I don't like to put labels on things, and most of all, I don't like to label people. But this weekend something happened, that made me put a label on myself. Yes, I am an introvert, Ive been an introvert all my life, and I’m happy to say, I’m fine with that.
I read this the other day, and I answered..
Are you an introvert?
- I prefer one-on-one conversation to group activities -YES
- I enjoy solitude - YESSSSSSS
- I seem to care less than my peers about wealth, fame and status - Yes
- I dislike small talk, but enjoy in depth conversations about things that matter to me - Yesssss
- People tell me that I'm a good listener - Yes
- I enjoy work that allows me to "dive in" with few interruptions - Yessssssss
- I do my best work on my own- YESSSS YESSSS YESSSS
- I often let calls go through to voicemail - Oh my God, YESSSSS (sorry family and friends)
- I can concentrate easily - It Depends.
The majority of my answers where yes, so that made me think, Im I really an introvert??? Of course, this questions where just a few, a few in a thousand characteristic that I share with an introvert. Been an introvert doesn't mean being antisocial, I like to go to social activities and I have many good friends. But I crave, the “alone” time, at least twice a week, the completely alone, don't talk to me kind of time. I don't like to go to malls, only if a really need something, mostly because I hate waiting in line or finding someone I know. I don't like to “mingle” and do small talk, I like and prefer to work alone, work from home??? now thats heaven. I like to seclude in my own world to think and create, specially to create…Thats one of my major issues with painting, I have to be completely alone to get my creativity flowing. And most of all, I hate crowded spaces in which I have to be the center of attention.
Thats why recently, I walked out of an Art Fair. It was really fast, I arrived to the place, I looked around, I came back to my car full of my works of arts, and I left. The place wasn't even full. I made 1,000 excuses why I didn't stay…. but deep inside, I knew, I knew I could not handle the event, not for now. Its not that I’m Shy, that is a hole other word.
As Susan Cain said:
"Bill Gates is quiet and bookish, but apparently unfazed by others’ opinions of him: he’s an introvert, but not shy.
Barbra Streisand has an outgoing, larger than life personality, but a paralyzing case of stage fright: she’s a shy extrovert.
Shyness and introversion are not the same thing. Shyness is the fear of negative judgment, and introversion is a preference for quiet, minimally stimulating environments. Some psychologists map the two tendencies on vertical and horizontal axes, with the introvert-extrovert spectrum on the horizontal axis, and the anxious-stable spectrum on the vertical. With this model, you end up with four quadrants of personality types: calm extroverts, anxious (or impulsive) extroverts, calm introverts, and anxious introverts.”
I’m a introvert, and as an artist, I need the alone time, and I remembered, I had a lot of trouble with this when I was in school. My son is an introvert, and is painful to watch how the school system treats this kid that doesn't like to talk much, or do group assignments. Its not about creating an antisocial behavior, its about understanding our needs. Because every person was created different, because, yes, one must make a balance, buts still, we prefer certain things over others…we must seclude ourselves, do our thing, and just don't be JUDGE.
Here are a few links for you to read…..
http://www.learning-to-see.co.uk/introverts
This Book:
http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/about-the-book/
And please, watch this video…
Thanks for reading!!!!