May 31
Join Tracy as she welcomes Francesca Rizzo to Episode 118 of ADHD for Smart Ass Women to share her tips on downsizing and setting up an organized home for ADHD living. Francesca Rizzo is a multi-media artist expressing powerful, provocative ideas in funny, human ways. Her work is prolific. The multiple medias she has distinguished herself in range from the fine arts and interior design to her work as an award-winning actor, writer, producer and director in theater, film, television and digital media.
As a college dropout, Francesca left NJ and struck out on her own at 19, mining her creative talents for skills she could use to pay the rent in New York City. Along the way she carved out a career as a children’s book illustrator, professional actor, co-founder of a downtown theater company and eventually, as a filmmaker and CEO of MovieBaby Productions, a Tribeca-based media company creating innovative videos, independent films and tv promotional campaigns. Does that sound ADHD or what?
When she lost Moviebaby and her Manhattan apartment after 9/11, she landed back in Jersey and went back to the basics, earning her degree in Media Arts as well as the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence. While making her mark in the fine arts and interior design, she penned and performed three theatrical productions, curated The Cinema-Femina film series and, created Believe Women, a rape activist initiative that championed the Cosby survivors along their journey to justice.
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"You have to keep saying that you're not wrong. You're just need to find the system that's going to work for you and your brain. And it may not even be one system, like you may come up with one and it works for a while and then it stops working. But you're not wrong."
- Francesca Rizzo
"I can really relate to the word do I love it? Do I absolutely love this thing. And so that's what I had to start looking at, it was a combination, because I was moving to such a small space, I had to be love and funks it had to be form and function, and heart, you know, all at the same time."
- Francesca Rizzo
"There's like a difference in what is the kinds of stuff that you are looking at. It's like she you know, Kumar is like you must spark joy. But then there's not really other levels. Either spark joy or doesn't. I here's my list. I came up with five. So I love it. Right, that's got it. That's the top so it means I love just looking at this. It makes me smile. It's so efficient. It's excellent design makes my life so easy. And I'm buying backups of this thing. That's how much I love it."
- Francesca Rizzo
- Francesca describes moving from New Jersey to New York City as a treat, as there are 9 million things to look at and she enjoys going outside to walk around
- Francesca downsized her bed to a smaller size and used the extra space to create a cozy reading nook.
- Francesca prioritized mobility and versatility in her furniture choices, such as a click-couch that can become a bed and media cabinets on wheels.
[28:34 - 41:57] Decluttering and Organizing
- Francesca donated or gave away most of her belongings, including art supplies, to a homeless shelter and to her cousin, an artist, keeping only items that held sentimental value.
- Francesca discusses her approach to downsizing her wardrobe, prioritizing items that are functional, formable, and heart-warming.
- Francesca shares tips for organizing a cluttered space, including imagining it as empty and decorating it with items you love.
- Francesca discusses her experience downsizing and decluttering her home, sharing insights on how to approach the task effectively.
- Francesca discussed her experience moving to New York City, including her use of visualization techniques to manifest her desired apartment.
- Francesca believes creating systems that work for her ADHD brain has been key to living successfully with the condition.
