Perfume-making is a craft that requires a blend of creativity, precision, and patience. For someone with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), engaging in this aromatic art form can be both a struggle and a superpower. As someone living with ADHD, I have found myself walking a fine line between chaos and brilliance, learning lots of valuable lessons along the way. Let me share my journey, along with the challenges and surprising benefits of making perfumes with an ADHD brain.
The Struggles
- Scattered Focus: ADHD is often characterized by difficulty maintaining attention, and this can be a significant hurdle when crafting perfumes. One moment, I’m meticulously measuring oils, and the next, I’m deep-diving into the history of vetiver or experimenting with an unrelated DIY project. Staying on task can feel like trying to bottle a whirlwind. I almost find sticking to one task impossible. My brain is in constant thought, wanting to do a million things at the same time.
- Overwhelm in Complexity: Perfume-making involves balancing top, middle, and base notes, not to mention dilutions, proportions, and curing times. The sheer amount of detail can be overwhelming, triggering a sense of paralysis that makes it hard to start or finish a blend.
- Impulsivity: Impulsivity often leads me to add “just a touch” more of an oil, thinking it’ll improve the scent—only to regret it when the blend becomes overpowered. ADHD brains often crave novelty and experimentation, which can lead to unexpected results.
- Perfectionism and Burnout: Despite the chaotic tendencies, many people with ADHD are also perfectionists. This paradox often results in spending hours tweaking a blend, only to feel exhausted and dissatisfied. It’s easy to overthink and obsess over whether a creation is “just right.” Not only this but once you have an amazing creation there comes the worry that once you scale up you will not get the same smell.
The Benefits
- Hyperfocus Superpower: One of the most incredible aspects of ADHD is the ability to hyperfocus. When I’m locked into a project, time melts away, and I can lose myself in the world of scents. During these moments, I feel unstoppable, capable of creating complex and imaginative perfumes that surprise even myself and my son who I use as a test bed.
- Boundless Creativity: ADHD brains are wired for divergent thinking, which is a huge asset in perfume-making. I’m not afraid to try unconventional combinations or draw inspiration from unexpected places—like pairing the smell of freshly cut grass with smoky oud. My best creations often come from following these out-of-the-box ideas.
- Emotional Connection: Scent is deeply tied to memory and emotion, and ADHD heightens my sensitivity to these connections. When crafting a perfume, I’m not just mixing oils—I’m telling a story, capturing a mood, or preserving a fleeting moment. This emotional intensity helps me create fragrances that resonate on a deeper level.
- Resilience and Adaptability: Living with ADHD means I’ve developed coping mechanisms and resilience to overcome challenges. Mistakes in perfume-making—and there are plenty—don’t deter me for long. Each misstep is a learning opportunity, and I’ve become adept at pivoting and problem-solving.
Lessons Learned
Over time, I’ve found ways to manage my ADHD in the context of perfume-making. Breaking tasks into smaller steps, setting timers to keep me on track, and creating a dedicated, distraction-free workspace have made a world of difference. I’ve also learned to embrace the imperfections in my process, understanding that creativity often thrives in chaos.
If you’re someone with ADHD considering perfume-making, I encourage you to dive in. While it’s not without its challenges, the process can be immensely rewarding. There’s something magical about transforming raw materials into a harmonious scent—a reflection of both the disorder and the beauty of the ADHD mind. An almost fearless outlook can spur an amazing creation.
Perfume-making has taught me that ADHD is not just a challenge to overcome but a unique perspective to celebrate. It’s helped me see that while I may sometimes struggle to focus or finish, I also have the capacity to create beauty that’s as layered and dynamic as the fragrances I love to craft.
Embrace it, try to stick to one task, if you find your brain is telling you to do something else whilst in the middle of something, purposely ignore it and get on with the task ahead. Then revisit that thought later.
