ADD Artists

MY INTEREST: Artists with attention deficit disorders, creative process integration and how to achieve a balanced studio productivity?

"How do artists with attention deficits integrate creative processes and tendency toward constant distraction?"

Within the last 50 years medical communities seem to have continued proposing pharmacedical corrections for attention deficiencies. Although the medicine, knowledge, and co-existence of behavioural & environmental therapies have improved, I wonder how visual artists deal with these sensory and attention disorders. So that's what I'm getting at...

Through this conversation I hope to re-evaluate my own attention span difficulties within my working process, and better understand how I might help my son.

My son was recently diagnosed with, among other things, Attention Deficit Disorder. He is just finishing first grade, an uphill climb and an accomplishment within it's own right. Our homework sessions often drag out to an hour long reminder to "finish number 3, OK now finish #4. You're doing great now let's finish # 5..." He has trouble just staying in his seat at the dinner table. At home he's constantly standing up and sitting down, kneeling on a chair and walking around his side of the table. We've been informed that he has many of the same troubles at school, which makes staying on task very difficult for his teachers.

I am taking a look at my own tendencies within the photographic and filmmaking process. Over the years I have been able to take advantage of my roaming interest and drifting focus but still I have trouble completing projects, if there are distractions nearby.

Can we overcome developmental shortcomings in our ever shortened attention spans? Do we rather find ways to work with these attributes and by doing so define them as strengths? What sorts of environmental & personal-space design contributes to effective productivity?

I'll be posting on this topic more throughout the month of June.