Hey Team!

This week we’ve got a really fun episode, I’m talking with ANDY J. PIZZA - well that was weird… Let’s try that again - ANDY J. PIZZA - All right, let’s just go with it.

Andy is a podcaster, illustrator, and creative thinker who’s built a career by embracing the parts of himself that used to feel like liabilities. Andy’s the host of Creative Pep Talk, and his Right Side Out podcast series dives into what happens when you stop trying to pass for neurotypical and start living a little more like yourself. Andy was diagnosed in his twenties, and his experience navigating masking, creative burnout, and late-in-life self-acceptance forms the core of what we’re talking about today.

In our conversation, we talk about the costs of masking, the weird middle ground between accommodation and authenticity, and the realization that sometimes we forget who we are because we’ve been trying so hard to be someone else. We also get into creative practice, novelty, and his favorite ADHD-friendly productivity hacks. And of course, we talk about what it means to live “right side out,” and what it really means to show up authentically.

This was definitely one of my favorite episodes I’ve recorded so far this year, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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Listen to the Climbing the Walls podcast here!

If you'd life to follow along on the show notes page you can find that at HackingYourADHD.com/221

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This Episode's Top Tips

1. Masking isn’t inherently a bad thing, but it certainly is when we’re doing it all the time and unconsciously. We want to be intentional about when and why we mask, and aim for authenticity when possible.
2. It’s okay to embrace opposing truths. We need structure and flexibility, goals and play. We don’t have to fall into all-or-nothing thinking, and this can help us balance some of these ADHD “contradictions”.
3. Celebrate difference, don’t just tolerate it. Safe spaces are good, but celebration spaces—where your uniqueness is actively valued—are better. Look for relationships or communities where people enjoy your way of being, not just what you can do

Episode 184 | Short & Shoddy: Double IPA