ADHDinos isn’t just about making people laugh—it’s also about spreading awareness and helping others feel seen. Ryan started the series by listing struggles he personally faced, turning them into lighthearted yet meaningful stories. However, the artist shared that the list is very different now compared to what he mentioned in a previous interview with Bored Panda. "Ultimately, it’s still a list of things I struggle with, but I have some pretty neat systems in place to help me funnel all the flurry of ideas I have into a final product. For one, I write the comics in a structured sort of way that indicates things like who is talking, from what side, and how zoomed in it should be. This helps me visually plan a comic out a bit before getting something drawn on paper.
I’ve also been doing this thing where I rank individual notes; right now, it ranges from 1-7, but it started from 1-4, with 4 being the best. It’s a neat system because after I write a comic, I can evaluate it based on the discussion point and whether or not it’s actually funny.
There are a lot of ideas that aren’t fully fleshed out, but that are still worth taking down. Every 6 months or so, I’ve been adding a new highest level, so next it will be 8. That seems to cause a sort of 'pseudo-inflation' across the notes that keeps the freshest ones near the top, because an idea loses value the longer it goes unused. It also means at this point in time, a deep dive into level 4 yields some great content."
The creative process isn’t always smooth—artists often encounter creative blocks or struggle when a piece doesn’t come together as expected. Ryan, however, has a system in place to navigate those challenges. "A bit like the process with the notes, I do something with the finished comics I call the 'tumbler' (like those rock polishing machines). I like to pull my favorite content to the top, and anything that remains I continue to rehash or reinvent. For example, this comic didn’t actually include Brain, at first. I wasn’t happy with the punchline and sat on it for about 4 months before opting to include him."
ADHDinos seamlessly blends humor with real-life struggles. We asked Ryan how he strikes this balance, ensuring his comics remain relatable while respecting the challenges that come with ADHD.
"Sometimes, when you’re struggling, the best you can do is laugh at the situation. It still sucks, but being sad only gets you so far as well, you know? Because I only write about my own experience, I’ve never really had an issue making the content relatable (myself meeting 17 out of 18 of the DSM-5 criteria for ADHD). Aside from this, I do often consider at whose expense a joke is being made in specific contexts. There’s a lot of really... reductive ADHD content out there, and I always want to make sure a comic offers some form of substance, whether it’s insight or a little joke."
Ryan revealed that creating ADHDinos has helped him gain deeper insights into himself. "I’ve been doing a lot of in-person events in the last two years. Through them, I’ve had the opportunity to meet tens of thousands of readers, and I’ve had so many amazing conversations with so many amazing people. I’ve gotten the joy of learning each of their perspectives and interpretations of the comics, and in turn, I’ve learned so much more about myself. I’ve now had over 120 (and counting) people tell me that the comics brought some issues to light that they otherwise weren’t aware of and that they’re now addressing those issues and doing much better as a result. I always tell people my goal is to be better every day—not necessarily perfect, but better."
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Ryan Keats' journey of using humor and art to relate to ADHD experiences mirrors broader discussions about the condition. Just as laughter can sometimes serve as medicine, Ryan's comics embody this blend of humor and understanding, much like how memes provide relatable content for those with the condition. I
f you find solace in such creative expressions, you might enjoy these humorous insights into the nuances of living with ADHD.