We caught up with the brilliant and insightful David Crismon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
David, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.
I have persisted for my entire career through a combination of ambition, occaissional ineffectiveness, and luck. to the extent i have overcome what is probably diagnosed today as ADHD, is that I have found way to actually use my tendency to move from task to task, in order to keep my interest up and hopefully finish what I started. I am an exhibiting artiist and also an academic. I have been at these two careers since 1987, and at that time, I was mostly unaware of the impact of my ADHD. I was simply going about my life and work. As I got older, I began to notice a stark difference in how i went about things, as opposed to those around me. Long story short, i had to make a concentrated effort to conform to expectations, and get reequired tasks done. Being in academia and in my own studio, i also had to be self driven. This kept my ADHD from being too debilitatinI happened to be in careers that. allowed me to work alone , and in my own way with my own routine. This helped me a great deal. I was able to learn to (sometimes) better use my time, finish my tasks, and in the process remain a lot less frustrated and confused.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a painter, and have been exhibiting since I was in high school. I was fortunate, in that my parents supported me in my path in art. I always drew as a kid to keep myself occupied, and it seemed a natural career to choose to try once the time came. Art has been my sole focus for most of my life. I see it less about making art, and more about how to reaxh out and understand the world around me. It has led me to many places around the globe, help me meet people who would grow to be my dearest friends, led me to tearn new subjects I would have missed otherwise. My second career, as a professor forced me to cultivate a whole different side of my being. Being a creative person and an introvert, i had to learn how to speak in front of many people and lecture on a daily basis. Definately a skill set I had to learn and improve upon throughout my career. Being an academic also required me to work within well established traditions and expectations, something “creatives” tend to have a loe / hate relationship with. It also forced me to learn new things, and I am always thankful that I found a career that mandates that i learn – constantly. Sadly, it seems to me, the love of knowledge and learning seems to be taken for granted, even ignored in our world today. Learning to love learning is the one constant idea i try to offer my students, while i have them.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Find your interests nad explore them relentlessly. 2. Allow for setbacks. “Perfection” can be a huge obstacle, but when you learn how to fix a problem, or design a better solution from the “failed” attempt, you have a powerfull tool.
3. Calm down! -wish I would’ve learned that one a lot earlier!
4. Follow your own direction, even if it means following someone else’s idea or path. Influence can be a good start.
5. Turn down the voice in your head that says you can’t or shouldn’t.
6. Manners still matter!
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents left me alone to pursue my interests. I see too many kids being “managed” today -it’s sad to see, but I understand. We try to save them from some of the unpleasant aspects of maturing. I understand that, but that can have a price tag as well. But, I don’t mean to disparage the parents today. I think it’s very hard to trust the world – and it makes it hard to trust letting kids find their own way to the degree I did. I honestly don’t think I would have chieved what I have today, had my parents not allowed me to find my own path and make some hard mistakes along the way. For as many times as I felt alone and unsure, this was counter- balanced by those times of immense joy and grattitude in what I was doing with my life. By supporting me, rather than coercing me into something I had no interest in doing. they handed me a huge gift.
