The Da Vinci Method

Overall I think Loporto's "The Da Vinci Method" is worth reading. I have some reservations, but lets start with the positives...

A positive view of ADD. Loporto explores why ADD types are potentially more creative and capable of original thought than others. In brief, we are closer to our unconscious selves, think visually, are not so constrained by rule bound thinking or behaviour and tend to occupy alpha /theta brain waves patterns which are conducive to creativity.

Brain wave patterns. Loporto gives a very clear explanation of brain wave patterns and why they are important. He argues that ADD types tend to find it harder to access beta patterns (the mode for most people). We tend to occupy theta or alpha patterns. The theta pattern, though less focusing and more dreamy, allows us to be more creative. According to Loporto, the optimum brain wave position for us is the alpha/theta border.

Completion difficulty. He has an interesting take on why we find it difficult to complete. Drawing on the psychotherapist Otto Rank, Loporto suggests that for us ADD types, completion feels like death. This is connected to the notion that we tend to see everything in wholes. (Though I do not quite get the logic of this argument, I connect with the emotion behind it. For me completing seems inexplicably painful..)

Frustrated “artist”. The term “artist” here is a generic term for creator, inventor, explorer, entrepreneur, pioneer etc. Again drawing on Otto Rank, Loporto suggests that many of our more neurotic tendencies - anxiety, procrastination, frustration etc - arise when we are not expressing our true nature. Our personality type is one which wants to push boundaries and explore. If we do not find an outlet for this side of our personalities, we will feel frustrated. I found this an interesting perspective.

Need for honesty and humour. If we want to develop our “artist” side we need to be honest and true to ourselves, and also be able take ourselves lightly. We need to give ourselves the freedom to honestly explore and make mistakes. If we take ourselves too seriously, if we are too precious with out creativity, we are likely find it too scary to express what is in us.

There was much in the book which resonated with my own experience. And it was interesting to find Otto Rank mentioned. He is a less well known disciple of Freud who went off in his own direction (writing in the early twentieth century). I came across Rank when I was a student and was impressed by his writings. Rank also indirectly influenced Carl Rogers – the founder of person-centred counselling. There are quite a few “leads” that I would like to explore more.

These are my reservations:

Pop style. I found the popular style of the book annoying. Loporto tends to “shout” in the pages and often presents things as fact rather than as hypotheses . I had to keep 'turning down the volume' in order to be able to hear his message! I often had the sense that he is trying to “sell me something”. (It could just be my English sensibilities struggling with a rather brash American style!)

Over generalising. To my mind Loporto exaggerates the idea that we ADD types are all potential creative geniuses. Though it is important to look at the positives, there are places in the book where he seems to be encouraging a kind of arrogance, that “Da Vinci types” are superior to “normal types”. Speaking for myself, I already have a good dose of narcissism (a kind of self protective arrogance as an antidote to an underlying sense of shame). Although my arrogance helps me to get by, it is ultimately unhelpful when it comes to trying to communicate what is important to me in a way that others can understand!

It is not a “method”. Loporto admits this at the end of the book, and rather weakly justifies this. A more accurate description of the book would be “the Da Vinci attitude” or the Da Vinci Perspective”. I have no problem with this, but if people are looking for a “method” they will not find it.

For all this, there is wisdom in the book. I have learnt over the years that wisdom comes in many guises and voices. Sometimes I need to do a bit of translation in order to get to the juicy bits in a book, and this is the case for me with Loporto!

This book will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have creative edge wanting to be expressed, you may find things in this book which resonate and support you.

ADD workshop

Last Saturday I went to a one day workshop of ADD run by “Simply Well Being” http://www.simplywellbeing.com/

It was amazing to be with a group of ADD types! So it is not just me

-who can see in my head what I need to do, but keep going of in tangents when I try to do it,
-who despite trying hard be tidy, find disorder following me about,
-who gets overwhelmed by “things”
-who has quirky, creative ideas
-who chronically underachieves
-who finds completion painfully difficult
-who is beset by destructive procrastination

I was almost tearful at times. Half my life I have tried to overcome these difficulties. It was poignant for me to know that I am not alone with all this.

The workshop also helped me to acknowledge that I have developed some quite good coping strategies. After all I have been struggling with ADD symptoms for most of my life and I mostly manage to get by. In many ways I function well. Most people do not see how much effort it takes me to do ordinary things so I can manage to “appear” fine.

The other part of me that many people do not get to see is my largely unexpressed creative side, a side of me bubbling with ideas, visions, possibilities. This aspect of me I mostly push down, because I seem to need so much of my energy just to cope with the mundane things. And also I do not altogether trust my creativity….

I am not sure if I can explain that last bit properly right now… I’ll think on it and post again if it gets any clearer.

hyperfocus!

After two weeks of mega procrastination and mounting anxiety, a "switch" finally flicked at the beginning of the week.

With just two days to meet a deadline, I managed to do two weeks work in two days. The stress evaporated, adrenaline kicked in and I was completely focused. For every obstacle (and there were lots) I found solutions. It felt like I was surf riding! I met my targets... and enjoyed the buzz

From my reading on ADD this is a not untypical pattern!!. It is certainly familiar to me. The number of times I have managed to pull a rabbit out of the hat at the last minute.... but such pain before... It is frustrating to know that I have this capacity for super flowing efficiency, yet can be utterly incapacitated with procrastination and overwhelm at other times.

The following is a typical sequence of steps for me:

1. Surfing: cruising along with multiple projects and thriving on the variety. BUT...
2. Cutting corners: things are going OK, but I am skimping on paperwork (filing, prioritising, organising etc ..the boring tasks!!!) . It is not just that I don't want to do it: it feels really hard to do. THEN
3. Procrastination: I start to procrastinate on random jobs. Some are tiny tasks, some are bigger decisions. Once I have procrastinated for more than 3 days, those tasks become harder to complete. THEN...
4. Overwhelm: I start to feel overwhelm and anxiety. Procrastination becomes greater and background anxiety increases. WITH THIS...
5. Avoidance: I start to focus on low priority jobs or start to hyperfocus on whole new creative ventures. Increased sense of pain. THEN...
6. Crunch: Abandon or Complete. I either abandon the project in hand (or rather put in on "back burner" - I rarely abandon things altogether) OR hyperfocus kicks in and I complete. There is a rush of energy, and I am on a creative roll. THEN....
7. Return: I am back cruising along again on multiple projects (number 1 on list)

I have done quite a lot of reading on ADD and have some insights into this pattern. I will explore this in my next post. What I would really like to learn is:

1. To be able get the important "boring" tasks done with ease and so preempt the overwhelm.
2. To unlock the key to hyperfocus, so that I can use it in short bursts when I need it, rather than for it to 'kick in' in a purely reactive way

I guess it is to do with recognising my strengths but having a greater sense of mastery

PS Still not sleeping! Full of adrenaline rather then anxiety perhaps! But I seem to be managing on it...

diet, sleep, disorganisation

I managed to do 7 days with no coffee, reduced sugar and reduced dairy! That seemed like quite an achievement for me. I want to explore how diet effects the ADD symptoms. Too early to make assessment on this, so plan to continue the experiment. I have the sense of my immune system being more efficient without the caffeine.

I have needed a strong immune system this week as insomnia has kicked in big time! (Ironic when giving up coffee :) ) . The problem is not getting to sleep, but staying asleep. It has been a problem for many years, but worse this week! I have woken up anytime from 2 o'clock onwards. Once awake, that's been it. I have tried to doze, but have not really got back to sleep. Herbal remedies generally help me a bit, and I occasionally use an over-the-counter chemical preparation, (but do not like to use them too often). This week, none of it has helped!

I think the source of my sleeplessness has been a sense of mounting chaos and overwhelm. Very behind with course work for my MA course work, lots going on at work, feeling disorganised, procrastinating on important things, finding it hard to prioritise... Once I start that pattern it spirals down. Then of course the sleeplessness means I can't concentrate, which means I get even further behind..!

So.... I have negotiate some extra time for my course work assignments. That takes the pressure off a little.

Time now to take stock. The skill I want to focus on this week is how to schedule my time in a way that serves me!! Planning seems a very unnatural thing for me.....I will report back.

Jam

ps I ordered The Da Vinci method. It arrived yesterday. Have skim read it. I find it hard to warm to Da Porto (the author), and greatly dislike the hype around the book, but can see there is some useful stuff in it.

Progress Check..

There is loads on ADD on the web... a little overwhelmed with it all! Mmmm... it provides yet another wonderful opportunity for diversions from my tasks at hand!!! Slightly ironic:)


I have ordered two books: "You mean I am not lazy, stupid of crazy!". This is apparently a classic. And also "ADD-friendly ways to organize your life". I'll report back when I have had a chance to look at them. Am also exploring getting a coach. And I have booked on for a one day workshop on ADD.

I am quite curious about the book called "The Da Vinci Method". I am a bit put off by the hype in the way it is promoted. I'll get it at some stage, but will look at the other books I am getting first...

I am getting more and more behind in my work of my MA. Need to prioritise that for a bit... but reluctant ..... OK, this is my plan

• I'll make a task schedule of my studies... structure is supposed to help.
• celebrate every tiny step
• ask a friend for support..

Will report on how I get on

Also... will give up caffeine and sugar for 7 days... I am interested to know if that helps to calm me down...

Creation..

Sculpture

Last night I watched a beautiful nature art film - a work in progress created by a film maker friend of mine. He is working on a commission for a hospital: slow scenes of landscape, nature, buildings around Derby through the seasons. Delight! It reminded me how I love the visual arts. I don't have much time for art right now - work crazily busy, doing an MA, doing up my house... :) I would love to do more sculpture. Here is one of mine from a while back...

It is perhaps useful for me to remember how much of a visual person I am. When I was a child I had a passion for maps. I would copy, draw, and read maps while struggling to write. Maps seemed to speak my language. If you had asked me at the age of 10 what I wanted to do when I grew up, I would have answered "Map maker!" I'm still much happier with pictures and images, than I am with words.