Every year feels like a creative experiment when you’re an ADHD graphic designer — full of big ideas, hyperfixations, and the occasional burnout. But this year, I’ve learned to embrace my quirks instead of fighting them. Here is my version of freelancing Wrapped that helped me grow as both a neurodivergent creator and a human.

1. Find One Thing You Love — and Never Shut Up About It

Remember the Dandelion Crayola Girl who went viral for her obsession with collecting every shade of Crayola Dandelion yellow? That’s the kind of energy I want to bring to my design career.

As creatives — especially those of us with ADHD — it’s tempting to chase every idea that sparks joy. But I’ve realized that consistency builds identity. Being known for one thing you love (even if it’s oddly specific) can sometimes take you further than trying to be everything to everyone.

So this year, I stopped diluting my focus and started doubling down on my niche. Turns out, when you find that one thing that lights you up, you attract people who love it just as much.

2. Being Repetitive Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Be Creative

I used to feel like consistency was a cage. Delivering the same type of work for clients or posting in the same aesthetic lane started to feel repetitive — and for an ADHD brain, monotony can be torture.

But then I discovered Labubu toys. Each one has the same base form — the same face, shape, and features — yet every single release is unique, customized, and full of character.

That taught me something powerful: creativity thrives within constraints. You can stick to your formula and still find infinite ways to remix it. Repetition isn’t a flaw — it’s a framework.

3. Hard Things Are Valuable Too

Freelancing often feels like a mix of Sisyphus rolling his boulder uphill and a miner chipping away at rocks hoping to uncover a geode. It’s tough, repetitive, and sometimes feels pointless.

But endurance reveals beauty. The “hard things” — missed deadlines, client rejections, self-doubt — are what give your work depth and resilience. Every chipped rock might not reveal a gem, but every swing builds your strength.

As an ADHD designer, persistence isn’t always natural, but I’ve learned that sticking through the monotony creates the kind of mastery that impulsivity never could.

4. Transformation Is Proclamation

Like the phases of the moon, my creative identity has gone through countless transformations this year. I’ve rebranded, rethought, restarted — more times than I can count.

But each phase has its purpose. Even when I feel like I’m constantly shifting directions in my freelance creative services, my branding and logo design services, or even my social media packages; I’ve learned to trust the bigger picture. Change isn’t instability — it’s evolution. Just as any strategy, content creation, or a branding refresh, one must re-evaluate the direction and motion of where the campaign is projected to be rather than where it's currently at.

And when I finally find something that feels right and shout it into the digital night sky (like a wolf howling to the moon 🐺🌕), the world always howls back in its own way.

5. Reward Yourself

This year, I learned that productivity without celebration is just burnout in disguise.

It’s okay — no, necessary — to treat yourself. Studies show that millennials are choosing “small luxuries” like fancy coffee, candles, or a Stanley cup over big purchases like designer clothes or cars.

And honestly? Same. Whether it’s a matcha latte after a long design sprint or a new brush pack for Photoshop, these micro-rewards remind me that my hard work matters. Work hard, yes. But rest harder. Your brain — ADHD and all — will thank you for it.

Final Thoughts

This year wasn’t about becoming a new version of myself — it was about understanding the version I already am. ADHD doesn’t make me a worse designer; it just means my process has more color, chaos, and creativity baked in.

So if you’re out there trying to “fix” your creative habits — maybe it’s time to celebrate them instead.