How ADHD Brains Can Capture Big Ideas Without Losing Focus
| with guest JM (Jennifer) Shaw |
Jennifer’s standout strategy for navigating her creative ADHD brain when writing her novels is what we’re calling Creative Containment: a method for honouring your imagination while staying on track. She keeps a dedicated “snippets” document: a catch-all space where she can quickly capture out-of-sequence ideas, scenes, or inspiration without derailing the current project.
“I can only work on one project at a time because I’m very linear. But when new scenes come to me, I write them down and file them away. That way I don’t lose the idea, and I don’t lose my focus either.”
— JM Shaw, ADHDifference
Rather than suppressing her brain’s natural bursts of creativity, her method makes space for them, without letting them take over. It is both structured and spontaneous, offering containment and creative freedom.
Why This Strategy Matters
For many ADHDers, creativity doesn’t arrive neatly. It floods in – often unpredictably, powerfully and inconveniently. That rush of inspiration can be exhilarating, but also distracting, especially when you’re trying to finish just one thing.
This strategy works because it:
- Gives ideas a place to land
- Prevents them from pulling you off task
- Keeps momentum focused on your current goal
Creative Containment says: “Yes, that idea matters. But it doesn’t have to be used right now.”
When to Use This Strategy
This approach is especially helpful when:
- You’re working on a long project and get tempted by a shiny new idea
- You don’t want to lose inspiration, but also don’t want to stop what you’re doing
- You feel overwhelmed by how many storylines, ideas, or plans are in your head
- You want to honour your creativity without derailing your progress
- You wake up in the middle of the night with a brilliant idea and need to get back to sleep!
How to Practice It Daily
You don’t need a fancy system. Start with:
- A Notes app, Google Doc, or even a dedicated paper journal titled Snippets
- When an idea hits mid-project, jot down the essential elements: a scene, a quote, a visual
- File it and return to your current work
- Revisit your snippet vault when starting something new or looking for fresh material
Bonus tip: Label your entries with tags like “dialogue,” “setting,” or “conflict” so future you can find them easily.
The Science Behind It
ADHD brains are wired for divergent thinking, that means generating lots of ideas, often all at once. But executive functioning challenges like task switching or working memory can make it hard to hold those ideas without dropping the one you’re currently focused on.
By offloading new ideas into an external system, you:
- Reduce cognitive overload
- Preserve mental energy
- Improve task persistence and follow-through
It is a blend of cognitive offloading and creative preservation, tailored for how neurodivergent minds work best.
💬 Final Thought
Jennifer reminds us that creative overwhelm doesn’t mean you’re disorganised. It means your brain is bursting with ideas worth capturing. The secret is not trying to hold them all in your head, but finding ways to honour them without letting them steal your focus.
With a simple snippet system in place, your creativity becomes a resource, not a roadblock.