Apparently, coming up with your own “personal curriculum” is becoming A Thing on the internet. I have been practicing this for the past 6 years or so, since about the time I realized I might have ADHD. I called it “going back to school” or “having a college courseload”, but I do like the simplicity of calling it a curriculum. It rolls off the tongue a little more easily than syllabus/syllabi, so I think I will adopt it.
My spring/summer curriculum was focused on four areas: visual art, video creation, Substack, and gardening. (See full post here.)
And here’s how I’d grade my performance in each class:
Visual Art | A
While I didn’t complete the online gouache course I signed up for, I really pushed the envelope with how much I created and with (mostly) breaking through a barrier of getting started. I also experimented with different media including acrylic, gouache, and colored pencils.
I attended Helen Stark lives/replays and filled out more than one sketchbook. I shared on IG with regularity.
I created notecards with prints of my work and shared them at a local craft fair.
Video | B-
This one was hard. I think I gave the maximum effort I could have, but I have so much to grow in and it takes so much time, as well as risk. It makes a lot of sense to give myself a B- or even a C+ because I didn’t complete the assignments. I neither published a video of my bullet journal (to be fair, one of them got thrown into the wash by accident and looks horrible) nor of my garden. The garden one was taking too much time and I could not figure out the throughline.
I think my low grade has more to do with the fact that I signed myself up for too hard a class for my skill level. I ended up having to do a lot of extra studying to get myself to a place where I could tackle the assignments. I published a short video of me making protein biscuits (this was easier to “tell a story” with), and I also published a write-with-me body doubling session where I write Morning Pages for 25 minutes (!). I give those (not assigned) assignments As.
Substack | F (or D-)
Ha! I literally posted NOTHING since I shared my curriculum. Similarly to the Video course, I think the reasons for this low grade are because I didn’t have the capacity to complete this in addition to everything else.
But I’m here now, so that at least proves I’m not a drop-out.
Garden | A-
I didn’t complete about 50% of the assignments, but they were all pretty low stakes. I kept everything alive, propagated a bunch of stuff, trellised my new rose, didn’t spend a million dollars on new plants, and enjoyed my garden as often as I could. I’d put in a lot of work the past few years, and just getting to bask in it this summer was all I needed.
Summary
I’m proud of what I achieved this term, with a very ambitious load—I missed a lot but I also hit a ton of markers. I’m thrilled with my growth as an artist and I feel like I’m on the right path.
I’m looking forward to seeing what my guidance counselor (that’s me) and I come up with for the fall. (Stay tuned…)
And now for all the closing randomness.
I made this GIF.
I completely forgot that I made this. It’s my first GIF and I’m really pleased with myself.
A couple of things saving my life lately:
Putting a GPS tracker in my bullet journal
I got a few Tiles on eBay and it’s saving my life. (Only works since I have an Apple Watch that pings my iPhone so that I can then access the Tile app on my phone 😂.)
Unipin Fineliner 0.1mm-0.3mm
After a couple years of drawing, I continue to see a pattern of liking the ink and wash style, which requires a waterproof pen. (I also still love to use my Pilot Precise V5 and yes sometimes I’ll practice imperfection and paint over that, even though it bleeds.)
I’m so picky about the feel of pens, and the ubiquitous Pigma Micron just doesn’t work for me with the angle I use for writing/sketching. I lived with it (and ordered multiple rounds, since they also run out of ink rather quickly!), until I heard Helen Stark mention her unipin. I hopped on the lightrail to Blick and tried them out and immediately felt the relief of having discovered My Pen.
It feels softer or more flexible than the Pigma, like you’re using a marker. The Micron tip is very rigid; some people really want that precise line.
Thought-provoking podcasts I listened to, mostly on creativity:
David Brooks on Thriving in the age of AI
Creativity Supercut on Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out
A few different Andy J. Pizza episodes: Listen to Unlock Flow; An Alternative to Habits for Creative Brains with ADHD; Need More Joy?; How to Escape Creative Paralysis
How to Overcome Scarcity Mindset with Dawn from The Minimal Mom
The 5 Step Process to Make Procrastination Impossible with Cas from Clutterbug and Dana K. White
Finally, let’s clear out my screenshots folder:
My creativity mastermind is my lifeline.
If you needed a permission slip to share a post with your screenshots, please consider this your sign. Do it, and then comment with a link! (This is like a blog hop for those with ADHD ;P)
Love this! I’m still in awe of your dancer painting and I love that you enjoyed your garden so much! Can’t wait to dive into those podcasts and see what you come up with for a fall curriculum!