Creativity is important for everyone. But in my experience, there’s an extra weight to creativity for introverts.
There’s a freedom and joy in this unique form of expression that feels like it hits a little bit differently compared to extroverts. This post is going to examine why that is.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at what creativity is and the value of creativity for introverts.
Let’s define creativity
Before we really dig into this, I wanted to take a second to establish what I mean in this post when I say “creativity.”
In most cases, when people hear “creativity” they think of art. This can include, painting, drawing, making music, singing, making videos, acting, performing, writing, etc.
And while that’s absolutely a big form of creativity, there can be a lot more to it.
Creativity can also be medical, mechanical, or whatever your preferred medium is. This can mean building computers or technology, trying to discover a new cure or treatment, inventing the next wave of communication, etc.
It can also be building model airplanes or doing paint-by-numbers or any other more guided creative task.
So for the purposes of this post, creativity can mean literally anything you are creating.
The value of creativity for introverts
Expression
Creativity at its core is a form of expression. From an artistic standpoint, it allows you to explore ideas, concepts, stories, and experiences that you’re interested in. It also allows you to communicate your thoughts and feeling on a particular subject or situation.
From a more technical standpoint, it allows you to get involved in something you care about by solving a problem or inventing a way to make someone’s life easier or more efficient.
And because introverts have such rich inners worlds, this form of expression can be vital. Creativity allows introverts to spend time alone, living in their inner world. But it also allows them to express a lot of what goes on in that inner world in a very unique and compelling way.
It can make our inner world more accessible and understandable to others. This can then create a meaningful connection, which is something introverts place great value in.
You don’t have to shout or be the center of attention.
For introverts, it can be hard to communicate our thoughts and ideas with the (louder) world. We’re quieter by nature, and most of us don’t really enjoy shouting to be heard or being the center of attention.
Creativity gives us an opportunity to express ourselves and share our ideas without shouting or being too much in the spotlight.
You can make something, put it out in the world, without it having to be all about you. You may have to draw attention to what you’ve made in one form or another, but at end of the day, it’s about the work.
Even if your form of creativity does require you to be in the spotlight a little more than you’re comfortable with, you’re still there for what you’ve created. So, in the end, that’s what’s front and center. This can make those spotlight moments easier to navigate.
You can find your people
In exploring your creative outlet, you’re likely to come across people who think like you and understand you.
Personally, this has been one of the coolest things about creating.
I’m a writer, and while writing has been fulfilling in and of itself, it also led me to a writer’s group. Here, I found a group of introverts who fully get where I’m coming from when I say I don’t want to go out on a Friday night. It’s also turned into a wonderful introvert support group.
And I have several extroverted friends who are writers. Even if these friends don’t fully get the introverted side of me, they get the writer and creative side of me, which has led to deeper, more meaningful connections.
You don’t have to socialize, but you have the option to collaborate
While the social aspect of creating can be pretty powerful, the fact that creating can also be a solo endeavor makes it an activity that’s made for introverts.
It gives you the opportunity to feed that rich inner world, and to spend your alone time in a satisfying and invigorating way.
But if you want, you can also collaborate with someone else! The cool thing about collaboration is that it gives you a focus and bonding experience during the interaction.
It also limits the number of people involved to the people actually working on the project. And when you’ve finished the work, you have a natural endpoint to your day.
You can build an introvert life around it
It goes without saying that introverts require more alone time than extroverts. As a result, it can make working from home (to some degree) a lot more appealing for introverts.
We’re fortunate enough to live in a time when it is easier than ever to share and monetize what you’ve created. You can have a YouTube channel, a patreon, a kickstarter, or even a blog to fund your creation.
This means it’s more possible than ever to work from home on a full-time or part-time basis and be supported by your creativity. It may take some time and effort to get started, but it’s never been easier to find an audience who connects with your work.
As an introvert, this means cutting out or cutting down on commutes, work functions, open offices, overtime, and draining 40 hour work weeks.
Granted, this may not be the direction every introvert wants to go in. Creativity for creativity’s sake is important in its own right.
But creativity gives us the option to make this happen for ourselves.
Looking for more tips on how to manage your introverted life?
If you want more tips and tricks on how to manage your introvert life and build plenty of healthy introvert habits, check out the Introvert Life Guide!
This guide was designed to help you build the introvert life of your dreams. And it’s full of plenty of tips, tricks, and ideas to help you create an introvert life that’s uniquely yours!
It will also help you embrace your introverted nature and build a life to help you thrive!
For more introvert life tips, check out the other introvert posts!
Sound off: How has creativity helped your introvert life? Tell us about it in the comments!