After reading an exciting book on the subject, this one seemed lackluster. I can not put my finger on it; maybe the text-to-speech format made the material seem different from the narration. Is it possible that I became overwhelmed by the topic? Much of the material seemed redundant, and I could not engage with the book.  I need more detailed information regarding distraction and hyperfocus on music and art as I am somewhat of a musician and appreciate both. I still hope this will not put people off reading it. It could be perfect for your needs. Alternatively, what could I require in the future?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy for an honest review.

G e f ä l l t m i r s e h r.

A d h s ist keine Krankheit sondern ein Segen. Positives über Adhs in einem Buch zusammengefasst.

Guter Leitfaden!!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Are you an artist or creative professional with ADHD? If so, “The ADHD Artist” attempts to guide you through the labyrinth of your mind. Earth to West transforms ADHD traits into powerful tools for creativity and productivity.

Where this book could be improved is by decreasing repetitive information and also supporting its claims with solid references.

The ADHD Artist” provides the tools, strategies, and encouragement you need to thrive. Transform your ADHD from a hindrance into your greatest creative asset, and live a life filled with productivity, passion, and artistic fulfillment.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this ebook.
I found this book very odd, repetitive and although it promised much it delivered little.
I’m not sure if people who have ADHD would gain any benefit at all from reading it.
One star.

I found this book to be very helpful. Having ADHD myself, I struggle immensly with concentration, keeping motivation, setting realistic plans and goals. As a result, I feel like I'm not as productive in my creative endeavours as I would like to be. In this book the author put together a lot of strategies for every person with ADHD who faces these challenges. Even if some of the concepts in this book feel like common sense, it is very useful to have them structured like this and in one place. I consider to buy this book to have it on hand.
The only thing that bothered me was that the author repeated the same points over and over towards the end.
Also what was weird to me: It gave a list of strategies for a certain struggle (for example motivation) and then it had a paragraph where it put the points into perspective, the same way as an AI like chatgpt would do. That felt strange.
But overall I would very much recommend this book.
Thanks Netgalley for my advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book, but felt it repetitive and would've liked more about the author, their art and their journey

This book is a great guide with practical advice for creatives with ADHD. It's thought-provoking and helps identify what might be holding you back. While some tips are repetitive, the clear chapter purposes and exercises are very helpful.

As both a reader with ADHD and a therapist, I regret to say that I cannot recommend this book. It falls short from both perspectives, lacking in the depth and insight that I would expect from a book in this genre.

The book is very repetitive and disorganized, making it difficult for someone with ADHD to read. A quick search for the word "break" reveals how often the same topics are repeated throughout the book. Even concepts like the "Pomodoro technique" are explained multiple times. If the entire book were edited down, it would probably only be 20 pages long. Furthermore, the advice contradicts itself throughout. For example, some sections suggest creating a colorful and stimulating workspace, while others recommend minimizing distractions. I found 5 separate sections about designing a workspace.

This book feels like a collection of blog posts or AI-generated lists of general ADHD tips. It is strange and pointless to read all these listed as headings or bullet points without any humanity. The information is delivered without application with nothing to relate to or feel understood by.

The most crucial issue I found with the book is the absence of any references to support the claims. It is unethical to provide mental health advice without evidence-based support for the claims, as this could potentially mislead and harm readers who rely on such advice. Providing citations and evidence is crucial in ensuring the credibility and reliability of the information presented.

I struggled with this book because I want to root for it, and it's a book I need.

It disappointed off the bat, however. The author is a ghost, we don't learn anything about their art, who they are, their story, or their journey here. We are not trusted with them as a person at all, and are instead just invited to a lecture. It was incredibly repetitive and badly organized, and while it offered general advice and resources, for the most part, it glossed over the fact that most of the advice like "eat better" "establish a healthy sleep schedule" are already going to be things that most ADHDers struggle to maintain, regardless of the artistic filter/application. The advice like "harness your hyperfocus" seemed laughably glossed over and oversimplified.

It came across as if written by someone who did not struggle with any executive functioning challenges at all, and had no creative or new strategies to implement most of the advice given. The action points in each chapter were incredibly repetitive, and if the entire book was distilled down to its essential advice, without the unnecessary pre- and post- chapter summaries, it would be more the length of a blog post or very short blog series.

There is no almost sense of the author's voice or struggle or experience, and it reads very much like a textbook. It honestly just triggered my RSD and I felt unseen by most of the advice, which sometimes was even contradictory (fill your workspace with lots of things you love, colour, texture, but then the next chapter it says remove stimuli that could distract... without any clear direction as to when which is appropriate.)

This book told me information, but didn't show me application or experience, and was just a repetition of bullet points without any further explanation that could be related to or personalized. It read much like a high school essay that said what they'd be telling us, then told us, then told us what they just told us. My attention span, even medicated, had to be forced to finish this book. There was nothing to connect to, nothing to resonate with. I had to re-read parts over because it was such work. I was simply frustrated by the end.

It needs a very good editor to address the repetition in the advice for each chapter being almost identical, and to work on brevity of sentences, and the sections organized so that the information and advice is not just tweaked a bit for each chapter subject and mostly just restated. It did not feel like it was written for an ADHD audience, honestly. ALSO, it seems to be missing any sources cited for the ADHD information shared, no bibliography or references to where the research and information was sourced from, which is vital when dealing with this subject material.

Most importantly, though, I would love to have heard more of the author in this work, I learn NOTHING about them, or their personal journey at all. It feels like it was written by someone just pulling phrases out of a textbook and how-to manual. The examples were vague and external, without getting specific enough to be helpful or inspiring. I think this book has a lot of potential but it needs an author's story at the heart of it. I want to know why they needed this help themselves. I want to know what was difficult for them, what creative ways they implemented things. What they had to throw out. Even when they talk about combating negative self-talk, it's approached in such a way that I feel like the author didn't really identify with that struggle and I only get glimpses of their experiences, without any emotion or investment.

This book has good advice and strategies for creatives who struggle with ADHD. I found it helpful that the author stated each chapter's purpose at the beginning of that chapter, and I appreciated the exercises at the end of each chapter. However, the same tips were recycled and repackaged under different headings, so the chapters were very repetitive.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book. It is easily accessible to those who would read it for personally use or anyone wanting to learn more about ADHD management.

2,5 stars.

This is a good guide and introductory book to ADHD and creativity.
I am afraid the breadth of this was not ideal for me and I did not find the structure in my favour. However, I am glad that this book exists and it can indeed be a quick and inspiring read for those who are struggling with the differences caused by their ADHD and need insights into their creativity.

A really great, overall guide that I would definitely go back to and check things. Really helpful in trying to establish the kinds of things that may hold someone back.
It was a very thought provoking book and I think would help a lot of people break down what’s going on behind the scenes