Ever opened your laptop to study, only to somehow end up watching a video about sharks 20 minutes later?

For people with ADHD, that kind of wandering attention can be a familiar experience. ADHD can make focusing, controlling impulses and sticking with boring tasks difficult. But researchers are finding that the same tendency to let the mind wander may also have a creative side.

A new study from Constructor University explores how attention and creativity are connected. The research suggests that some attention patterns associated with ADHD, particularly what scientists call “defocused attention”, may help the brain explore more ideas and make unexpected connections.

Published in iScience, the study looks at how the brain systems involved in attention also overlap with those involved in creative thinking.

When your brain refuses to use just one tab

Think of attention as a spotlight.

For most people, that spotlight can be directed at one thing at a time. But according to neuroscientist Dr Radwa Khalil, people with ADHD may have a wider attentional field, allowing them to take in more information at once.

That can be frustrating when you are trying to finish an assignment, listen to a lecture or read the same paragraph for the fifth time.

But there may be another side to it.

A wider attentional field can allow the brain to jump between ideas, notice seemingly unrelated details and make unusual connections. And those unexpected connections are often where creative ideas begin.

In simple terms, the brain that says, “Wait, what if we tried this instead?” might occasionally come up with something pretty interesting.

Distracted or just creatively exploring?

One process researchers are interested in is free-associative thinking — essentially allowing ideas to move from one thought to another without forcing them into a strict path.

That can lead to mind-wandering and distractibility, both of which are commonly associated with ADHD. But it can also help people approach problems from unusual angles.

This does not mean ADHD is automatically a creativity booster or that everyone with ADHD is secretly the next great inventor. ADHD can create real challenges in everyday life, and those difficulties should not be brushed aside.

Instead, the researchers are interested in whether some of these cognitive traits can be channelled in useful ways.

Could creativity actually help with focus?

This is where things get particularly interesting.

The researchers suggest that activities such as drawing, music, dance, writing and even gaming could provide structured ways for people with ADHD to use their tendency towards exploratory thinking.

Dr Khalil argues that creative activities may do more than simply provide a fun distraction. Because they require attention, decision-making and control, they could potentially engage some of the same brain systems involved in managing attention.

So, theoretically, getting completely absorbed in drawing, making music or writing a story could give the brain a kind of focus workout — while also allowing it to work in a way that feels more natural.

But scientists aren’t calling it a cure

There is still plenty researchers do not know about the relationship between ADHD, attention and creativity.

The study is part of a growing effort to look at ADHD from more than just a “what’s wrong?” perspective. But more research is needed to determine whether creative activities can actually improve attention or self-control, how effective they might be, and who could benefit most.

For now, the takeaway is pretty simple: a wandering mind is not necessarily a useless one.

Sometimes, the brain taking the scenic route can end up somewhere surprisingly interesting.