Why Neurodivergent People NEED Creative Outlets
I used to think something was wrong with me before my ADHD diagnosis, and learning about what being neurodivergent was about only a couple of years ago.
I’d have days where everything was technically fine. My bills were paid, I wasn’t fighting with anyone, and I even slept decently, but I still felt irritated, restless, and strangely emotional. Like I was crawling out of my own skin for no clear reason.
It took me a long time to figure out that I wasn’t sad, or overwhelmed, or heartbroken. I was just creatively backed up.
As a neurodivergent person, I’ve learned that I not only enjoy having several creative outlets, but I also need them to function. As someone who’s always thinking, noticing, feeling, and over-analyzing, not being creative turns into a problem fast. I found that when I’m not writing, analyzing art, or building something with my imagination, I start spiraling in other ways.
When I don’t give myself space to create something out of my loud feelings and hyperfixations, I tend to overthink everything. I cling to things that don’t matter. I become insufferable to be around.
I’m not saying art>> therapy or anything wild, but I learned it’s how I process things I’ve experienced. And if my brain doesn’t know where to put all that extra energy, it ends up in places it doesn’t belong.
Sometimes I Would Spiral, Unexplainably.
I came across a video from @atleeverse on TikTok that spiraled into the thought piece for this blog.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
This video, along with conversations I’ve been having the past couple of weeks with fellow neurospicy people got me thinking. I agree that when I ignore the urge to create, that energy doesn’t disappear. It just finds somewhere else to live. And to her point, it usually latches onto things that don’t deserve it.
I start overthinking texts. I over-invest in people or situations. I obsess about things that are completely outside of my control. It’s not because I’m dramatic (or more than usual..), it’s because my brain is trying to do something with all that creative fuel, and it’s got nowhere to put it. So I create trouble.
My Experience With Creative Lock
Unused creative energy will start attaching itself to other people, to temporary feelings, to things that don’t serve you. And that hit me hard because I’d already lived it.
Between 2020-2021, I retired from music after being a self-managed, active independent musician for almost 11 years. During this time, COVID hit, and as I was figuring out myself and what’s next, I was doing a lot of consuming. We’re talking TV binges, anime, video games, news, etc. So much so that it contributed to the depression I developed. I was not only overwhelmed with the consumption, but with the lack of an outlet and a conversation platform to express myself.
Luckily, it was around this time that I started taking up writing more seriously. And by 2022, I was lucky enough to be working a job to create content for a company that focused on the geek industry. I was an online community engagement and content creator for topics such as anime, alternative music, and Pokémon. I was paid very little at this side hustle, but the expression and conversation with like-minded, passionate people brought me so much fulfillment!
Unfortunately, the tech industry in the US took a hit that summer, and I was not re-signed later that year. But having felt that sense of satisfaction through creative expression reminded me of why I need to keep going. Hence, I put most of my focus into writing.
How Creativity Affects Neurodivergents
If you’re neurodivergent, on the autism spectrum, ADHD, and are highly sensitive, then this is even more important.
We process the world in intense ways. Creative expression helps us release that intensity in a way that feels manageable. Without it, all that input and consumption just... stacks.
There’s actual science behind this too. According to Autism Awareness Centre, creative outlets like painting, music, dance, and writing can improve well-being, reduce stress, and help with emotional regulation for autistic individuals. That art helps neurodivergent kids communicate, process their environment, and feel more in control.
Even as an adult, I still need those same tools. Because sometimes it’s the only way I can make sense of how I feel.
Making Art For YOU
In the early days of my music career, I thought that if I wasn’t making something amazing, it wasn’t worth making at all. If it wasn’t going to be seen, shared, praised, or turned into something profitable, why bother? Then late in my career, I realized that some of the best songs I’ve made were the ones I never released or were my least popular ones. This goes with my writing. Some of my best pieces are out on this newsletter for free, or contributions to some of my favourite magazines that I work for!
I do believe that real creativity isn’t pressure disguised as purpose. You don’t always need an audience, a platform, or a plan. You just need to make something for you. And if it makes money or gains a follower, then that’s a bonus! But at the end of the day, you don’t need to turn your creativity into monetized content. You just need to let it exist outside of your head!
Cringe writing. Awkward poetry. From Half-baked script ideas, cover songs, to doodles in your diary.. It all counts.
So, make something you’ll never post.
Make something just because it brings you joy.
Make something that only you will understand.
I think the expression for us is more than enough.
–
FYI thank you to my 100 subs! I hope you are finding value, entertainment, or at least some good media/music recommendations here. Have a great rest of your week!
Thank you for sharing this, I really understand what you mean. I don't know what kind of label could "officially" be applied to me, but I came to understand I might be neurodivergent a couple of years ago. Something I found useful for helping organise my thoughts - particularly negative ones - was to write them down in a journal. Nothing necessarily came of it except that it felt like my head was being emptied, my mental load just became lighter, and ultimately I felt better and less anxious because of it.
I'm now practicing writing about things that make me happy and I enjoy too, again making me feel like I can just get all these blocked thoughts and ideas out of my crammed head in the absence of anyone to tell directly. Writing also seems easier than talking sometimes, you can really take your time and change what you're saying until it sounds right.
Is this what you feel with music too?