Creative Brains Need More than Interest
Feeling stuck waiting for motivation to strike? In this episode of Rhythms of Focus, we explore a gentler, agency-driven approach to productivity-especially for creative professionals, high-achievers with ADHD, and anyone whose mind tends to wander. Instead of relying on force, deadlines, or shame, discover how small, mindful “visits” and emotional rhythms can help you move forward, even when motivation feels out of reach.You’ll learn: • Why traditional productivity advice often backfires for wandering minds, and how to honor your emotions as guides rather than obstacles. • How the “CHIN-UP” emotions-challenge, interest, novelty, urgency, and passion- are helpful, but not enough for meaningful engagement. • Practical ways to create gentle transitions into focus, using visits and self-compassion as your starting point.Key Takeaways: • Show up to your work with a single, mindful visit-no need to force action. • Use your emotions as navigational tools, not barriers. • Mark each visit complete, no matter how small, and return with self-kindness.This episode features an original piano composition “Standing Deer” to inspire your own creative rhythm, a representation of passion to build in your own life.Subscribe for more gentle productivity strategies and visit rhythmsoffocus.com for resources and community.Keywords#ADHD #WanderingMinds #GentleProductivity #MindfulFocus #Agency #CreativeBrains #EmotionalRhythm #SelfCompassion #ProductivityTips #FocusWithoutForceTranscript No Dopamine? No laundry "Oh, I'm sorry. I, I can't do the laundry. I, I just don't have the dopamine."I am paraphrasing this from a social media post that is quite humorous as these videos often are. My question is "now what?"Do we wait for dopamine or interest or whatever to be able to act? Are we really at the mercy of some capricious muse?We can certainly laugh at these videos, but I think we owe it to ourselves to pick up from this point, because otherwise we're left throwing up our hands and saying, well, I guess I just don't have free will.Okay. But now what? Certainly, it can be hard to get started. Transitioning from doing nothing to something, from something to something else. These can seem impossible. Others ask us-- we ask ourselves, why can't I move forward? Why can't I keep doing the thing over time?I had like to play for you this post that I found quite funny. Written across it is the words, "me absolutely riddled with ADHD applying for a job." Instagram Post hereAgain, quite funny, but I think we need to pick up from here.In recent years, this idea of an "Interest- based nervous system" has come to the front. The idea is that we can only function if we have this inherent interest in doing a thing.One psychiatrist, Dr. William Dodson describes a few motivating conditions for those with ADHD, and I think the concept can extend well for those with wandering minds.Namely, these conditions are:One. Challenge: a sense of being challenged within that window that works for us that can engage flow.Two. Interest: the sense that you inherently would like to do something.Three. Novelty is say, Hey, look, there's that shiny thing. I would maybe play around with this word novelty and replace it with the idea of discovery because I feel like it's more meaningful. Four is urgency: a sense that something's on fire. It needs to be taken care of now.And fifth. Passion: the sense that something developing over time throughout your days, giving you a sense of competency, identity, agency, and more.Together, these have sometimes been called an...