Yeah, ADHD is a difference to non-ADHD, but that doesn't make it a disability. It's just a different mode of thought, in the same way that introversion and ext

Yeah, ADHD is a difference to non-ADHD, but that doesn't make it a disability. It's just a different mode of thought, in the same way that introversion and extroversion are different modes of thought. Most people in fact have periods of introversion and extroversion, and surely modes of attention are not fixed or static in people either. Which mode is an "ability" and which is a "disability"? The question is ill conceived. A friend noted that ADHD is probably over-represented in the arts. That's because in the arts (but not exclusively), you need different modes of thought and action to get things done. A classic example is the arts festival, which is a collection of artistic performances over a period of time, organised around a theme, embracing different modalities of production such as dance, theatre, music, visual arts, poetry and more. Arts festivals typically have two executives in charge - Artistic Director - Responsible for finding the creative acts for the festival that will convey the theme. e.g. Burning Man has confirmed the theme for its 2022 edition, Waking Dreams. Organisers have said the theme will "explore the transformative power of dreams, both literal and figurative, and celebrate the dreamers who channel this potent energy in eye-opening, often surrealistic, sometimes life-changing ways". That's not something you can get a tech CEO or accountant or board of directors to pull off. You need some crazy, connected creative genius to frequent 1,000 bars, alleys, galleries and theatres over 12 months to find the talent and curate it into a festival. The other executive who makes the arts festival work is a completely different hat - the Program Director. This is the adult in the room; the super clerk, the master accountant, the disciplined project manager who works the spreadsheet and the gantt chart to make sure what the Artistic Director has chosen can be paid for with the budget and delivered on time. You need both executives to produce an effective arts festival. But the Artistic Director position is less of a discipline that can be described algorithmically and more of an art form itself. To really pull off a great arts festival, you need a hurricane supernova of an Artistic Director who will be impossible to control, will drive his colleagues a little crazy, especially the Program Director, but who will find the most unexpected genius in the most obscure artists who together will combine to deliver an experience that moves the audience and uncovers thoughts and feelings that nobody knew were there to be had. And of course, without the Program Director, there's no way all those artists will be paid because the budget will be exceeded by a factor of 10, and the gantt chart will be spaghetti mashed pototoes Jackson Pollock disaster. But the two of them together, and an army of clerks, interns, admins, techs, and junior ADHD creatives might just pull off the festival of a lifetime.