Podcast Summary

Podcast: Women & ADHD
Host: Katy Weber
Episode: "Ella Fielding: Creativity, chainsaws, and redefining ‘adulting’"
Date: September 2, 2024
Guest: Ella Fielding, sculptor and chainsaw carver

Main Theme

This episode centers on artist Ella Fielding’s late-diagnosis journey with ADHD, her reflections on childhood and education, and how neurodivergence has shaped—rather than hindered—her creative and professional life. Katy and Ella discuss the challenges and strengths of living with ADHD, with particular focus on creativity, self-acceptance, and redefining what it means to be an adult.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ella’s Path to ADHD Diagnosis

• Accidental Discovery ([04:04]-[08:55])
  Ella received her ADHD diagnosis at 38, nearly 20 years after being diagnosed with dyslexia at university. Parenting and increased career demands made her old coping mechanisms insufficient, prompting her to seek answers for her struggles with tasks like email and organization.
  • She initially sought support for dyslexia and was referred to the “Access to Work” UK program.
  • During coaching sessions, her coach (an ADHD specialist) repeatedly mentioned ADHD, which led Ella to seek an assessment.
  • Quote: “She keeps saying my ADHD…I just don’t have ADHD. And she was like, ‘Oh, it’s just that you do.’ …And suddenly was like, I have to get diagnosed immediately.” (Ella, [07:10])

2. Overlapping Diagnoses & Masking

• Experience at University and Earlier Labels ([09:28]-[11:12])
  Ella was recognized as dyslexic in university and never made to mask at home, thanks to her supportive parents. The “strange dichotomy between, 'You mean, everybody isn’t like this?'” became clear only after diagnosis.

  • Quote: “All through childhood…now all of it is really quite there…But I was clever and kind…I just kept being put in good situations and would change the environment.” (Ella, [09:49])

• Katy’s Reflection on Masking: ([11:12]-[13:13])
  Many women only realize retrospectively how hard they were working to compensate, especially when parenthood adds pressure.

  • Quote: “Part of masking is…compensating…as a clever person, you had to compensate for things that weren’t necessarily easy for you.” (Katy, [11:12])

3. Redefining Adulting & Self-Acceptance

• Letting Go of Expectations ([13:13]-[14:05])
  Ella’s journey toward accepting strengths and limitations, especially as an entrepreneur where the expectation to “do it all” can be overwhelming.
  • Quote: “I can do great other stuff. That's just not the thing I do…not feeling bad about it because I can do other good stuff.” (Ella, [13:55])

4. School Years and the Right Environment

• Struggles with Standard Education ([15:19]-[22:09])
  Traditional academic settings proved challenging; Ella found success and engagement in alternative, creative courses.

  • Quote: “I left school at 14 because it wasn't working…It got to year 10 and it was just really obvious it was not going to succeed or get anywhere near my potential.” (Ella, [15:36])
  • Her educational success blossomed in a college setting that valued creativity and practical arts.

• Katy’s Reflection:
  Many ADHDers experience difficulty in academic settings and mistakenly identify as “dumb” or underachievers due to mismatch, not lack of intelligence.

5. Strengths of the ADHD Brain

• Evolutionary Purpose & Creativity ([23:02]-[26:15])
  Ella and Katy discuss the evolutionary advantages and creative strengths of neurodivergent brains.
  • Quote: “ADHD is amazing; it’s also annoying…there’s too many people that have it. It is an evolutionary choice to keep it in.” (Ella, [23:02])
  • Spatial reasoning, hyperfocus, and resilience are highlighted as skills, with deficits only becoming apparent in misaligned environments.

6. Navigating Artistry and Chainsaw Carving

• Discovering Chainsaw Art ([27:08]-[32:54])
  Ella describes choosing hands-on artistry over academic writing at university, being drawn to chainsaw art’s immediacy—the match for her ADHD.

  • Quote: “My thoughts feel a bit like sneezes. If I don't catch them, they're gone…It's a way of working that's really fun…immediate.” (Ella, [31:35])

• Client Collaboration & Enjoyment ([32:54]-[36:11])
  Each commission is unique because it is based on the client’s story, preventing boredom or repetition—a crucial factor for her ADHD brain.

7. Structure, Motivation, and Avoidance

• Creative Workflows
  Ella thrives on committed, time-bound projects with clients, whereas self-directed or at-home projects languish without external deadlines ([36:11]-[37:27]).
  • Katy parallels with her own writing process, highlighting the need for structure and accountability for ADHD success.

8. Professional and Personal Growth Post-Diagnosis

• Self-understanding, Trusting Intuition ([37:27]-[42:30])
  Diagnosis led to increased self-awareness, understanding how her work is “mindful” by necessity (chainsaw carving requires total attention), and greater trust in intuition.

  • Quote: “I think I'm getting better at being faithful to my feelings and trusting myself.” (Ella, [41:03])
  • Tasks previously associated with shame are now approached with curiosity—“Why am I avoiding this?”

• Reframing ‘Adulting’ ([44:11]-[45:48])
  Katy and Ella question societal definitions of ‘adulting,’ advocating for a redefinition: “Why don’t we define adulting as intuition, curiosity, passion, and playfulness?” (Katy, [44:11])

9. Household Balance and Support

• Partnership Dynamics ([46:11]-[47:46])
  Both celebrate relationship dynamics that reflect acceptance and division of labor without shame or resentment.

10. The Nature of ADHD “Struggle”

• Redefining Struggle and Embracing Strengths ([49:06]-[53:18])
  There’s a shift from confusion and self-blame towards understanding, energy management, and improved mental health.
  • Quote: “I would spend so many times thinking and looping and looping, beating myself up…I've just saved so many calories,…the amount of energy I'm just not using just from that alone is like…” (Ella, [52:25])
  • Discussion on whether ADHD remains a disorder once shame is stripped away and supportive systems are in place.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [07:10] Ella Fielding:
  "She keeps saying my ADHD…I just don’t have ADHD. And she was like, ‘Oh, it’s just that you do.’ …And suddenly was like, I have to get diagnosed immediately."

• [13:55] Ella Fielding:
  "I can do great other stuff. That's just not the thing I do…not feeling bad about it because I can do other good stuff."

• [23:02] Ella Fielding:
  "ADHD is amazing; it’s also annoying…there’s too many people that have it. It is an evolutionary choice to keep it in."

• [31:35] Ella Fielding:
  "My thoughts feel a bit like sneezes. If I don't catch them, they're gone…It's a way of working that's really fun…immediate."

• [41:03] Ella Fielding:
  "I think I'm getting better at being faithful to my feelings and trusting myself."

• [44:11] Katy Weber:
  "Why don’t we define adulting as intuition, curiosity, passion, and playfulness? Like, that’s adulting."

• [52:25] Ella Fielding:
  "I would spend so many times thinking and looping and looping, beating myself up…I've just saved so many calories,…the amount of energy I'm just not using just from that alone is like…"

Timestamps for Key Segments

• ADHD Diagnosis Journey: [04:04] – [08:55]
• Overlapping Diagnoses & Masking: [09:28] – [13:13]
• Redefining Adulting & Entrepreneurship: [13:13] – [14:51]
• School/College Realizations: [15:19] – [22:09]
• The Evolutive Nature of ADHD and Creativity: [23:02] – [26:15]
• Discovering Chainsaw Carving & Artistic Process: [27:08] – [36:11]
• Structure, Procrastination, and Motivation Insights: [36:11] – [37:27]
• Post-Diagnosis Change and Self-Trust: [37:27] – [42:30]
• Reframing Adulting & Household Balance: [44:11] – [47:46]
• Is It Still ADHD When You’re No Longer Struggling?: [49:06] – [53:18]

Resources & Where to Find Ella

• Ella’s Portfolio & Social Media:
  • ellafielding.com
  • Instagram & TikTok: @EllaFieldingSculptor
• TV Appearance:
  • “Woodland Workshop” on Discovery Plus ([54:06])

Tone & Style

The conversation is candid, warm, and introspective, often shifting between humor, vulnerability, and moments of mutual recognition (“I feel seen for the first time in my entire life”). Both Katy and Ella maintain an encouraging, optimistic outlook, while also being frank about the ongoing challenges of living with ADHD.

This episode will resonate with anyone (but especially creative women) navigating late ADHD diagnosis, grappling with the definition of “adulting,” or questioning how to structure work and life to honor their neurodivergent strengths.