Meet the Maker: Creating with ADHD
My name is Erick. I’m the maker behind Trayz n’ Beyond — and I have ADHD.
I’m sharing that not as a disclaimer, but as context. Because understanding how my mind works helps explain why every piece I create is the way it is — deeply considered, obsessively refined, and made with a level of intention that most people can’t see just by looking at the finished product.
What ADHD Actually Is
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how the brain regulates attention, impulse control, and executive function. It’s often misunderstood as simply being “distracted” or “hyper” — but the reality is far more complex.
ADHD affects approximately 1 in 10 adults in the United States. It’s not a lack of intelligence or effort. In fact, many people with ADHD experience what’s called hyperfocus — the ability to become so deeply absorbed in something meaningful that hours pass without notice. For me, that something is craft.
The Challenges
I won’t sugarcoat it. Living and working with ADHD is genuinely hard at times.
- Executive dysfunction makes starting tasks difficult, even ones I love. Some days, getting into the studio requires more mental energy than the work itself.
- Time blindness means I can lose hours in a single pour — which is both a gift and a challenge when running a business.
- Emotional dysregulation means that when something isn’t right — when a color is off, when the finish isn’t perfect — I feel it deeply. I can’t let it go until it’s right.
- Working memory gaps mean I rely heavily on systems, notes, and routines to keep production on track.
There are days when the noise in my head is louder than the work. Days when the gap between the vision and the execution feels impossibly wide. Those days are real, and I don’t pretend otherwise.
The Gifts
But here’s what ADHD also gives me — and what I believe you can feel in every piece that leaves this studio:
- Hyperfocus. When I’m in the zone, I am fully in the zone. Every pour gets my complete, undivided attention. I notice things others might miss — a bubble forming, a pigment shifting, a line that’s slightly off. I fix it before it becomes a problem.
- Pattern recognition. My brain is wired to see connections and possibilities. That’s where the design ideas come from — unexpected color combinations, textures that shouldn’t work but do, collections that tell a story.
- Deep thinking. Every piece I make has been thought about — sometimes obsessively — long before resin ever touches a mold. The concept, the color story, the way it will feel in someone’s home. That depth of thought is baked into the product.
- Passion without limits. I don’t make things halfway. ADHD means I either care deeply or not at all — and when it comes to this craft, I care deeply. Every. Single. Time.
Why This Matters to You
When you buy a piece from Trayz n’ Beyond, you’re not buying something that was produced on an assembly line by someone going through the motions. You’re buying something that was thought about, wrestled with, refined, and ultimately made with a level of care that I genuinely cannot turn off.
My ADHD is part of the product. The deep thought, the obsessive attention to detail, the refusal to ship something that isn’t right — that’s not a business strategy. That’s just how my brain works.
A Note to Fellow Makers with ADHD
If you’re a maker, an artist, or an entrepreneur living with ADHD — I see you. The struggle is real, and so is the gift. Don’t let anyone tell you that your brain is broken. It’s different. And in the right context, it’s extraordinary.
Find your craft. Find your hyperfocus. Build something beautiful.
— Erick Owens, Maker & Founder, Trayz n’ Beyond 👏🏿