A day in the life of the introverted creative

The double-whammy of not being taken seriously

Like it or not, through no fault of our own, we stand out.

It’s hard to believe that by virtue of simply keeping our trap shut, we are unwittingly drawing attention to ourselves with our quiet, inexplicable magnetism.

Who knew?

I’ve worked hard at not being quite so introverted, socially and at work.

It seems like I have to since I have a lot of extroverted, outgoing people around me. They have a way of pulling me in past the point of comfort until all I can do is try to conjure up the perfect escape line.

I could stand to be a tad more social.

But leopards can’t change their spots, so introverted I shall stay.

Then there’s the label of The Creative.

It’s all fine and good in creative industries, but that’s about it. It seems as though no one appreciates the introverted creative in the board room.

This used to bother me because I felt as though they didn’t see me as a decision-maker or strategic resource, but maybe if we need a cool PowerPoint…

As time has gone on, however, I can see the tide changing. I’ve come into my own with all of it, finally, and decided to really embrace this dynamic duo of personality traits.

Maybe dynamic is a little much.

Here’s the slogan I would give us:

The Introverted Creative. Often misunderstood, never spasmodic.

We have a ton to offer and it’s high time we believe it.

If you happen to be one of these dynamos, and even if you’re not, allow me to take you on a little road trip and demonstrate why it’s time for us to stand up and be counted. Rise up!

Figuratively, of course.

We Inspire Others To Take A Second

This is an amazing thing to see in action. When the quieter among us take a moment to cogitate over something, others seem to file suit.

Which is a win, win. Better responses will ensue and you’ll get the benefit of a little peace and quiet.

“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause”. — Mark Twain

We Are Trusted

Let’s face it. When someone is a little more pensive and quiet, it’s easy to be perceived as being trustworthy.

We won’t make a rash decision and we can be counted on to listen to all options. You can depend on us.

“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” — Isaac Newton

We Get It Done

Simply put, because we don’t put a super high value on socialization when we have work to do, we literally have more hours in the day.

Our creativity is our magic carpet and even though we may get distracted, we are laser-focused on the project at hand. Once we get started, the juices get flowing and it’s hard to stop.

We could go for hours.

We’re not looking for a coffee break, hell, we may even skip a meal. Once it’s on, it’s on.

“Creativity is… seeing something that doesn’t exist already. You need to find out how you can bring it into being and that way be a playmate with God.” —Michele Shea

We Really Listen

We have to have all the details. We don’t fill in the holes with our own chatter, we just listen. It’s not a tactic, it's context. We need that.

Our creativity fuels our inquisitive nature, and if we’re asked for our opinion, we can most definitely contribute valuable insight.

People seek us out because they know that they’ll be heard.

“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold, and expands”. — Karl A. Menninger

I’d like to throw some love to my extroverted friends. Whether you’re also a creative or not, there’s a need for you.

Big time.

Otherwise many things may not get past square one. You’re the movers.

But, you also get all of the attention and praise (many times because a team of introverted creatives was behind the scenes making it happen, but I digress).

Good for you. Honestly.

It takes all of us to make the world go around.

Personally, I’ve grown quite comfortable owning being an introverted creative.

It feels right, stable, and dare I say it, downright awesome.