregulation: One tiny frustration can spiral into shame, anger, or shutdown.

  • Time blindness: Five minutes and two hours are basically the same thing.

  • Overwhelm and burnout: From trying to do everything… or nothing.

These are common threads that unite people with ADHD regardless of career, passion, or personality.

So What’s Different for Creatives?

Creatives often have some built-in ADHD coping mechanisms — flexible schedules, expressive outlets, and a culture that celebrates “thinking differently.” That can feel freeing.

But we also face unique traps:

  • Perfectionism meets impulsivity: We want everything to be just right — but we rush through or abandon it because we lose steam or get distracted.

  • The dopamine chase: New ideas? Easy. Finishing them? That’s where the dopamine runs out.

  • Validation loops: Our work is often personal. If it’s not received well (or never finished), it hits harder than a missed deadline in a spreadsheet.

  • Inconsistent output: Creative energy doesn’t always run on a schedule — but the world does.

Do We Have It Better?

Sometimes.

Creativity can soothe ADHD. It gives us outlets, confidence, and moments of flow where time and struggle fall away. It helps us make sense of chaos — even if we’re not immune to it.

Do We Have It Worse?

Sometimes.

We’re often misunderstood — even by ourselves. We can feel lazy when we’re actually overstimulated, or flaky when we’re genuinely overwhelmed. The expectation to “just be inspired” clashes with the reality of ADHD brains that are often battling noise, not silence.

So, What Now?

Whether you’re creative or not, ADHD is real, challenging, and very individual. But here’s the truth:

  • You’re not alone in the struggle.

  • Creativity doesn’t cancel out ADHD — but it can coexist with it beautifully.

  • You don’t have to choose between being creative and being functional. You can build systems that support both.

In the end, it’s not about who has it better or worse.

It’s about learning to work with your brain — and maybe even turning the chaos into your canvas.

Creative with ADHD Default Hero - 1200 x 675 px

Now That I Know I Have ADHD — Is It an Excuse or a Key to My Strengths?

0

I was diagnosed with ADHD at 54. Just a few months ago, in fact. And since then, I’ve started taking medication, added some supplements, and have been working hard on rebuilding my habits.

But something’s been nagging at me.

If all of this is working—if I’m focusing better, completing tasks, and feeling more “together”—does that mean I’m not really ADHD anymore? Or is this more like alcoholism, where you’re always considered one, even if you’re sober?

Here’s what I’ve come to understand: ADHD doesn’t vanish just because you’re managing it well. It doesn’t get “cured.” It’s more like a built-in part of your brain’s operating system. And what I’ve added—medication, supplements, and new routines—are just tools that help me navigate the world more effectively.

With vs. Without Support

  • Before treatment, my brain was like a browser with 47 tabs open—on dial-up.

  • Now, it’s like I finally got fiber internet and a bookmark system. The tabs are still there, but I can actually use them.

I haven’t changed who I am. I’ve just changed how I support myself.

Is It Cheating to Take Medication?

I used to wonder if I was supposed to just “try harder” or rely on willpower. Like many of us do for decades. But let’s be honest—telling someone with blurry vision to just squint harder doesn’t make them see clearly. Getting glasses isn’t cheating. Neither is treating your brain.

Medication doesn’t erase my ADHD. It just gives me a chance to work with it instead of constantly working against it.

This Is a Lifelong Mindset

Like alcoholism, ADHD doesn’t go away. But unlike recovery, this isn’t about avoiding something—it’s about building something. Systems. Strategies. Forgiveness. Self-awareness.

There are still rough days. Still moments I walk into a room and forget why. But now, I know why that happens—and I know what helps.

I still have ADHD. But now I have a plan, too.

What About You?

Have you been recently diagnosed? Are you figuring out what works for your brain—whether it’s medication, supplements, therapy, or building new habits?
Share your story in the comments or reach out—I’d love to hear how you’re navigating your ADHD journey.

Let’s figure this out together, one focused moment at a time.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *