Attention‐Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Creativity — What is the connection?

The focus of this article is on the similarities between the behavioral manifestations of ADHD and creativity, some speculations about their common etiology, some illustrative case studies, and practical implications of mistaking one for the other. The possibility of an overlap in the conditions of high creativity and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is proposed. Evidence in both groups of mixed laterality and anomalies in cerebral dominance, more spontaneous ideation, higher levels of sensation seeking behavior, and higher energy and activity than in normal populations is presented. Calvin, one of the title characters in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, exemplifies many teachers' worst nightmare. He is the Dennis the Menace of the 90's — bright, inquisitive, imaginative, active, and always into something. Many strips depict his conflicts with school personnel and other adults, often as a result of his runaway imagination. Because his imagination is so vividly depicted, the strips provide excellent examples of creative strengths. However, the same strips could also be used to illustrate the behavior of a classic case of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There are so many similarities in the behavioral descriptions of creativity and ADHD that one is left to wonder, could these be overlapping phenomena? The focus of this article will be on the similarities between the behavioral manifestations of ADHD and creativity, some speculations about their common etiology, some illustrative case studies, and practical implications of mistaking one for the other. In order to comprehend how two such apparently different syndromes could be confused, a better understanding of the history and evolution of the concept of Attention‐Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is necessary. Therefore, this article will begin with a brief historical overview.