Prehistoric man----ADHD----Contemporary knife making.

[Fred Rowe]

Good Morning Dogs!

I know a good deal about, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, I have to; I have a child who has the condition and the only way to deal with it is to understand it.
My son's doctor explained to me that in early prehistoric man this condition was an asset. People with this condition respond well to unexpected and dangerous conditions. They made good mammoth hunters; they would thrive in this man versus dangerous large animal scenario. What they were not good at was the daily routine; around a quite camp, they were disruptive waiting for the next mammoth or big toothed cat hunt.

She explained to me that today, ADHD is not an asset, we have become such creatures of control and habit, with little of the unknown in our lives that people with this condition find it hard to cope in a world consumed with conformity.The doctor also said;that in todays world people who's minds work in this manner are found in many of the arts, music, graphic arts painting and she agreed contemporary knife making. People with this type of mind are the ones who take risk and push the envelope, you will never find them following. They will be the ones pushing the limits, whatever they're doing.
In modern knife making I believe, they are an asset for they are the ones who will drive diversity. You wont find them copying the accepted norm. "Without deviation from the norm progress is not possible" and thats true in knife making. I advise people working in my shop to perfect that which needs perfection, but to experiment with everything else. You will be amazed, at what you create when this vision is adopted.

Choose to be the mammoth hunter and not the guy sitting in camp stirring the fire.

Happy hunting, Fred

 

[Mike Martinez]

Good post Fred, I was going to reply on that other forum but didn't see your thread upon returning to it a day later. My oldest son, much like yours, has a high IQ and loves his mastodon.

 

[Mark Behnke]

Good Morning Dogs! "Without deviation from the norm progress is not possible" and thats true in knife making. I advise people working in my shop to perfect that which needs perfection, but to experiment with everything else. You will be amazed, at what you create when this vision is adopted.

Choose to be the mammoth hunter and not the guy sitting in camp stirring the fire.

Happy hunting, Fred

Good advice!

I get so hung up on perfection that creativity is put aside then I get bored and discouraged to the point of not working for months at a time.

So reaching a compromise between being creative and learning to do an acceptable to me caliber of work is a struggle.

I've felt that to pursue my designs without first being able to do the "perfect knife" was the wrong way to go about this.

Thanks

 

[jkf96a]

One of the reasons I've developed into a decent knifemaker is because I thrive on working on 7 projects at once. I have no problem with heat treating blades while hand sanding others, working on handles for a knife while glue dries on another, etc. Send me to the mammoth hunt!

 

[Frank Hunter]

100%.

 

[Steven Long]

I have struggled with ADHD and many other things my whole life and yes, it gets in the way of the everyday things. Its hard to stay at work because it is all the same, day to day. Been there, done that and ready to move on to the next thing.

Knife making is one of the only things that keeps me wanting more. I can't work on just one though. I need multiple projects going at once to keep me motivated.

Doctors shoved every pill they were pushing at the time on me and I found out quick that those side effects from the pills are way worse than dealing with the issue. When I started using my hands and mind together was when I found the perfect way to deal with it. One piece of advice is to not give your kids any of this crap but give them projects they enjoy instead. The pills usually get banned after a few years anyway and the doctor only prescribes them because they get a kick back from the sales. I can't tell you how many commercials I have seen for lawsuits on pills I had been prescribed for ADHD and other issues. Not worth it.

I just turned 30 and still deal with it. Finding knife making has been a blessing. The one thing that it has really helped me out with is patience. Which you know doesn't come easy with ADHD.

 

[rhinoknives]

Yep!
I was one of those youngsters that was a disruption in camp while waiting for the next hunt! Sometimes I still am a disruption! LOL

They didn't have a term for it when I was a child. I just didn't listen or pay attention like I was suppose to!
Then when I found knife making. The whole world goes away and time has no meaning. I have heard it called "Flow" .

I outgrew the hyperactive part and at 55, I am still learning to manage the attention deficit.

 

[clancy]

There is evidence the ADHD and hyperactivity is reduced with a low carb/high fat paleo type diet.

There are tons of podcasts and lots of new research that indicates many of today's chronic illnesses are caused by inflammation related to diet. I started 3 years ago and lost 70 lbs, cleared up my foggy brain and feel like I am 20 years younger. We skip all the grains, sugars and fruit juice and most all processed food. Trips to the grocery store are very short since 90% of the food is not allowed.