I had a wonderful, long overdue chat with an old friend of mine tonight. I’ve known Mitchell since Grade 7. Growing up, we were into all the same stuff: wrestling, comics, tabletop RPGs, video games. We used to talk more often, but you know how it happens when adult crap gets in the way. He’s doing well for himself now: living in the U.K., working for a mobile game designer, has a daughter. All good stuff. Between work (for both of us), a kid, the time difference, and life in general, it’s hard to chat with him like we used to. But I’m grateful for any time we can.
I’ve sometimes considered Mitchell my muse. We have different ways in our creative style and approach, but I think because of that, he’s also a great person to bounce ideas off with. He rarely shoots anything down, but as someone who studied improv comedy, he takes any ideas, accepts it, and rolls with it. He asks me questions on the hows and whys of idea. He never offers huge ideas for me to “steal,” but coaxes ideas out of me like a bourbon-fueled Socrates.
Tonight, we shared our mutual struggles with ADHD. We talked about how ADHD is both a gift and a curse for creative people. With some forms of ADHD, there’s the concept of hyper-focus, where you can shut off everything else around you and narrowly focus on what’s in front of you.
Believe me, I’m aware of the staggering irony in that headline.
This past New Years, I had the first major mental breakdown in a long time. I’d certainly struggled many times throughout my life. Most certainly in the recent years. But something about that night really struck me. Why? It stemmed from seeing social media; people reminiscing about 2017. A common meme that night was things people did or accomplished that year. And it got me thinking: what did I accomplish in 2017? My conclusion? Nothing.
Nick Piers 