I only recently learned that I am neurodivergent. As a woman who was socialized to be people-pleasing, and to adhere to gender norms, ADHD went undiagnosed in me for more than 40 years.

But those four little letters made my life make sense. It explained my tendency to throw myself into deep and abiding passions and obsessions, only to fall out of love equally as fast. It explained my need for unconventional and independent schooling and learning, as well as a self-directed career as an entrepreneur and artist. It has also helped me to address mental health concerns like treatment-resistant depression and anxiety. Unbeknownst to me, ADHD has shaped my whole life, and now that I know what it is, I have learned tools that make it work for me, rather than against me.

I am the founding partner of Parodos Social Marketing, a communications company that focuses on strengthening equity-seeking communities, and I’m also a visual artist, writer and actor. ADHD has shaped who I am, and it has also helped me to better understand the struggles that other people face.

I’d be delighted to talk about having a brain that works differently than the norm, and to encourage people to embrace the superpowers within them, no matter their individual challenges.