The Creative Brain: ADHD, AI, and the Art of Orchestrated Chaos

Picture this: It’s 2 AM, and I’m lying in bed when suddenly—ping—an idea for a campaign hits me. Then another. And another. My brain feels like a radio with twenty stations playing simultaneously, each one broadcasting something potentially brilliant, while the DJ has apparently lost the remote.

Welcome to life with ADHD in the creative industry, where “focus” is both your greatest enemy and your secret weapon.

For years, I genuinely thought everyone’s mind worked this way. You know, that constant stream of “what if we did this” and “oh, but imagine if we tried that” bouncing around like caffeinated squirrels. I figured everyone could see connections between a cereal commercial, quantum physics, and their childhood pet goldfish. Turns out, not so much.

I wore the badge of “idea guy” with pride, even when it felt like trying to catch lightning bugs in a thunderstorm. Ideas would fly in and out of my consciousness so fast that I’d sometimes forget genuinely brilliant concepts somewhere between the coffee maker and my car keys.

Then came the plot twist: adult ADHD diagnosis, hyperactive type.

Suddenly, everything made sense. It was like finally getting the instruction manual for a gadget I’d been randomly button-mashing for thirty-something years.

The Beautiful Contradiction

Here’s the thing about neurodivergent brains in creative work—we’re walking contradictions wrapped in an enigma, served with a side of “wait, what were we talking about?”

Those twenty radio stations I mentioned? They’re not static; they’re a feature, not a bug. The real challenge wasn’t having too many ideas—it was learning to let them flow through without grabbing onto each one like it might save my creative soul.

This became my personal Mount Everest: allowing ideas to visit without immediately setting up permanent residence in my brain. Some thoughts are meant to be tourists, not tenants.

But here’s where the magic happens. When I can somehow negotiate with nineteen of those stations to take a coffee break and focus on just one idea—boom. Hyperfocus mode activated. Time becomes irrelevant. The outside world might as well be on mute. It’s like having a creativity cheat code that only works when the stars align and I’ve had exactly the right amount of caffeine.

My AI Co-Pilot (Who Never Judges My 3 AM Ideas)

This is where AI entered stage left and completely changed the game.

For someone whose brain operates like a newsroom during a major story break—everyone shouting, papers flying, pure controlled chaos—AI became my impossibly patient editor who never rolls their eyes when I pitch my fifteenth idea before lunch.

Those thoughts that once felt so complex, requiring a PhD in executive functioning just to organize, can now be easily shared in a conversation with AI. Suddenly, I have a thinking partner who never tires of my mental ping-pong matches. This collaboration helps me sift through the valuable ideas, identify patterns I might be too close to notice, and—most importantly—actually take action on ideas that would otherwise end up in the graveyard of “brilliant thoughts I had that one time.”

I’ve essentially become my own client, which sounds either very zen or mildly concerning, depending on your perspective. I can step back and critique my own ideas like I’m watching someone else’s creative process unfold. It’s like having a consultant who knows exactly how my brain works because they’ve been taking notes this whole time.

The Creative Spark That Can’t Be Manufactured

Here’s what I believe with every fiber of my hyperactive being: humans are, and will always be, the pilots of this creative ship. There’s something flowing through all of us—call it creative energy, divine inspiration, or just really good pattern recognition—that can’t be replicated or replaced.

AI is like the world’s most sophisticated typewriter. The printing press revolutionized how we shared ideas, but it didn’t write the ideas. The typewriter made writing faster, but it didn’t make us more creative. AI just happens to be really, really good at helping us organize our thoughts and execute faster.

When people choose to hand over repetitive tasks to AI, they’re usually doing themselves a favor. Let the robots handle the busy work. That leaves more time for the stuff that actually matters—the projects with heart, the campaigns that make people feel something, the ideas that shift the conversation.

The Call for the Impossible

In my corner of the creative universe, we’re the team that gets the phone call when someone has a “situation.” You know the one—when there’s a project that landed like a meteor and nobody quite knows how to handle it. Universities facing impossible deadlines. Agencies with clients who’ve asked for something that technically shouldn’t exist. Organizations trying to reach audiences in ways that haven’t been invented yet.

Here’s the thing—I might be the one telling this story, but I’m really just the front person for something much bigger. Behind the scenes, we’ve built what can only be described as a creative powerhouse spanning nearly 25 years of collective experience. We’re talking about a nationwide network of strategists, designers, writers, developers, and creative problem-solvers who’ve seen it all and somehow still get excited when someone says “this is impossible.”

Our internal team reads like a creative justice league. We’ve got people who’ve shepherded brands through complete identity overhauls, strategists who can spot market opportunities three moves ahead, designers who think in colors that don’t have names yet, and writers who can make insurance policies sound like poetry (okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but you get the idea).

A lot of this work lives in the shadows. We’re often the creative equivalent of special ops—we parachute in, solve what seemed unsolvable, and disappear before anyone thinks to ask how we did it. But here’s what makes it work: when that impossible project lands, I’m not facing it alone. I’m backed by nearly a quarter-century of combined creative firepower, each person bringing their own flavor of expertise to whatever challenge just walked through the door.

What I love most about these impossible projects is how they prove, again and again, that human creativity is irreplaceable. Sure, AI can help us think faster and organize better, but the spark that makes an audience lean in? The insight that cuts through the noise? The ability to understand what will make someone stop scrolling and actually pay attention? That’s pure human magic.

Embracing the Gorgeous Mess

I used to think my scattered, hyperactive brain was something to fix, like a car engine that wasn’t running quite right. Turns out, it’s more like a different kind of vehicle altogether—one that’s perfectly designed for the creative landscape we’re navigating.

The ability to hold fifteen ideas at once while hyperfocusing on one? That’s not a bug in the system. The tendency to see connections that others miss? Feature, not flaw. The way my brain can ricochet from concept to concept and somehow land on something unexpected? That’s exactly what this industry needs.

We’re living in this incredible moment where we have tools that amplify our natural creative abilities without trying to replace them. We can offload the mundane and double down on the magical. We can let our beautifully chaotic brains do what they do best: make unexpected connections, spot opportunities hiding in plain sight, and create something from absolutely nothing.

The Ideas Keep Coming

So whether your brain runs like a Swiss watch or feels more like a creativity tornado (I’m obviously in the tornado camp), here’s the thing: embrace whatever makes you uniquely you. Find tools that amplify your strengths. Build teams that complement your gaps. And remember that in a world increasingly filled with artificial intelligence, the most valuable thing you bring is your gloriously, messy, unpredictably human way of seeing the world.

The ideas will keep flowing—they always do. The real adventure is learning which ones to catch, which ones to let drift by, and which ones might just change everything.

Trust me, the ride is worth it.

What’s In Your Pack?

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Backpack set out before him, Greg lists out the items in his mind that are essential to his upcoming trip to Kings Canyon National Park in the Sierra Nevada Range outside Fresno, California.

Matches. Check.

Stove and gas. Check.

Rain gear, headlamp, compass and map. Check.

Greg walks with anticipation to his newly organized garage. It’s kind of a sacred space…it’s the ultimate space for any pro-level camper.

All across America, garages have been dedicated to storing all sorts of gear, whether athletic, camping, or otherwise. Greg decided a while ago that his camping gear would have its own place of honor in his garage so he can easily make a quick get away on weekend camping trips.

Opening the door leading to the garage, Greg admires his prep work. Sleeping mats are rolled and tied, and the tent is carefully wrapped in its case and placed on its shelf. Smaller items are housed in clear tupperware marked with labels of “food prep,” “maps,” and “water purifier.” A large white peg-board with metal hooks hold trowels, trekking poles, a headlamp and water bottle.

Preparation is such an important part of camping, hiking, and mountaineering. The right tools can make a huge difference to your experience–just like a perfectly stashed raincoat can shelter you in an unexpected storm.

Having the right things in your pack can even save your life! For instance: having a safety beacon in the midst of an avalanche, or having the right water purification tablets if you’re stranded out in back-country.

As camping and mountaineering became more of a mainstay in Greg’s life, he began to take more frequent trips and decided he’d always be ready at a moment’s notice for…just about any scenario possible.

At Radar, we are ready at a moments’ notice to curate and customize the most essential “pack” possible for your project.  We pride ourselves on our ninja-like ability to pull together just the right team to perfectly fit your needs (and budget), each one a specialist in their own right.

We live by the wisdom of Louis Pasteur when he said “chance favors the prepared mind.” In other words, being ready involves having systems in place that will enable us to act fast, with very little lead-time.  It’s part of what makes Radar so nimble and light on our feet.

You’ll find us pack-ready for our next adventure with clients, long before we may have even met them. You could say this makes us “adventure-ready” at any moment.

What’s in your pack? Could you use some help making sure you have all that you need?

This post is the eleventh of a multi-part blog series, “The Camping Creative,” tying together the tent-pegs of camping and creativity. Read the first post here.

Behind the Scenes at the Houston Museum of Natural Science: First Look at Wiess Energy Hall 3.0

Watch Wiess Energy Hall 3.0 come to life. In this first sneak peek, you’ll see Energy City, the Eagle Ford Shale Experience and the new and improved Geovator!  The NEW Wiess Energy Hall 3.0 opens November 20.

#RadarLA #RabCup #HMNSPartner #WiessEnergyHall #PBExhibits #EnergyCity #GreenHippo #ContentCreators #RuleTheRoost

A Fly Through of the Wiess Energy Hall

 

We are so proud to unveil a behind-the-scenes “fly through” of one of the projects that we’ve been working on for nearly 2 full years: ENERGY CITY! Energy City is located in the Wiess Energy Hall exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Energy City is a first of its kind, 2500 sq. ft., three dimensional miniature landscape representing the city of Houston, Texas. Using cutting edge projection mapping technology, Radar’s custom content is synced with physical animations to bring the city to life. This exhibit shows all the ways we use energy to power our world in an engaging and educational way.

#RabCup #HMNSPartner #WiessEnergyHall #PBExhibits #EnergyCity #GreenHippo #ContentCreators #RuleTheRoost

Houston Chronicle Covers “Wiess Energy Hall 3.0” Launch

As we move closer to the launch of Energy City, the 2-year project Radar completed with PBERab Cup and Green Hippo, we’re thrilled to see such awesome press coverage of our work.

Check out these excerpts from The Houston Chronicle:

“We take the science and education piece of it very seriously, but we have to make it fun and find a way to spark people’s imagination and hope that they want to learn more after they leave the museum,” Bartsch said. “It’s all incredibly cool.”

Also new is “Energy City” a 2,500-square-foot, 3-D landscape representing Houston, the surrounding Gulf coastal waters, and the terrain of southeast Texas.

The milk-white model city is eye-catching. But the magic really happens when the museum staffers turn on a series of projectors that cast images on the models, simulating windows on buildings, turning day to night, and making cars and trains “move” throughout the city.”

-Excerpts from “Museum of Natural Science to unveil new energy exhibit in the fall” By Kim McGuire

Read full article here

Design Focus: X Lighting

Ross

It’s been a long time coming, but someone has finally developed a fluorescent lighting array that isn’t completely hideous — just somewhat hideous. Shakespearian actor (see photo) Ross Lovegrove’s diabolically named System X (designed for Japanese manufacturer Yamagiwa) allows for all sorts of interesting and “artistic” combinations of the X-shaped bulbs, permitting large, linked arrangements, or simple, singular set ups… or circles. Truly a minor development in the de-uglifying of offices everywhere.

Click here for the product page.

Interview: Steve Jobs

Walt Mossberg conducts an interview with Steve Jobs at the All Things Digital conference. The following are important updates from the event’s website:

– Walt to Jobs: When you changed your name to Apple Inc., people wondered if Apple was exiting the personal computer business. Is it? Jobs says no and stresses Apple’s commitment to the PC business, touts Apple’s forthcoming Leopard operating system.

– Jobs says Apple is on track to ship iPhone in late June as planned.
Walt: Like the last day of June?
Jobs: (Laughs) Yeah, probably.

– Walt asks why there isn’t a physical keyboard on the iPhone, when RIM and Palm have shown there’s a real demand for them? “Was there no one in Cupertino who thought that was a good idea?” Jobs’s answer: “No. Once you learn to trust the keyboard, it’s a better keyboard. I’ll bet you dinner that you’ll love it.”

– Why is Apple successful in the music-player business? Jobs: It’s because Japanese consumer electronics could produce elegant software. And that’s why Apple enjoys the success it does with the iPod. If you look at handsets, the situation is similar. Manufacturers have the hardware down, but they just can’t seem to get the software right. The iPhone is great software wrapped in wonderful hardware, and its software is five years ahead of anything else out there.

– Jobs says iPhone runs “real OS X, real Safari, real desktop email.”
If that’s true, could other OS X applications run on the iPhone? Jobs says no. They’re not designed to.

– “The other thing you can do is buy TV shows.” Jobs pulls up a clip from “The Office.” He says sending stuff from your computer to the Apple TV isn’t the main deal here. “Wouldn’t it be great if you could see YouTube on your TV?”

Apple will be offering a free software upgrade come June that will allow Apple TV users to view YouTube videos on their televisions. Jobs demos the feature with a clip from “America’s Got Talent.”

Walt asks what sort of video resolution we are talking about here. Does Apple do anything to YouTube clips to optimize them for television? I guess not. Jobs says, “You get what you get.”

Is the iPhone’s platform closed? And if it is, will it be open to developers in the future? Jobs says it’s a security issue, but Apple is working to find a way to allow developers to build applications for it. Jobs says he doesn’t want the iPhone to be “one of those phones that crashes a few times a day.” He adds: “We would like to solve this problem and if you could just be a little more patient with us, we’ll do it.”

Design Focus: Iseey Miyake Watch

Nexuswatch

Even though this watch doesn’t have MSN or tell you when someone’s calling, we’re still in love. Why? Because we love minimalist watches.

Instead of having two hands radiating from the center, this Issey Miyake OVO watch has two dials on the outside. The only way this could get any more minimalist is if the entire face was black and only lit up the time if you tilted the watch toward your face.

Product Page

Not Sure About This: Commercial Pop-Ups on Online Videos?

ABC recently told media buyers it is considering inserting commercials directly into its online programming. For instance, commercials would pop out of televisions, cell phones and print ads appearing within episodes of shows such as Ugly Betty and According to Jim, then expand to run in full-screen mode.

We’re not sure we’re ready for this. What do you think?

[image used with permission from Creative Commons by Tom Newby]

Welcome, Jaxon Elio Lucas!

Jaxon Elio Lucas (pronounced “ee-lie-oh”). 7 pounds, 14 ounces. Born on July 23, 2006 at 12:30 pm. Drew & Dena are at home and doing well — they are surrounded by family members who are helping Dena with Jaxon while Drew recovers from his blood clot (detected by a doctor in the room on the 22nd).

Also, be sure to check out Jaxon’s official website by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

 

“Stop & Think” Viewed in Outer-space

The below email was sent to “Stop & Think” producer Johnny Karls from space!

Jeff Williams (pictured below), one of the two astronauts currently on the International Space Station (the Station circles the planet approximately 16 times per day, traveling at 17,500 mph in an orbit varying 208 to 285 miles from Earth) watched “Stop and Think” from space Saturday morning. Here’s what he had to say about it:

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The video was uplinked to me last night and I watched it this morning (Saturday). Great message! I can echo the proclamation of the glory of Christ in the creation and in His word (Col 1:15-17). I’m going to forward it to my church staff. Thank you for your prayers.

In Christ,

Jeff
2 Cor 5:21

For more information on “Stop & Think” or to watch the 16 minute short film, visit JustStopAndThink.com.

[image atop used with permission from Creative Commons by NASA Goddard Space Center]

Welcome

Instead of doing an updated “buzz” page on the radar website, we thought we’d step into the 21st Century and do what all of you expected us to do: get a blog!

So here we are. Welcome. Now, let’s get started.

What this blog is and what this blog isn’t hasn’t exactly been defined yet but at this moment, think of it as the latest & greatest news, information, pics, clips, quips & quotes this side of the LA river. Our goal is to keep you informed and let you know what the creative minds at RADAR are up to next. Enjoy.

[image used with permission from Creative Commons by Tony Hisgett]