Thriving as an Adult Creator with ADHD: My Top Strategies for Success

Blog Post Written By: Melrose Michaels

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If you’re an adult content creator who often feels like your brain operates on a totally different engine, you’re definitely not alone. For years, I struggled with what I thought were just quirks, needing to hyperfocus for days on end, feeling mentally wiped out before my feet hit the floor, and battling what seemed like endless procrastination. It wasn’t until I received my ADHD diagnosis that everything finally clicked into place.

In this post, I’m sharing my personal journey and the exact systems I use to thrive as a neurodiverse creator. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or just “wired a little differently,” I hope this helps you shine a light on your own path to success.

Understanding ADHD From the Inside Out

For the longest time, I didn’t have words for what I was experiencing. Like so many women, ADHD didn’t show up for me as the typical bouncing-off-the-walls hyperactivity; it was all happening inside my head.

Racing thoughts, constant self-judgment, and exhausting loops of hyperfixation created an invisible mind-storm. I’d assumed for years that I was just battling anxiety or depression, even being diagnosed for both, but nothing really fit until I finally hit a low point and sought help. My doctor took me through the right questions, and that’s when ADHD entered the picture.

Suddenly, the “overwhelm before the day even starts,” the procrastination paralysis, the rejection sensitivity, the masking, the burnout, they all made sense. I realized so many signs had been there all along; I just didn’t know what to call them.

How ADHD Really Shows Up for Creators

It’s easy to assume that procrastination or low self-esteem are just personal failings. But for creators with ADHD, these can be clear signals that the traditional productivity advice isn’t enough.

Procrastination & Paralysis: The hardest part for me has always been getting started, even on the tiniest tasks. I’d drag items forward in my to-do list for weeks before checking them off.

Rejection Sensitivity & Masking: For years, I tried to be a “perfect projection” of what everyone else wanted, never really knowing who I was underneath all those layers. This perfectionism wasn’t about doing things well—it was about desperately trying to fit in.

Mood Swings & Anxiety Loops: Hyperfixation kept me stuck in cycles of fear or sadness, even when I knew they weren’t serving me. The inability to “let go” created constant mental fatigue.

Burnout Cycles: Periods of intense productivity almost always ended in burnout. I used to just accept this as “what my brain does,” but it was really my way of working around undiagnosed ADHD.

If these sound familiar, know that you’re not broken. Your engine just runs a different kind of fuel.

Five Tactical Strategies That Changed Everything

1. Body Doubling

Discovering body doubling was a game-changer. Just having someone present—virtually or in person—helped me stay on task. A friend on FaceTime while I did my makeup? Suddenly, I was productive again. If you want to try this, our CEO Society has daily virtual coworking sessions where creators can body double and get stuff done together.

2. Pomodoro Method & Batching

Before I knew I had ADHD, these tools were already helping. The Pomodoro Method (25 minutes focus, 5 minutes break) keeps me anchored, especially using an old-school kitchen timer with the audible ticking. Batching tasks, writing all my posts in one sitting, and shooting all content on a single day drastically reduces decision fatigue and lets me focus deeply.

3. Time Blocking (By Day and By Week)

Weekly time blocking revolutionized my workflow. For one week, I do all admin work (emails, meetings, management), then the next is pure creativity (filming, content planning). Alternating weeks for different themes lets me set clear expectations and avoid the chaos of task switching.

4. Environmental Cues

Little things like putting on “work shoes” indoors or turning on my neon office light signal my brain to switch modes. Dedicated spaces for admin versus creative work help build productive habits and keep me on track.

5. Leaning Into Tools

Task managers (I use Asana), free tools like Google Tasks and Calendar, and AI note takers help me start tasks with less friction. Reducing barriers to getting started is key; starting is almost always the hardest part with ADHD.

Thriving, Not Just Surviving

ADHD isn’t an obstacle to success; it’s a different kind of engine, one that can be a superpower when you learn the right hacks. Sharing strategies, systems, and support with our community has helped me (and so many others) thrive on our own terms. If you relate, I hope this post helps you break through and make your creator journey a little bit easier.

PS: Be kind to yourself. Keep creating. And if you have your own hacks or questions, I’d love to hear from you, DM me, or join our CEO Society for daily support. You deserve to thrive, neurospicy brain and all 💜