ADHD developmental artwork

When I thought about how ADHD would look as a creature for me, I immediately knew it would be a green creature. For some reason I always identify ADHD with the color green. No idea why, I also saw it as a writhing mass of various faces and expressions - all pulling in different directions, and talking and looking at different things. Basically the creature is all but pulling itself apart. I also incorporated a more human looking eye in this creature, than my depression and anxiety creatures have. because I saw it as a more...human thing I suppose. For example many perfectly normal children get diagnosed with ADHD all over the world, and really, they're jut being kids. Hyper and excitable. Its distracting yes, but otherwise it doesn't really make you feel sad. So for the other creatures I gave them black soulless eyes, like these creatures are out to cause mayhem. Whereas this one was just born like this, It isn't malicious at all. I also thought about creatures with short attention spans and mostly rodents popped into my head, so I merged the pokemon looking thing I had created, with a squirrel and a hamster to give it more or a character, Then, instead of doing regular squirrel legs and feet, I decided it would be more fitting to do hands, human hands: clawing at the ground. Like they're scrabbling to pick something up or pull itself away from itself. It makes it a bit more gruesome and surreal and it just adds that little thing it needed to make it a true monster. It also adds the idea of movement to it, as ADHD sufferers are always doing something - whether it means clicking their fingers or grabbing things, or moving stuff.

I sent this following message to an ADD forum ad now I await responses. I've already been blocked from a few websites as the topic is considered 'inappropriate'

I posted this on several forums but only one worked. I got some replies from a user called XxTheBeastxX. He started by telling me that the person who created the guitar effects for the band KISS also had Aspergers (I told them all on the forum about my Aspergers, hoping they wouldn't think I was being bias).

He was quite difficult to talk to as he had a habit of greeting every single person who popped up on the forum, as well as randomly writing 80-90s song titles and artists randomly around the chat. It was quite a confusing layout to the chat, as alerts kept popping up whenever someone left or joined, so the conversations were a bit scattered, but I managed to get a rough idea from this person. Girl or boy I wouldn't like to presume, but I thought it was a boy I was talking to.( I will include photos of the chat (I took on my phone), below at the bottom of the page) XxTheBeastxX started off telling me:

"ADHD...as a creature....it would be like a human being lol normal on the outside...but on the inside, It's anything but normal."

So I asked him "How would you see that then? on the inside?"

He replied with " Most humans pretend to be 'normal' but no one is 'normal' most are just pretending to be to fit in to society...go figure,"

"Lol most humans 'normal' humans are way less normal than those they think aren't normal."

So I asked him, to start off an idea: "would you see it like a swirling black cloud then? like, coming out from inside?"

He said "lol well....i guess a swirling black cloud...but sooo many other things with it. Chaos"

I asked "Ok...for instance? sorry I need you to be as literal as possible with me for this. what represents chaos for you?"

He replied with: "well...if your describing all the negativity, then yeh black swirling cloud is a good description but if your talking about all of human emotions summed up, well, same as a rainbow...so many different colors"

"Depends on the person right"

So I gave him a choice and despite him saying he would rather I use a color which I personally want to use, he finally said: "I like ALL colors...but I see chaos as black and red...dark and powerful. And bright and emotional at the same time. My fav colors are black and red"

"Blue is tranquility....green is harmony"

So I asked him/her if there was anything IN the swirling cloud, such as human worries, emotions, thoughts. XxTheBeastxX told me "Lol wouldn't there be ALL of the things in a swirling rainbow"

SO already I'm starting to develop an idea in my head: someone standing there, but slightly cracking open like a door, and loads of swirling colour coming out from inside them....

Then XxTheBeastxX said "well, I like space...when galaxies collide in space, or when stars explode and cave in on themselves and become black holes.....so many colors."

Then they randomly said "A five headed hydra" - which Although is random, I guess I can still use it, as its one body with so many different brains and thoughts and actions going on. So there's another idea.

"There are galaxies that make our entire galaxy look like a grain of sand...sooo....space and the universe intrigues me."

So now I've come up with an idea close to my previous one, except instead of cloud spilling out, I'm going to have space. To represent perhaps feeling insignificant, or to demonstrate how many things can happen at once inside someone with adhd's head.

Then XxTheBeastxX went off on one, saying how much he loves space, and then lost interest talking to me and started talking to other people instead. Which is when another user with the screenname 'no brain' popped up. he/she immediately saw my previous conversation and said

"Crazed zoo monkeys" and when I asked why they replied with "Uncontrolled....random....instinct" So although they didn't offer as much of a conversation as XxTheBeastxX did, they gave a good idea to me.

So there are three ideas already:

Space spilling out of someone - red and black yet still bright colors, and galaxies

crazy caged zoo monkeys

A five headed hydra

A bit more of a random and spontaneous idea, than with the other disorders, but that's almost like their disorder. sudden and fleeting. I'm happy they gave me any ideas at all. I cannot upload photos to the forum and the chances of me bumping into the same people again are very scarce, so although I won't be able to ask them if they like the finished ideas, I will try to do the best job I can, and I will pick one that I feel best represents ADHD.

Also I am waiting on a second year at university, who tells me some of her relatives have ADHD so I should have another idea coming soon from them.

So I started with the Hydra idea. It may have more heads than five as I got carried away but I think it represents ADHD fine, as it symbolises lots of different thoughts and actions being carried out in one body (mind) I really like the stance and the way its angled in the composition. I think I could have done the second head down on the left - his neck a little wider, as its too thin and doesn't really look joined to anything in particular. I used a picture of a hydra on Google as a rough template for this illustration.

Here are a few colour ideas I've ben working on:

Bright vivid colours - loud, like ADHD, a lot going on for your eyes. Think this one is best suited to the disorder

Dark, original colours but with red instead of orange stripes -love the red but perhaps too dark for a lively character?

Original colours with Bokhen pattern for texture. Good but now I've seen the brightly coloured one, its a bit dull.

Added lizard scales blown up to background, to add texture - perhaps too much. scales too big for character - very dark too

Really like this one - friendly colours yet still bright and a gorgeous green!

Bright colours, almost like thermal imaging just to try out new colour matches.

Party dragon - before I faded the Bokhen, just to show the chaos going on inside someone with ADHD's head.

more colour tests

I decided to go with my original idea of a kid (particularly a little boy) thinking, with space exploding out of his head so I went ahead and did just that.

I really like this idea and the colours. I like the simplicity too, He looks a little cross eyes admittedly (I'll just pretend he's doing that deliberately because he's thinking so hard) and I just adore the space and the colours coming out of his head! Its just what the composition needs. I'm very pleased with it. it's not often ideas come out your head exactly how you wanted them too.

I did also realize that although ADD or ADHD is spotted majorly in children, adults have it too. Its not specific to an age or gender. So I tried to do a little girl and a fully grown man with a joined face but with the same idea: the space leaking out of their head. Although the 'little' girl came out more like a woman. I'm hoping once coloured she'll look a little younger.

this ones amazing!!! love this idea. However this looks a bit too serene and peaceful. I'm trying to show chaos and thousands of things happening at once inside the head - not spacing out and relaxing.

love this dull yet colourful comic type style

more neon: too bright for me but perhaps adequate for ADHD?

Next I'm doing the monkey idea:

Really don't like it. its too cluttered for my liking. Colours are a bit boring too.

I really like the pattern on the fur but otherwise I still dislike it.

I tried putting the cluttered maddening picture of the monkeys with the thoughts of this one. It kind of works - makes it look like there's a lot going on in their head.

Ditto to above

Kay O Shea (2nd year) Sent me this that her relative did (little boy) and told me this is his 'monster' for ADHD. It specifically has 13 legs and eyes (all with different expressions) apparently, from what She told me, and she said his name was Brandon. She didn't offer any further explanation from him, but I can only assume the legs represent lots of energy and movement, and the eyes lots of thoughts and expressions going on. I will try my best to redraw this as a creature - sticking as close to his design as I can. Brandon is 6 years old. Below is the text his mother sent Kay

I said this on the Tourette's page and ill say it again - It was definitely interesting to try all ages ideas, and as these were young children coming up with the designs, I couldn't really keep asking them if it was what they meant, and keep sending variations of ideas. So I tried to stick as close to their original designs as possible. This is what I came up with: