May be able to get 3 to 6 feet using flex bit drills/ extensions. I do not like them because you have no idea what you are drilling into (plumbing/ other wires) Old wood also burns the bits up quickly ($35-$60 each) and your arm feels like it is going to fall off by the time your through the 3rd or 4th joist. Other than that you can make small holes to drill each joist and hot patch the drywall back. Or cut a channel out across the ceiling and drill each one, then replace the drywall. Of course running wire the way of the joist will not be a problem (such as adding cans in a row lined up with an existing fixture or bordering a wall where the switch is near by.

Spencer nailed it. If you're willing to cut into the drywall, it's no big thing. Doing it with minimal amount of holes made into the drywall is sort of an art.

What I did...

I was able to take a strip of drywall down on one end of the room to cross the joints. This was then covered by crown molding which I was going to install anyway. I still patched the drywall as a fire stop but I didn't have to make it look nice. I was very proud of myself.....

Know with 100% certainty, that you will have to paint the entire ceiling if you do drywall repair on it. There is something magical about ceiling paint that refuses to match what was already there. Even if the paint is new, it all has to be applied at the same time. Do not even paint half on saturday and paint the other half on sunday....

Also - you will use remodel cans instead of cans for new construction/access to joints. They secure themselves on the drywall rather than the joists.