Creative Distraction Disorder

I find that I never concentrate on one project at a time if I don't have an absolute deadline. I'm always getting sidetracked. It got pretty bad when I discovered I was taking all day to clean the house because I'd take something downstairs and putter in the studio before getting back to cleaning. So I wrote a little test .. you can see if you have CDD!

Do you get sidetracked often when working on projects or even mundane, ordinary things? Then you might have Creative Distraction Disorder (CDD). Take the following test to find out.

1. How long does it take you to clean your house?
A. 2 hours
B. 4 hours
C. All day
D. Who, me? Clean?

2. While you’re cleaning, oh, let’s say, the kitchen how much time do you spend in other rooms?
A. None
B. One hour
C. Most of the day
D. I never get back to the kitchen

3. How many new projects do you start while cleaning the kitchen?
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. Too many to count

4. How many projects do you start while working on the project that you started while cleaning the kitchen?
A. None
B. One
C. Two
D. Huh? I’m confused.

5. How long would it take you to finish an art project, with an estimated completion time of 4 hours?
A. Two hours
B. Four hours
C. 8 hours
D. Who completes projects?

6. How long does it take you to find a project you started?
A. Right away
B. At least an hour
C. It’s under this, wait, let’s try that, oh, it looks like fun, hmmm
D. All day, I have to clean the area first to find it (Go back to question one)

7. How long does it take you to get supplies together?
A. Right away
B. Not too long
C. Depends on whether I’m gathering fabric
D. Forever, I keep playing with other supplies in with the supplies

Diagnosis:
Mostly A: You don’t have CDD. You’re probably not much fun either.
Mostly Bs: There’s hope for you yet.
Mostly Cs: You have a moderate case of CDD. Try harder to find things to do other than what you should be doing.
Mostly Ds: You have a severe case of CDD. Congratulations. You may live in squalor but you produce arts, lots and lots of it, in various stages of completion.
Some of everything: You have, umm, be right back … gotta go check on fabric in the dye bath.