Firstly, three courses from We Hyperfocus…

1. Becoming the artist

A creative coaching course designed to inspire you, build your confidence and show you how to earn a living from your creative work, without burning out. Stories from other artists; creative business tips; ways to unblock. Read about it here.

2. How to launch a successful online course

This online course is a step-by-step guide for turning your seed of an idea into a fully functioning online course. So if you love the idea of a passive income but don’t know where to start, sign up now. Soon, you could literally be earning while you sleep.

3. How to launch and grow on Substack

You want to write. You need to earn a living. You want to really enjoy your work. It’s time to try Substack. This user-friendly platform makes it easy to experiment with your writing, have fun, build a community and earn £££. This course teaches you how.

Courses by other neurodivergent creatives

Please note: we are not affiliated with any of the following courses or course creators. We don’t receive payment if you choose to sign up. We include anyone who asks to be included.

• For Italian speakers worldwide, two photography courses by Berlin-based Italian artist, photographer, and educator Irene Ferri: Ultra Venice and Plutone.

• Who am I now? A short, clear starting point for neurodivergent women in perimenopause by Sophie Cartledge, founder of Hormones on the blink.

• A mini-course designed Janina Hossbach for neurodivergent and low-energy creatives who are overwhelmed by unfinished projects and decision fatigue.

• There is a point in which we stop looking for the door and start asking what we can access inside of us. How does life want to live itself through you? This course by A house made of breath will help you to explore this.

• NQC (Neuroqueer Creative) offer a wide range of short and long-term courses grounded in neuroqueering practices and facilitated by practitioners from across the NQC community. Read more.

• Would you like people to buy your art without you having to learn how to sell? Magnetic Artist, by John Allsopp, will help with this.

If you’d like to support We Hyperfocus - the platform by and for neurodivergent creatives, including a magazine, an Instagram account, a monthly directory of courses for neurodivergent creatives and this Substack - we’d be ever so grateful.

You can support We Hyperfocus…

for £3.50/month or £35/year here: wehyperfocus.substack.com/subscribe

for £1.75/month or £17.50/year here: wehyperfocus.substack.com/alittleless

for 88p/month or £8.75/year here: wehyperfocus.substack.com/everypennycounts

Thank you for reading, and supporting.

Annie x

If you’re neurodivergent and looking to crack yourself out of creative stagnancy, unlock inspiration or pick up a new creative skill - the courses and programmes listed below have been designed with you in mind.

We’d love to know if you do go ahead and sign up for something. The idea with this monthly email is to feed - creatively and financially - back into the neurodivergent creative community.

Please note: we are not affiliated with any of these courses or course creators. We don’t receive any payment if you choose to sign up. We include anyone who asks to be included.

• Unlock your creative blocks - a 10-week journey through the emotions standing between you and your creativity and the ones that fuel it - with creative coach and story producer Laurie Farrugia. Heal your inner artist; learn to trust your instincts.

• The art book - memory, belonging and transformation - make your own art book with Professor Merritt Wuchina. Explore forms including collage, flash writing, poetry, painting and drawing, and break apart more formal ideas of writing.

  

• The New Mothers’ Writing Circle is an eight-week programme, taught live on Zoom, by award-winning creative producer and writer Catrin Kemp. Bringing in memoir, non-fiction, poetry and prose to explore core experiences of mothering.

• Creative Stimming is an online art class that invites you to explore creativity through play, movement and sensory expression, with Lucy Dixon. Bring whatever tools you love (pens, paper, chalk, paint etc) and get creative.

  

• WHOLE Creative Wellness Membership with Adie McDermott. Over 120 pre-recorded creative mixed-media projects you can follow along with, live recordings of art studio demos and masterclasses to help remove blocks.

• 5 MINUTES A DAY - somatic practices to restore your energy. No overthinking. No planning. Just simple, guided practices that help you create more calm in your day, space for your emotions and a deeper connection with yourself and others.

  

• Living Stories - a six-week online course from Impro Studio exploring the art of storytelling. Weekly themes are carefully crafted combining artistic prompts, guided meditations and improv games; taking inspiration from books, film, music.

• GERMINATE: plant school for artists - a ten-day webinar for artists to learn about the plant kingdom. Photosynthesis, plant/animal relations: pollination and seed-spreading, botanical poisons, foraging invasive plants for food and medicine.

• Kindred Neurodiversity pilot programme: Eight thoughtfully designed modules, exploring in detail each of the executive functions, using psychoeducation to expand your understanding of your neurodivergence.

• The Resilience Workshop - facilitated by certified mental health coordinator Mayumi Hikida. Includes breathing exercises, grounding practices, ways to soothe anxiety and emotional overwhelm, how to clear brain fog - and more.

  

• The Creative Weekend Reset with Jen Parr. It’s not about optimising time or fixing habits. It’s about remembering what it feels like to enjoy making things again. A moment to shut out the noise and choose yourself.

If you’d like to support We Hyperfocus - the platform for neurodivergent creatives, including a magazine, an Instagram account, a monthly directory of courses for neurodivergent creatives and this Substack - we’d be ever so grateful.

You can support We Hyperfocus…

for £3.50/month or £35/year here: wehyperfocus.substack.com/subscribe

for £1.75/month or £17.50/year here: wehyperfocus.substack.com/alittleless

for 88p/month or £8.75/year here: wehyperfocus.substack.com/everypennycounts

Thank you for reading, and supporting.

Annie x

Here is the introduction to our new online course, Becoming the Artist. Lauren and I have so enjoyed putting this together. Researching the creative processes, rituals and routines of many writers and artists; exploring our own - and putting together creative coaching prompts so that it all becomes actionable. It starts tomorrow. If you’d like to join, we’d love to have you.

Read about the course

Introduction to Becoming the Artist (ending with some coaching prompts)

Welcome to Becoming the Artist.

Perhaps you’re here because you’d like to earn a living from your art and creativity, or you might just want to bring more creativity into your life. You don’t need to decide right now.

Either way, you’re here to become the artist.

In our eyes: you are already the artist. We are all born creative, but while some of us continue to focus on making art, for others: it drops away. We want to help you to bring it to the fore.

We are still becoming artists ourselves. This is an ongoing process. A creative evolution.

But the one non-negotiable is that we will make our best art if we keep trying. And trying means sometimes getting it wrong – failing – but picking yourself up and trying again. Then, we start to see improvements; a version of success.

You get to define ‘success’. This is your art. Your creativity. Your becoming. Your story.

This is the first course that Lauren and I have run together. I’m Annie Ridout, a writer (author, journalist, essayist, poet) and Lauren Davies, my sister, is an artist, designer and brand strategist.

We wanted to come together so that we could each bring our creative experience into this course – me, on the written word; Lauren, on visual art. But there is also crossover. I draw; Lauren writes.

We’re going to walk you through writing, visual arts, the business of creativity and confidence. These are the four elements that we each consider, when making and sharing our art and creative work with the world.

But first:

Here are some questions for you, to work out where you’re at and where you’d like to get to.

You can make notes in a notebook, or fill out the Becoming the Artist creative workbook – online, or print it off.

[link to the creative workbook will be here]

1. What made you sign up for this course?

2. What is your art?

3. How do you feel about referring to yourself as an artist?

4. Is creativity for work/pleasure or both?

5. Would you like to earn a living, creatively?

6. If so, what does the dream creative career look like?

7. When would you like this to be fully in place?

8. What will help you to make this happen?

9. What barriers do you envisage?

10. You have a magic wand. What’s your one wish?

If you join Becoming the Artist, you’ll get access to 28 topics all about writing, making art, getting creative, moving through doubt and earning a living from your creativity.

This is an inspiring course. Designed to get ideas flowing.

There are two live sessions that you can join, if you’d like to work through the prompts together, and you’ll be sent the recording in case you can’t make it live.

You’ll also be invited to join a WhatsApp group led by Lauren and to have email support from me. So, creative support and company from many angles.

Email me if you have any questions. The course materials drop 9am tomorrow morning (UK-time). We’d love to welcome you in.

If you’re on a low income or things are tight at the moment, add coupon code wearebecoming at checkout for 50% off.

Annie x

Becoming the Artist

As a mother, I make sure our home is full of materials that might inspire my children to get creative. Pens, paper, card, clay, paint, paint brushes, activity books, glue, pastels. We have a messy home, with a table covered in pen and paint stains.

But as a creative myself, I didn’t used to think I deserved to make time for anything outside of my paid creative work (writing). I was rushing between motherhood and writing books and articles, there was no time to make art.

And then one day, I decided that getting back into drawing - something I loved doing as a child but had rarely done since - would benefit me, as well my children. It’s powerful when our children see us getting creative.

So, I started drawing. Bought myself some fancy new pencils. A sharpener. A sketchpad. I also tried out drawing on the iPad. Soon, I was feeling confident and creative enough to share my drawing online, over on my other Substack.

I need to earn a living, creatively. And I need to get creative outside of my money work. I write poetry for the love of it, Substack essays to earn a monthly income, also: non-fiction books and articles - and I draw, paint and make music to soothe myself.

It’s the same for my sister, Lauren, who’s a designer, brand strategist and artist. Her colourful home is piece of art in itself, often featured in magazines like this. She is a creative consultant for agencies, a colour expert and she makes beautiful art.

Becoming the artist

Now, Lauren and I are joining forces to help others to become the artist. To work out how to earn a living, or earn more, from your art. But also, to stay creative outside of your career. How to live like an artist. Work like an artist. Create like an artist.

We will help you to get organised, get productive, believe in yourself and your art. We’ll offer creative coaching exercises, business tips and lots of inspiration. And we’ll both be there, via email/WhatsApp, for all your questions and blocks.

This is a four-week online course, starting on Monday 2nd March.

Becoming the artist

You can work through the course materials entirely on you own, if that’s what you prefer (like me). Or join the two live sessions if you like to chat and work alongside others (like Lauren). Or both. There’s no pressure, and you can decide on the day.

We’re so excited to get started and to see the creative evolution of those who join us. There’s an early-bird sale on now, which ends next Friday (13th). Any questions, email me, pop them in the comments or DM us on Instagram heka_london / annieridout.

Annie and Lauren x