Head in The Clouds - 36" x 36" acrylic + multi-media on canvas

 Having my head in the clouds is something I have been accused of throughout my life, especially in school. If you were asking me to sit still, maintain eye contact and pay attention - one thing had to give. By junior high, I was skilled at looking like I was paying attention in order to avoid getting called out, but if you wanted me still + eye contact, my mind was elsewhere. This piece is the visual representation of that experience. Additionally, Head in the Clouds focuses on the ADHD superpower of divergent thinking. The clouds and sky are represented in more than one place, and soft lines + hard edge linear patterns are in direct contrast with one another, all demonstrating that if you let people behave and think in a way that is natural to them, they can produce unique and interesting ideas. 

DI·VER·GENT

/dəˈvərjənt,dīˈvərjənt/

Tending to be different or develop in different directions.

The Divergent collection is a visual representation of Mary-Jo Lough’s experience with ADHD.  Each piece represents unique strengths, abilities, and challenges that neurodivergent individuals manage daily.  While devising this collection the artist removed her “societal mask” and gave herself permission to create with no limits or boundaries; there is nothing “typical” or “normal” about this collection.  Mary-Jo invites the viewer to break away from the rules, structures, and expectations of daily life and experience freedom while they explore each piece in the DIVERGENT collection.