SuccessFULL With ADHD

Black with ADHD in Hollywood: 'Shrinking' Writer/Actor Ashley Nicole Black Discusses Identity, Representation, & Owning Your Brain

• Brooke Schnittman MA, PCC, BCC • Season 1 • Episode 106

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In this episode, I sit down with the brilliant and hilarious Ashley Nicole Black—Emmy-winning writer, comedian, and actor known for her work on A Black Lady Sketch Show, Ted Lasso, and Shrinking. We dive into her personal ADHD journey, the powerful intersection of being Black and neurodivergent, and how her diagnosis—sparked by an unexpected wave of social media feedback—reshaped her understanding of herself. Ashley opens up about what it was like navigating school as a gifted yet misunderstood student, and how she's found strength and freedom in embracing the way her brain works.

This conversation is packed with insight, laughter, and hard truths. We talk about the realities of being undiagnosed for years, the emotional and physical toll of late recognition, and how ADHD both challenges and fuels her creativity in fast-paced writing rooms. Ashley shares why she believes improv should be part of every neurodivergent toolkit, and we touch on the need for authentic, joyful neurodivergent representation in media. This is a must-listen if you're looking for validation, inspiration, or just a damn good laugh.

 

Episode Highlights:

[0:00] - Ashley shares the moment social media “diagnosed” her with ADHD before she even knew
 [2:21] - The real path to her diagnosis—and how PMS played a surprising role
 [5:40] - Childhood teachers, misunderstood brilliance, and being “smart but not smart”
 [8:28] - Why schools need to rethink how they handle gifted, ADHD, and Black kids
 [11:15] - How acting and writing became Ashley’s creative outlet and career
 [13:19] - Using ADHD strengths in fast-paced writing rooms and comedy
 [17:11] - Learning to manage energy instead of pushing through burnout
 [21:23] - Why social media helped Ashley get diagnosed—and how it ties into dopamine seeking
 [23:26] - Misdiagnosed with anxiety: what doctors missed
 [26:03] - Representation of neurodiversity in media: we need more funny, authentic portrayals
 [30:33] - Managing personal energy, shifting social time, and navigating life balance
 [32:30] - A hilarious behind-the-scenes ADHD moment in the writers' room
 [33:32] - Navigating ADHD and being Black in Hollywood
 [36:43] - Creating authentic Black representation on shows like Ted Lasso
[40:43] - The power of storytelling and audience connection
[41:09] - How Ashley remembers lines despite ADHD memory challenges
[42:40] - “Laziness” redefined: the creativity in finding your own way
[44:00] - Encouragement for adults and parents of kids with ADHD
[46:34] - Improv as therapy: how it builds confidence and authenticity
[49:25] - What’s next for Ashley—updates on Shrinking and Ted Lasso

 

Connect with Ashley Nicole Black: 

IG: @ashnb1

Thank you for tuning into "SuccessFULL with ADHD." If this episode has impacted you, remember to rate, follow, share, and review our podcast. Your support helps us reach and help more individuals navigating their journeys with ADHD.

 

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Ashley Nicole Black:

I was really lucky in that my parents are also black, so they they didn't understand the ADHD piece of it at that time, but they understood the racism piece of it, so they really, like, instilled in us the most amazing self esteem, like they sent us out into the world of like, some people are not going to like you, and there's a very real reason for that that is not you. So someone not liking you is not something you need to internalize or think you're doing anything wrong. It is not you. So I hear sometimes parents being like, Oh, I don't want to tell my kids about racism too early. And it's like they need to know about all the things that are going to happen before they happen before they get to school, because when you're a kid, you internalize everything as being your fault and something wrong with you.

Brooke Schnittman:

And the anxiety really came from people not understanding how your brain worked. It sounds but

Ashley Nicole Black:

also people not understanding how my brain worked. Was why I got laughs, right? So that was why I was successful. So it's like a it's a very double edged thing.

Brooke Schnittman:

Welcome to successful with ADHD. I'm Brooke Schmidt, let's get started. Welcome back to another episode of successful with ADHD. Ashley and I were talking. I'm so excited to have you here today with us and the fans. So many people know your work on shows like black lady sketch show, Ted lasso shrinking, but today we get to dive into your story in a different way.

Ashley Nicole Black:

Well, it's very funny. I haven't I don't think I've really talked publicly much about having ADHD, but the public did diagnose me. There was just like a long period where every time I posted a joke on Twitter, I would get, not exaggerating, like, 500 replies being like, that's ADHD. Like, you have ADHD. And I was like, man, people with ADHD are the only people who are like, hoping you also have their disorder. Like, nobody's out there like commenting, that's leukemia, babe. You have leukemia. Come join our club.

Brooke Schnittman:

Exactly. Oh my gosh, that is so funny. So the ADHD community, because you are out there in the space in front of the public eye, said, Okay, that's ADHD, and that's how you got your diagnosis?

Ashley Nicole Black:

Well, no, but when I did finally talk to a doctor, she said, But you know, you have ADHD, right? So that's how I got it. When was this so recently, about like two and a half, three years ago. So for me, which I think I now understand, is true for a lot of women, but for me, my ADHD gets so much worse during my like, PMS time. So I kept going to doctors being like, something's wrong in my cycle, like something is happening right before my period every month, and I can't think straight, and I have brain fog, and my brain doesn't work, and things are ending up in my grocery cart that I put didn't put in there, and, like, I don't think I should be allowed to drive for like, a week out of the month. This is really bad. And doctors just kept telling me that's not a thing like you're stressed out rest, that's not a thing that your brain stops working before your period. That's not real. And so I went to, like, multiple doctors who kept telling me that what I was describing was not a real thing that existed, and then I finally went to a nurse practitioner who said, Okay, I don't know what this is. We're going to run all the regular tests I'm going to tell you right now. They're going to come back normal, because it's not one of those things, but there's a clinic that is a long covid clinic, and what they did differently is, because long covid affects so many different systems in your body, is that you meet with like three to seven doctors in one appointment. So instead of having to keep going to doctor after doctor, explaining your symptoms, you do it all at once so that they can, like, collaborate, yeah, and figure out what it is. And so she goes, I'm going to see if you can get in to see them, because, because it's like multiple people, they will figure it out. And I met with one doctor, and she said, But you already know you have ADHD, right? So I did end up needing to go through the whole process. And as it turns out, I have very, very classic ADHD. And it's very strange that not only that, I made it through my whole childhood and schooling, but that also I made it through a few years of describing very classic, obvious ADHD to doctors and being told that's not a thing. Fascinating.

Brooke Schnittman:

Yeah, so classic ADHD, in the sense of hyperactive kid out of their seat calling out.

Ashley Nicole Black:

Well, mine is a more mentally hyperactive, so I think that's why it hides as a kid, because I was also a very smart kid. So as long as you're like getting good grades, nobody cares what. Your experiences, like I saw someone's post and they're like, ADHD is the only thing that's defined by how annoying it is for other people. So because my hyperactivity was internal, it wasn't annoying other people. It was but not in the way that they would attempt interventions. Yeah, I just always had teachers being like, she gets really good grades, but she's not smart, and my parents being like, what does that possibly and it was because I would finish my work very quickly, immediately, and then proceed to doing fuck shit, because my work was done,

Brooke Schnittman:

she gets really good grades, but she's not smart. Put that on a postcard and rip it out, please.

Ashley Nicole Black:

Yeah, that is the joy of being a black child. I think,

Brooke Schnittman:

wow, yeah, you know, I'm glad you went there, because I wanted to ask for women very often. The classic woman is a hyperactive internal symptoms or the inattentive so combined in this type, but now you have the black layer on top of you, right? So you have you're diverse, you're neurodivergent. Obviously, that took a toll on your childhood to some extent. Yeah.

Ashley Nicole Black:

I mean, I was really lucky in that my parents are also black, so they they didn't understand the ADHD piece of it at that time, but they understood the racism piece of it. So they really, like, instilled in us the most amazing self esteem, like they sent us out into the world of like, some people are not going to like you, and there's a very real reason for that that is not you. So someone not liking you is not something you need to internalize or think you're doing anything wrong. It is not you. So I hear sometimes parents being like, Oh, I don't want to tell my kids about racism too early. And it's like they need to know about all the things that are going to happen before they happen before they get to school, because when you're a kid, you internalize everything as being your fault and something wrong with you. So when I was having teachers say, you know, she's lazy, she talks all the time in class, I had one teacher who had kept moving me around the room because I would befriend and talk to whoever was sitting next to me. And then we had a student who came from overseas, who didn't speak English, so she sat me next to her, and I thought she had it figured out. Me and Polly were friends within a week. Don't play with me. I'm gonna talk.

Brooke Schnittman:

Okay, I'm gonna make you talk. We didn't

Ashley Nicole Black:

figure it out. We drew pictures. We were five, so I always got really good grades. I always tested off the charts. But I think teachers didn't understand what was going on, because I would just very quickly finish my test and then have nothing to do other than talk draw pictures, you know, whatever. And they were like, so all I watched this kid do was talk and draw pictures. But somehow they've gotten a really good grade on the test. I got accused of cheating, so I think that's where they came with. She's not smart, but she gets good grades because they just couldn't put the two things.

Brooke Schnittman:

Weren't educated enough to understand. Yeah. Wow. So being an adult, a successful adult in the public eye, what would you have said to your younger self back then, or even the teachers back then, knowing what you know now,

Ashley Nicole Black:

I think that maybe this is not kind, but I think if you have a kid who's sitting in your classroom reading books, drawing pictures, talking to friends, and their work is done, they're not Avoiding it, you need to step your game up. Give that kid something to do. And I've also been a teacher, one of the things that I was trained to do is like that kid who seems to have a lot of extra energy, you're in charge of water now, you know, you go get the water and bring it back for the rest of the class. You sit next to this kid who's not doing as well with their math, and you're in charge of answering their questions, like give them something to do. And I think for some reason, it can make adults feel inadequate when a kid is capable of more than what you're asking of them. But you could also enlist that kid as a partner instead of like getting in your feelings about it because you're grown. How are you having feelings about children? I don't understand

Brooke Schnittman:

that, right? Like we're separating the adult from the child. We're not lecturers. We're not doing traditional teaching anymore, right? And if you could leverage the kids strengths and the way that they show up, then they can thrive. But instead, you got in trouble.

Ashley Nicole Black:

Yeah, you are in charge of the school supplies. Make sure all the scissors make it back to their spot at the end of the day, you can occupy a child for a whole day with something like

Brooke Schnittman:

that. Yes you can, yes you can. And that goes into and I don't know if you experienced this, but were you ever taken it out of recess for bad behavior because they thought you cheated or because you were done too quickly? But meanwhile, the ADHD. Child needs the exercise, they need, the movement they need. The simulation. Did that occur for you?

Ashley Nicole Black:

Yes, I was. I had a teacher who hated that I was reading, because this is a little bit older, so like in second grade, I'm talking and being disruptive, and I learned that, like, that's bothersome to them. So I started just bringing a book to school, and when I finished my work, I would just pull out a book and read, and that just tore him up for some reason. And so he would take recess away from me because I was reading, reading, yes, then I would take the book out to recess. This was also a problem. And so my parents were up at the school quite a bit, talking to teachers and administrators, and the resolution to that was, I just ended up getting taken out of that teacher's class. But yeah, there's sort of no right answer when I think it's a combination of ADHD and being black in a school that didn't have a ton of black kids, is like, you can't good behavior your way out of people being annoyed that you're smart because of what you look like, so there's just no right answer.

Brooke Schnittman:

It's powerful. So you read a lot, you drew a lot. How is that writing and acting showing up for you now with your ADHD.

Ashley Nicole Black:

So I was always going to be an actor. That was always what I wanted to do as a kid, I would watch TV shows, and my parents would be like, Oh, they're lawyers. You want to be a lawyer? And I was like, No, literally, the only thing I've ever wanted to be is an actor. And I would I was writing, but I didn't recognize it as such. I think because acting is the job, you can see that's happening. But I was always like writing little stories and plays in these, like, elaborate scenarios, and with multiple kids, like soap operas that I was writing as a little kid, and when I did eventually actually start writing, which was at the second city. So at the second city, there aren't any writers, the actors write the show. So I went thinking I was gonna, like, take an acting class, and it's like, oh, you have to write in order to perform. And when I started writing, I was just, like, instantly recognized by other people. Of like, you're very good at this. And I think that part of that now I understand, is like, people with ADHD are really good at those kinds of jobs, because, like writing sketch comedy or writing half hour, you have to come up with so many ideas so fast, and you can't preciously hold on to any of them. You have to be in this state of play, of like, Okay, what about this? Okay, what about this? What about this? And when you're producing on set, and there's a problem that needs to be solved, nobody cares, like, what the original vision for the thing is, what can we figure out right now? So your ability to look at something, pattern recognition and go, this is happening. This needs to be happening. I have 10 minutes to get from here to here. This is what it is. My brain just sort of naturally did that, where, I think a lot of people, because I started snacter, I wasn't really trained as a writer. I think a lot of people who are trained as writers have a more linear, sort of considered way of thinking, and then when it comes to you're on set and you have two seconds to, like, come up with a new joke or make this moment work, that's something they have to learn how to do. But my brain sort of already worked

Brooke Schnittman:

that way. So that's definitely given you an edge in writing and comedy, for sure, as a strength with your ADHD I appreciate that that pattern recognition that so many of us ADHD ers have, and I would imagine that your parents telling you that, like don't care what other people think you know you sending you those messages when you were younger has helped you be more flexible in your thinking, in not holding on to an idea either. Because, of course, we could have rejection sensitivity when someone's like, oh, I don't like your idea. Let's think of another one, right? Yeah,

Ashley Nicole Black:

and it's not like, not don't care what people think, but like, have your compass of what you know is right, and the people that you trust know is right, and stick to that regardless of what else is going on. And I think in the writing world, it's like you do have to move very quickly and make changes very quickly, but you also have to hold on to what is important about the thing, whether it's the thematic thing, the lesson of the piece, or the through line of the piece. And so sometimes what can happen is you get notes from a lot of different areas, and you are moving fast, and you take them all, then you get to the end and you're like, oh, I have nothing. There are, like, so many different pieces that came in and out that we didn't realize when we got to the end of the puzzle. We just have pieces now. So it is that combination of being able to change, being able to move quickly, not being precious, but also knowing what you can't give on, because if we give on this, we don't have a story and right? I don't know what this is, but there's a really common thing is that some people. Or sometimes people who aren't writers, be they, you know, producers, exactly any other job they have, like, this remarkable ability to point at the one thing that the scene needs and be like, Why is that there? It's because they're just looking at the scene. And so it is, like, your responsibility to know like, oh yeah, we can get rid of everything except this and hold on to those things, right?

Brooke Schnittman:

Because that's the core of the storyline to your point, right? If you don't have that, there is no story, and then we start all over and the Vision's gone. That's amazing that you can see all those and keep those pieces together, because with working memory, also trying to figure out all the pieces and hold it into your brain that that's something that's usually really challenging for someone with ADHD.

Ashley Nicole Black:

It is I feel like I have to do more work because of that. So when I'm on set, which is when a lot of times a lot of changes are happening, I get up every morning and read through the whole script again and read through all of the work that we're doing that day and take notes. So I've already determined for myself what might need fixing, what can't go, what I know is important to my boss that we absolutely have to get I have to remind myself of that every morning, whereas I'm sure a lot of people will just remember those things. It's also people go, it's your script. You wrote it. I'm like I wrote it a week ago. I don't know

Brooke Schnittman:

her, please. It's out of my head and onto paper. I do remember my brain,

Ashley Nicole Black:

yes, which, in some sense is helpful, because all of my brain is available for the task at hand, but also hurtful, because you need, sometimes you're like, working on scene 33 in a script, and someone comes up to you and is like, Hey, this is the prop for scene five. And you, you know, need to be able to put your mind in another place and be like, Does this make sense for another episode, for a whole other show that you're gonna do, you know, six months from now or whatever, so I have to build in a lot more time, I think, for review, to make that work.

Brooke Schnittman:

Okay, yeah. So that kind of answers the question of the flip side, the toughest part of navigating ADHD in a timeline based industry.

Ashley Nicole Black:

Yeah, it's that. And now being older, I got diagnosed when I was older, because when I was younger, you know, my brain is very hyperactive, and so I would, you know, classic, wait till the last minute, the night before, write a 20 page paper, get a B plus minimum on it, and I could stay up all night and write that paper, and then go the next morning and go a whole day. And that was fine. And that worked for 38 years. And then I just got to an age where my body could not burn, like the doctor called it, trying to run a Ferrari with no gas in the tank, like. So the

Brooke Schnittman:

reason I wear Hallowell, yeah, he talks about that a lot.

Ashley Nicole Black:

The reason I went to get diagnosed is because I started having these periods of, like, extreme fatigue, which I had never experienced that side of it before, when my body was younger. And so I think the biggest challenge is actually, like working with the amount of energy that I have an understanding, because I would try to push through, because I'm, like, an ambitious person. I'm like, Well, I'm tired, but this scene needs to get written, so I'm going to push through. And just coming to the understanding that, like, that's not a thing that's push through is not going to happen. Your only option is to rest the sprain and start over later and build your life around the fact that you know you only have so many hours in a day of work out of that brain before it needs rest, and working with that instead of what always worked for me, which was just work really fast and be lucky that my really fast work is pretty good.

Brooke Schnittman:

But what was the turning point for you in that piece. So the doctor said it's like a Ferrari engine with bicycle brakes, or, you know, whatever analogy he made. And you've been in the industry for a while now. So as a child, you mentioned you could, you know, your superpower was to just push through the night before or get a B plus minimum. As an adult maybe you can do it sometimes we can't do it all the time. Was there a moment in time where you were like, Oh, this is actually working against me in my adult life?

Ashley Nicole Black:

Well, I think it was pre diagnosis, which is why I went looking for help, because it was just like, I'm trying to push through and I can't I'm too tired and I can't get anything done. And because I was always trying to push through. I was never stopping and resting, so I was just tired all the time. And I was like, I know this is not normal, like, and I'm telling doctors. I'm like, No, it's not like I stayed up too late or I worked out really hard. It's a different I know what, I stayed up too late, and so I'm a little. Tired, I'm hungover, whatever the next day feels like I know what? Oh, I walked 10 miles today and I'm tired. Feels like this is a different thing that has no relationship to me. Getting eight hours of sleep. Something is wrong. I think also part of it is being plus size. Because you go to a doctor and you're like, I'm tired all the time. You're like, of course, you're fat. And I'm like, No, I've been fat my whole life. I was fat before and I wasn't tired. So, yeah, I think I hit that wall, which led me to the diagnosis instead of the other way around.

Brooke Schnittman:

Wow, sounds like you've come through a lot of adversity and self advocacy and trying to figure out your own brain. You know, knowing now that you have ADHD the week or two before your period, the symptoms get way worse. So navigating that energy, navigating the all or nothing, thinking, trying to break things down into manageable chunks so you can thrive with your creative energy, but the fact that you, who are who's in a public spotlight was on social media, right? And that's how the public pretty much told you that you had ADHD. And I think this paradox is so beautiful, like ADHD, ers generally become more entrenched into social media because it's a dopamine seeking activity, right?

Ashley Nicole Black:

Thank you. People always like, Why does everyone on social media have ADHD? I'm like, no everyone with ADHD has time on their hands to be on social

Brooke Schnittman:

media. Social media, they're seeking the dopamine, right? And that's why, in 2020, so many people realized that they had ADHD, because they were discovering that in themselves, and then they got the diagnosis. So I'm glad that it worked for you in this sense, and then led to this diagnosis and an understanding and making sense of it, because it's really sad, right, that there are some doctors out there that will tell you it's you or you're too smart, or you know, you're overweight, or it's your anxiety or depression.

Ashley Nicole Black:

I was also misdiagnosed with anxiety, which that doctor had great intentions, and I understand how she got there, because I was like, I spend hours, which is true, looking at my schedule, trying to schedule out every single minute, writing every single thing down, and she's like, Oh, that's anxiety. And that was like, in my 20s. And in retrospect, it's like, at some point my brain figured out I feel so punished for letting something fall through the cracks or for free. This is when I was in grad school. So you go from college to grad school, all of a sudden the workload is much more it's much more serious. And the program I was in was very loving to sort of, like, break people down. And, you know, this is a rigorous program and whatever. So I started, like, really obsessing over the schedule, which she diagnosed as anxiety, which makes sense, but it's the ADHD thing of being like, my brain does not retain information. I have to write every single thing down in order for it to continue to exist. Her thing was like, Oh, this is anxiety. Like, just let the planner go. And that was never going to work for me, right? Like, you'll be less anxious if you focus less on it. It's like, No, you won't

Brooke Schnittman:

I need to manage my time with structure, or else I will have more anxiety. So your anxiety was a symptom of your ADHD,

Ashley Nicole Black:

yeah, all of those things. I think also it's funny. I think this happens a lot. When I said I have ADHD, my mom was like, I was talking to my doctor about that, and I was like, you do. So because of that, my mom literally raised us to be like when you get home, the keys go in this spot, and that's the only spot they go in, write everything down. Have the calendar on the wall where everything is written down. So I was raised by an ADHD coach like whatever a coach would tell you to do. We were raised doing that because my mom had already figured out how to make it work for herself. And so by the time I was diagnosed, I was like, Oh, I'm already doing all the things that you're told to do, to, like, manage this.

Brooke Schnittman:

Wow. So you had the launch pad, you had the calendar, you had the schedule. And the anxiety really came from people not understanding how your brain worked, it sounds

Ashley Nicole Black:

but also people not understanding how my brain worked was why I got laughs, right? So that was why I was successful. So it's like a it's a very double edged thing,

Brooke Schnittman:

yeah, yeah. So do you feel at this point neurodiversity is represented enough in TV and film,

Ashley Nicole Black:

it's being represented more, but I don't think always accurately, which is interesting, because at least with comedy, a lot of comedy writers have ADHD. So it's interesting that it's not translating to how characters are represented. But. I see a lot of because I'm an auditioning actor, right? So I see a lot of characters who are described as neurodiverse, and so they're monotone and very serious and they don't understand when someone's making a joke or whatever. And that is someone's experience, but it's not mine, and I have literally, like, auditioned or played characters where it's like, no, no, no. Do it like this? And it's like, I actually am a neurodivergent black woman. I'm showing you what it looks like like. So I think it would be cool to see more varieties of representation of a lot of different kinds of neuro divergence, and not just the one kind that because, also because I specifically work in comedy That's not funny. You know what I mean. So if we're on a comedy show and a character is supposed to be representative of me, I want that character to be funny exactly, and we sort of haven't. I think people are trying to be sensitive in their representation. So we haven't really gotten to a lot of funny ones yet,

Brooke Schnittman:

yeah, you know, when you said the serious monotone, you know, doesn't understand social nuances. You know, that was a big uproar in the ASD community, as far as, like, love on the spectrum, right? At first, they felt like they were only representing people who were severely impacted by ASD and didn't actually show the spectrum. So you are a neurodivergent actor and screenwriter, and I love the fact that you want to be able to show your lens in the neurodiverse space. That's awesome.

Ashley Nicole Black:

I also think like people were hearing my jokes and saying, that's ADHD, because it was obvious that I was thinking differently. I remember when I first started doing comedy, my parents being like, that's really interesting, because you're not funny, because all I was doing was saying my honest take on how things were going, and was surprised to find out that people laughed at it, so I developed that. So I do think there is inherent comedy. Surprise makes people laugh, right? So there's inherent comedy to having a brain that works differently, and for some reason it gets represented more in the drama space than in the comedy

Brooke Schnittman:

space. Interesting. Do you have any idea why.

Ashley Nicole Black:

I think because anything that's different. I mean, it's true with representations of blackness also. It's like, oh, black people must be sad all the time. That must be their constant state. And it's like, well, if we are, it's not our fault. But we're not, you know? So I think maybe people are thinking, and this is me speculating, I don't know, but maybe people are thinking like, Oh, if my brain works differently, I'd be sad. Or that must be sad for or a lot of things are, I think, focused on the parents. Like that would make your parents sad, but the person who this is their normal and this is just how their brain works. They might be hilarious. They might love that their brain works that way. It might be enjoyable to be smarter than everybody else. Like, you know, there are a lot of other sides of it that I think just don't get shown as,

Brooke Schnittman:

yeah. So we have neurodiverse people in comedy, but doing drama to represent neurodiverse people. So we need to bring it to comedy, people comedy. And with that being said, Do you feel like you've ever felt the pressure to mask or overcompensate in the professional spaces?

Ashley Nicole Black:

That's hard for me to know, because I was undiagnosed for so long, so I was masking the whole time. So that's something I'm still trying to figure out. What is masking and what isn't I'm still figuring that out, I will say, because I work in creative spaces, if I need to get up and move around, I mean writing in a writer's room is you're literally sitting in an eight to 10 hour meeting all day. You're sitting in one

Brooke Schnittman:

bright room. No one's meant to focus that

Ashley Nicole Black:

long? Yes, there is writing and pictures covering the entire walls on all four sides of you, and the funniest, most interesting people you've ever met are talking all day, and some poor soul has to write it all down, which is an even worse position to be in. So it's a lot, but because it's a creative environment, no one's like, what are you doing if you need to get up or move around? Or we actually keep balance boards in the office, and we'll balance sometimes. And so that is really lucky. Of I don't know how well I would work well. I do know because I tried, I don't work very well in a office that has, like, a lot of arbitrary rules, like, that's not my jam.

Brooke Schnittman:

Seems like it welcomes the creative process in that room with balance boards and drawings and just like joking around to get to the storyline.

Ashley Nicole Black:

In retrospect, it makes sense why I'm good at it. You know? You just go like, Oh, wow, I. Um, amazing. I just must be a superhero of comedy. But what it is is a job where there is novelty and urgency, literally all day. And so it keeps you engaged. That is, yeah, it keeps you engaged all day. And then you go home and just like, stare at the wall for an hour because your brain has been going at 100 you know, the entire day. Wow.

Brooke Schnittman:

So then, because you're going 100 a day, how do you navigate that at home? So you said you stare at a wall for an hour. But there must be a lot of ups and downs in your personal life.

Ashley Nicole Black:

It's hard. This past year has been me putting the focus on, like, trying to maintain some energy for other things. And I think what that looks like for me is that I do need one weekend day to just rest. And I learned that, like, like, I always say, like, an Ashley in motion stays in motion. So instead of, like, trying to go out on the weekends, which means, like, motivating myself to start up and leave the house. I'm already started up on a weekday, so I kind of moved a lot of my socializing to the weekday evenings after work, when I'm already in that mode, so that I can have the weekends to do more rest. That's

Brooke Schnittman:

really smart. So you're not giving up on your personal time, but you just shifted it to the

Ashley Nicole Black:

weekday. Love it, yeah? To the time when I'm it's easier for me to do it.

Brooke Schnittman:

Yeah, yeah. Do you have you mentioned the boardroom? But do you have a funny or memorable ADHD moment from working on a show that you can think of?

Ashley Nicole Black:

I mean, it's it's all day, it's all the time, because you know that thing of when you're a kid and you do math and you come up with the right answer, but you have to show your work. And I could never show my work. I just knew the answer, because my brain moved faster than my conscious ability to figure out what all the steps were. That is what my job is. Now. It's like looking at something and being like it needs this. And no one's necessarily asking you to explain why, although occasionally, I remember one time and I was in the black lady sketch show room. You know, sometimes like the script is up where everyone can see it, and someone's typing. So I was typing, and they're so they're watching me write, so they're watching my process. And I wrote the punch line first, and then went back to write the setup, because I had thought of the joke. I don't want to forget the joke in the time it takes me to type the setup, but then being like, did you just write the punch line first? And being like, oh, other people don't do that, because a lot of like moments like that, right?

Brooke Schnittman:

And that correlates to your school environment, right? Like, you were able to get to the answer but not explain your process. Were you able to work really fast and then, like, expect people to kind of just catch up with you so you know the punchline, and then you don't want the process to slow it down, so you're working backwards. I love that.

Ashley Nicole Black:

And then it's about finding those spaces where, when they saw me do that, they're like, oh my god, that's so funny. That's so cool. And so when you grow up with people being like, That's annoying. You're wrong. You're not smart. Why are you doing it that way? When you find spaces where someone goes, Oh, that cork is so cool. How did you do that? I wish I could do that. That's the space where you land and stay.

Brooke Schnittman:

I love that. So we've spoken a lot about your ADHD in Hollywood, and then your ADHD and being black in school. Can you tell me a little bit? And I know you've thrown it in there through your comments. But have you experienced any unique challenges or like strengths in being black and having ADHD in Hollywood,

Ashley Nicole Black:

mostly in my except for time and energy management, being ADHD hasn't been an obstacle for me in Hollywood, because it is a creative there's a lot more openness to whatever you need to do to get the job done. So no one's like, show me your work. Show me how you got to that joke. If the joke works, it's very nice to be around people who want to make money, because I don't care how you got there, if it's funny and it's gonna make me money, great. Do what you need to do. You need to stand on a balance board at work. Great. Go for it.

Brooke Schnittman:

So you need to write that on a t shirt. If it's funny and it's gonna make me money, great. Yeah,

Ashley Nicole Black:

those are the best people to work. I love working with people who like money, because I'm like, I can do that. Leave me alone. Let me do my thing, and I it'll be lucrative for you. Um, so that hasn't been as much of an obstacle, other than it's just a very busy job with a lot of long hours, and that takes navigating, especially on set. You can be on set, you know, easily, for 1214, hours, and you just have to figure out how to navigate, marshaling your energy over the entire course of that day. Being black obviously has presented a lot of obstacles. And again, it's like but if what you want is to make a good product, let me do my thing. Like, if I'm telling you, women don't really act that way. Black people don't really think that. Or talk that way, listen, because I'm trying to grow your audience. That's all I'm trying to do. Right? If it's more authentic, if it feels more real, people want to watch it more. And I literally see the comments on like online where people are like, I can tell a black person was in the writers room for this, and it makes them happy, and it's why they're going to continue watching, because they're used to either poor representation or representation that ignores their blackness or representation that puts the blackness so front and center that it feels othering in a way. An example I use a lot is in TED lasso, we have a scene where Isaac cuts Sam's hair. And that was based on both my brothers are athletes, and growing up, they were always getting their hair cut by a friend or someone else on the team. And I'm thinking, you know, these guys are in the UK. They're traveling. Everywhere you travel, there's not going to be a black barber that you can go to, and most places there won't be, by the way, speaking about obstacles in Hollywood, that is a major one for black actresses, the amount of times that you show up on a set and there's no one there who can do your hair and makeup or dress a plus size body. And it's like I auditioned. You saw pictures of me. You knew what face and hair and body were showing up. And yet, I've literally had someone say to me, did you bring your makeup? And I said, Did you bring jokes? Because apparently, exactly like your job is to bring the makeup, my job is to be funny. So that's an obstacle. So I said, you know, my brothers are always getting their hair cut by friends or guys on the team, and that's probably what these guys would be doing unless, I mean, they're professional athletes, maybe they have a barber traveling with them, but, you know, they don't need to, because Isaac's a great Barber. Anyway, when that scene aired, and this was back when Twitter existed, it was so interesting to see some people being like, I love that scene. I thought it was so cute and so funny, but it's really unrealistic that Isaac would be a world class athlete and also be a good Barber, and then seeing people answer in the comments, no, this is a thing. I did this when I played d1 ball. My son does this. My brother does this. This is a thing for us. We don't always have access to people who can do our hair, and so people learned from that. They learned from each other. It's creating community, right? And for those people who are like, No, I did this when I played d1 ball. They are seeing themselves being represented in such an authentic and specific way on their favorite show. Like, as a black person, you don't turn on TED lasso thinking you're gonna see your specific experience reflected. You're like, the show is funny and sweet and fun. That's why I'm watching it. And you see that, and you're like, I'm a fan for life now. So when I have worked with people who understand that, they're like, yes, thank you for telling me that. Let's get this more specific, more authentic, more real, and it only is to their benefit that they're willing to do that, and when I've worked with people who aren't interested in that, then I haven't continued working with them, and that sort of is the deal.

Brooke Schnittman:

It's amazing that you're creating awareness for people who don't always get represented, and also for people who don't understand, right? So you don't know what you don't know. So bringing that out there is creating more awareness in the diverse community, right? And then with ADHD specific the neurodivergent community. But I love that you are self aware enough to know your boundaries as well. So you stand for a community, right? And you want to make sure that you get represented and represented correctly. So good for you. And

Ashley Nicole Black:

I found, and I think this is in part because I started out in theater. I started out in stage. You're literally in the room with the people that you're performing for and writing for. And I have found that people want to find out those things, like those people who are like, Oh, why does, why is Isaac good at cutting hair? And someone explained to them are like, that's so cool. They're happy to know that. And there's this misconception, I think, with the powers that be, like, a lot of times they'll be like, Oh, we aren't making more black content because the audience doesn't want it. The audience doesn't show up. Statistically. That is incorrect. Every study will tell you that the more diverse movie or television is both in front of and behind the camera, the more money it makes. But there's this misconception that, like, oh, other people aren't going to want to watch your specific authentic thing. But my experience in person, live on stage, and also in film and television, is that people love those things. They let me people love black lady sketch show, the number of white men who walk up to me on the street and go, I am Trinity. That's me. And that's a very specific not only black female, but black female and plus size character that's so specific to my life, but everyone feels unseen at times. Times, and so the actual audience, I think, only wants to see those authentic things, and they feel universal because they're so specific. And when they have a question about something and they Google it, or they tweet and someone answers them, that's a joyful experience. I've never seen the opposite. But there's this assumption from like the studios and networks that people don't want to see other cultures. And by the way, we know that's not true, because for the majority of Hollywood's history, most movies and TV shows have starred white men, and everyone has watched them. We're so we all chose to learn about white men's experience. So humans are capable of that, so they would be equally as capable of learning about a Chinese woman's experience,

Brooke Schnittman:

absolutely, doing it absolutely, especially with such diversity in America now. I mean, come on. Well, kudos for that. It's crazy the stories that people tell themselves in this day and age. But I'll digress. The biggest thing I hear, and I always wonder, asking actors who have ADHD is, how do you remember your lines?

Ashley Nicole Black:

I'm weirdly good at it, so that hasn't been a challenge for me. Knock on wood. I'm only getting older so far. That's been very easy for me, and I think it's because lines come with emotional content. So I'm not good at remembering like a phone number or people's names, but a line comes with an objective, like something I'm trying to get done. I'm saying this to elicit a reaction in you, because I feel a way, and once I figure out what those things are in doing my homework, that makes the line very easy to remember. So if a character says something to me and that elicits the feeling of anger in me, then I just know that these words go along with that feeling. And so I have not found learning lines to be a challenge, but I will say they erase immediately. By the time we are finished filming that scene, I don't know her. I've never seen that scene in my life. People will be like yesterday when we did that scene, where did you put the cup? I'm a different person. Now you're gonna have to check the footage. I couldn't tell you.

Brooke Schnittman:

Oh, god, that's amazing. That's like your script too. I don't know her anymore. That's out of my mind and out there in the universe.

Ashley Nicole Black:

Yeah, she's a different person now,

Brooke Schnittman:

yeah, how else do you see creativity show up for you with your ADHD?

Ashley Nicole Black:

You know, it's interesting, because I obviously am a creative person. That's what I do for a living, but I always think of it to me as just like getting the job done. So even the way I do housework or anything, I'm just like, what's the quickest way from A to B? And someone might say, like, Oh, that was a creative way to solve that problem, but to me, it's just how my brain works. So I don't really think of it that way. I think when I was younger, I thought of myself as lazy. So I'd be like, what's the laziest way to get this done? What's the most efficient way to get this done? But in reality, that's creative. It's like going, Oh, I'm not going to do it the standard way that everybody does it. I'm going to do it the way that works for me, that feels like I can get it done easily and move on to something I care more about, or whatever. So I think, yeah, I guess those things would be framed as lazy to me previously, but they are creative, if that makes sense.

Brooke Schnittman:

Love that. Love that. And what's one thing you want to really leave this audience with? We have adult listeners who are here to help themselves through the lens of other ADHD ers who end their journey. We have parents who are here to listen for their children who are going through their ADHD journey.

Ashley Nicole Black:

There is some grief to not having been diagnosed earlier because you're like, oh, all those times that I felt so weird, I could have not felt that way. But the great thing about not being diagnosed earlier is that, and also, because of the parents that I had, I was able to focus on the superpowers. You're so smart, you think so fast you are it's so easy for you to get this done or that done, and because there wasn't a stigma of a diagnosis on top of those behaviors, right? So maybe for some people who were diagnosed earlier, they're like, ADHD makes everything so hard for me, my dumb ass thought things were this hard for everyone. Like, I literally was like, why are people acting like it's not hard to go to the grocery store. Going to the grocery store is the hardest thing anyone's ever done. And

Brooke Schnittman:

everyone so much executive function, yeah. And I'm

Ashley Nicole Black:

like, everyone's just walking around like, this is normal, right? So I just thought everybody was pretending. And so I would say, try to find and focus on those positives, because they are. There. And if you didn't know you had ADHD, would you think of yourself as the most brilliant person in the world, which I was allowed to grow up thinking, thanks to my crazy parents. So I would definitely say that. And I think also stop fighting yourself to try to be typical, and just do what works for your brain. And if you have kids, you can empower them to do that early and go, okay, yes, sure. For other kids, maybe it works to sit down and do this long process of math or whatever. If that doesn't work for you and you're still getting to the right answer, tell your teacher to f off. You know what I mean? Like, maybe don't tell that to your child so they get to go to recess, unlike me, but you

Brooke Schnittman:

can think about it in your minds, not say it out loud,

Ashley Nicole Black:

but I think like there's such an this was one of the superpowers of being black too, is that my parents were naturally anti conformist, because they were not interested in assimilation in a way that many diverse people are not and so I didn't necessarily know that those things were ADHD, but I was not being encouraged to like, no, just figure out how to conform and do what the teacher is telling you to do. No, if you're getting the right answer, I don't care how you got there. So I think like empowering yourself and or your children to be like, if there's a way that works for you, that's not the normal way, and you're still getting the work done. It's not excusing you from doing the thing. But if you can get it done in a way that works for you, I don't care how you got there, and anyone who does care is wrong, right?

Brooke Schnittman:

Just get to the goal. But your process doesn't matter to me.

Ashley Nicole Black:

Yes, you know another thing of like, something people with ADHD should do, get yourself or your kid, if it's your kid, especially if it's your kid, into an improv class. Because I think one of the things of being neurodivergent is you learn, oh, the things that naturally come from my brain, out of my mouth, seem to bother people in some way, and I don't know why, and that feels like there's something wrong with me. So you start putting this long process of thought between your thoughts and your words, right? And so what improv teaches you is just to get out of that, and you get such immediate reward, because when you say that crazy thing that you're like, I know I'm not supposed to say this. This is taboo. This is whatever, when you let it come out of your mouth, you get laughter, and that's the goal, right? So you get rewarded every single time you step out of that mode of masking or questioning yourself, and it just makes it easier for you to purposely take yourself out of that mode. So obviously, in a business meeting, I behave differently than I do when I'm making comedy. There's some masking there, right? But knowing how to just, like, step in and out of that mode, to me, really comes from having done years and years of improv and getting rewarded for pushing past that social anxiety to say the authentic thing. And so, like, I have a teacher who says, like improv should be like yoga like we're not all going to become like great yoga practitioners, but we do it just a stretch. And I think that improv can be that thing. So if you're having a hard time with that social aspect, I think taking a couple of improv classes can, like, really help with that. And it seems scary, but honestly, like, nothing gets you better at something faster than doing it in front of an audience with no net, you're gonna get good fast.

Brooke Schnittman:

Wow, that seems scary to me, but yes, I think that's an amazing analogy to yoga and reducing the shame of saying the things that you're like, Oh, crap. Did I say that out loud? And I am getting these reactions, but like exposing yourself to saying it so many times that people are actually laughing at you and like

Ashley Nicole Black:

and in a safe space, like, maybe you shouldn't have said that thing at church or in a business meeting. But when you're on stage and you know, you're within the scene and doing the actions of the scene, because sometimes people get to improv and they're like, Oh, so this means I can say the N word whenever I want. I was like, That's not what's happening here, because this is a scene between two people in a grocery store. So would you have said that? No, but in the safe space of the scene, of on stage, of working with a scene partner, emphasis on the partner. If you can train your brain to get out of that overthinking mode, then you can recreate the ability to do that in another safe space.

Brooke Schnittman:

I love that. And obviously I want to know, and I'm sure the listeners want to know when in or the next season's coming out Ted lasso drinking. Are there more seasons?

Ashley Nicole Black:

Say anything? Yeah, I'm not working on TED lasso currently. They are currently shooting the season, I believe has been announced. I can say that shrinking. We recently finished shooting the season, so it's currently being edited. So both are on their way back to you at some point.

Brooke Schnittman:

Amazing, amazing. Thank you so much. Being here today for those people who love your work, where can they find you?

Ashley Nicole Black:

I mean, I'm on Instagram, Ash, NB, one and, yeah, you'll see my work on shrinking this upcoming season, and if you follow me on Instagram, I'll keep you posted on whatever else is coming

Brooke Schnittman:

up amazing. Thanks again, Ashley, your work is really inspiring to all of us and your story, I appreciate you sharing that with us. Thanks. Thanks for having me this one. Thanks for listening to this episode of successful with ADHD. I hope it helps you on your journey, and if you need any additional support for you or a loved one with ADHD, feel free to reach out to us at coaching with brooke.com, and all social media platforms at coaching with Brooke, and remember, it's Brooke with an E. Thanks again for listening. See you next time you.

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