056: The Neurodivergent Creative

Starving Artist No More

While I’m not neurodivergent myself, I know a lot of artists who are. In fact, quite a few of the artists who work with me to build their entrepreneurship skills are neurodivergent in one way or another. You, the fabulous artist listening to this podcast, might even be neurodivergent yourself. And this prevalence of neurodivergence among artists is more than just anecdote; a recent Psychology Today article explains that “neurodivergent individuals excel creatively,” making them uniquely suited to artistic careers. But while being neurodivergent can be a bonus in the creativity department, it can bring a whole host of unique challenges in the other aspects of our creative work. Today, let’s discuss strategies for handling the ups and downs of life as a neurodivergent creative.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why neurodivergence is so common in the creative and artistic world. (In other words, lots of creatives are neurodivergent, which means you're not alone!)
• How coming to an acceptance of your neurodivergence can help you strategize solutions for the unique problems you face.
• What practical solutions have worked for Marni Penning, an award-winning actress, and what processes and resources she used to find those solutions.
• How you can use those same processes to find solutions that work for you in your unique circumstances.

In this episode, I mention the upcoming Thriving Narrators Retreat, which will take place August 22-25, 2024 in Cincinnati, OH. (Marni Penning, the guest for today's episode, will be a faculty member at this retreat.) You can learn more about this opportunity for audiobook narrators on my website, www.StarvingArtistNoMore.com/ThrivingNarratorsRetreat.

I refer to two past episodes of this podcast:

• 016: The Six Components of a Thriving Creative Business
• 022: Outsourcing for Creatives

I also mention this article from Psychology Today and this 2022 study of neurodivergence among electronic musicians.

This episode includes an interview with award-winning actress Marni Penning. You can learn more about Marni's work on her website and on her social media. You can also learn more about the Penning Method for the Panicked Actor here.

In our conversation, Marni mentions two tools that she finds helpful in managing her neurological differences: a full-year write-on calendar, and write-on magnets. I also mention the large desk calendar that I like to use for my schedule, which you can see here.

Marni also shares two additional resources that have helped her in her journey:

• Shanna Pearson's Expert ADHD Coaching
• A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD by Sari Solden and Michelle Frank (the audiobook version is narrated by Marni!)

Marni and I discuss body doubling as a strategy to help with focus. You can learn more about body doubling here, and you can learn more about Focusmate, a body doubling service, here.

A full transcript of this episode can be found here. Full transcripts of every episode will always be available at the Starving Artist No More Blog.

Thank you for listening. Please feel free to reach out to me at www.StarvingArtistNoMore.com, with any questions, comments, or feedback. I'd love to hear from you.