Long before I started the Creative Introvert I had come across the term creative block. It was probably at art college I first had a taste of it.
The solution? Didn’t seem to exist. It wasn’t the kind of question I even considered asking my lecturers about.
Over the years I’ve got to know creative block even more intimately, and whilst I’m sure we’ll be meeting for many years to come, creative block does seem to linger less than it used to, and for the most part keep away.
That’s because I’ve worked damn hard at experimenting with different solutions for how to cure creative block and that’s what I hope to share with you today, in the hope that at least one tip here will come in handy, should you have an encounter with creative block.
Resources mentioned:
The War of Art – Steven Pressfield
The Artist’s Way – Julia Cameron
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This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post How to Cure Creative Block appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today I have arguably the most controversial guest I’ve had on the show (don’t worry it’s no one political!) I say controversial because of his take on introversion. And it’s not just any old take on introversion.
Today’s guest is a lot more qualified than I am or many other professional online introverts are to talk about this stuff: Scott Barry Kaufman is is a psychologist at Columbia University exploring the depths of human potential (see research). He embraces a humanistic, integrative approach to help all kinds of minds live a creative, fulfilling, and meaningful life.
Now I don’t want to give you too many more spoilers for todays show, I just want you to dive in and listen - hopefully with an open mind - and if you’re anything like me you’ll have a LOT to think about after hearing this.
Links mentioned:
Will the Real Introverts Please Stand Up?
Confessions of a Neurotic Extrovert
Can You Change Your Personality?
4 Types of introvert
Podcast with Scott and Susan Cain
Podcast with Scott and Colin deYoung
Susan + Scott’s quiz
Self Actualisation Tests
Connect with Scott:
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Scott Barry Kaufman on What Introversion Really Is… appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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I’ve just completed Stoic Week!
What the heck is Stoic Week you ask? It’s an online event in which people from all over the world attempt to live like a Stoic for seven days. It’s run every year by the Modern Stoic and basically provides a framework for everyone to join in with, for free, for one week.
I have another podcast that dives much deeper into this, over on The Seeker and the Skeptic, check that out if you’re interested in learning more about Stoicism - both the good bits and the not so good bits.
So for those who aren’t totally sure what stoicism is or fancy hearing my garbled explanation, here goes:
Stoicism is a school of philosophy founded in Athens, Greece by Zeno of Citium around 300 BC. Zeno would lecture to his students from a painted porch (stoa polikile) and that’s where the word ’Stoic’ comes from.
The teachings spread far and wide, influencing the likes of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, right up to modern day stoic bros like Tim Ferriss and Ryan Holiday, which is where I first came across the philosophy.
I’ll be revealing the four reasons stoicism is so useful for creative introverts today, in this week’s podcast.
Resources mentioned:
How to be a Stoic by Massimo Pigliucci
A Guide to the Good Life by William B. Irvine
The Tao of Seneca presented by Tim Ferriss
I haven’t vetted all of these, but you can have stoic fun with this list.
Desire/Desirable Action Madlib:
“Desire is: I really want ______ to happen. When ______ happens, then I’ll be happy, then I’ll be able to ______. Deliberate action is: I must do ______. I was put here to accomplish ______. I am willing to endure ______ for the sake of this.”
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This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Stoicism for Creative Introverts appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today’s podcast guest is someone I have a scary amount in common with and is someone I first spoke to over two years ago, and I’m so glad we’ve kept in touch. Victoria Klein or VK is a true multipassionate, multitalented entrepreneur. She’s an excellent writer, and her purpose is to provide insight + support that cultivates your curiosity + confidence to live your unique, memorable life.
We discuss:
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Why the traditional office place doesn’t work for so many creative introverts
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Why creativity needs failure
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How to find your purpose
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How to transition to being a digital nomad
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Why travelling builds confidence
Links mentioned:
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Victoria Klein on Cultivating Curiosity and Becoming a Digital Nomad appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Learn more about the League of Creative Introverts
Today I’d like to talk to you about WFHing - ok, translation: working from home.
This is something I’ve been doing since 2013 and it’s given me an incredible amount of freedom I wouldn’t trade for the world.
I can pick when I work, for the most part, where I work: as long as I have wifi - and how I work. For many introverts, particularly those of the highly sensitive nature, being able to have this freedom over our environment is so, so important.
I’ve told my story plenty of times so I won’t go into it in depth, but just to use the example, being in an open plan office environment, having to clock in and out at certain times, commuting through a city - all of this was just phenomenally draining for me, and I’m sure for many of you.
I’m not sure of the exact stats, but more than 64 million Americans work from home now, at least part time. I think this is a good time for creative introverts and HSPs who are done with the office: employers are waking up to our individual needs and thx to the internet, there are more ways than ever to WFH.
But rather than try to convince you to work from home, I really want to focus on sharing my advice for those of you who already work from home, who are new to it and those who are considering it in the near future.
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post 7 Tips For Working From Home appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today’s podcast guest is a writer, introvert blogger, a self-taught marketer… and a life-long learner. He also claims that his bio changes about as frequently as he eats Nando’s chicken… so I guess this could be different by the time I publish our chat!
Jas is also an INFP, an HSP (which we’ll be discussing in depth on today’s show) and a multi-potentialite.
We discuss:
- What it means to be a highly sensitive introvert
- The most likely Myers Briggs types to be HSPs
- The link between writing and INF types
Links mentioned:
The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron
Connect with Jas on Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn
The difference between empaths and highly sensitive people
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Jas Hothi on Being a Highly Sensitive Introvert appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Learn more about the League of Creative Introverts
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but introverts tend to have a lower tolerance for crappy conversations than our extrovert counterparts.
We despise small talk. I mean, I’m sure extroverts don’t love it either, but there do seem to be extra aversions introverts have around shallow conversation, to the point where some of us just won’t say anything at all.
This has even been done to me. Sometimes I’ll meet someone who is even further along the introvert spectrum than I am, and whilst I might be treating the initial conversation as a kind of game of chess, a formality we have to get through until we can start talking about quantum mechanics or death, they will be too impatient to even do that much. Their eyes glaze over. They clam up.
Which is fine, I get it. No one wants to have a lame chat about the weather, even if you are British.
The way I see it, introverts already have a limited capacity for social interaction, so why waste it on the small stuff?
And, as Dr. Laurie Helgoe points out in Introvert Power, “Introverts do not hate small talk because we dislike people. We hate small talk because we hate the barrier it creates between people.”
That feels very true to me. Small talk keeps things on the surface. The sooner we can get to the deeper depths, the better. That’s where we can really connect, get honest, laugh, cry, all that good stuff.
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post How To Go On A Junk Conversation Diet appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today’s podcast guest a licensed psychotherapist, who has helped hundreds of women, children, parents and teen girls overcome anxiety, be more connected in their relationships, increase self-awareness, and regain trust in their own inner wisdom.
Now, Nicole Burgess helps introverted, high achieving, and/or highly sensitive women be exactly who they are meant to be.
We discuss:
- How to understand our emotions more clearly
- How to untangle thoughts from emotions
- How to tell ourselves better stories
- The value of rituals for making life transitions
Connect with Nicole:
The Self-Care Summit for Women
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Nicole Burgess on Emotions, Fear and Anxiety appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today I want to talk to you about… decision making.
Whether it’s deciding what flavour of ice cream you want to what you want to study at college or uni to deciding whether or not you want to leave your job or partner – decision making is really bloody hard!
Part of my wonders whether introverts in particular struggle with decision making, particularly those who are a ‘P’ or Perceiving type if you are familiar with the MBTI.
Perceiving typed in particular like to keep their options open, allowing for spontaneity and last minute changes of heart. Naturally, decision making is even less fun for these folk.
I’m a J, or a Judging type so I’m less averse to decision making itself. In fact, the sooner I can make a decision the better. BUT that doesn’t make the process any easier. My issue - and I’m sure many of you can relate - is feeling a pre-emptive fear of regret. What if I make the wrong decision? This is where the over thinking, over analysing mind kicks in.
So regardless of whether you’re a go-with-the-flow P type or an overanalysing J type - I think we can all agree that making decisions is a tricksy thing.
Of course, I won’t just leave it at that: decision making is hard. Catch you next week!
No, I have done some work for you to try and find a way we can make the decision making process somewhat less painful, and that’s what I’ll be sharing with you today.
Most of the following is content I’ve adapted from my book, The Creative Introvert, How to Build a Business You Love on your Terms - but as always, I’ll be adding in extra juice you won’t find in the book, and of course the book has lots of stuff you won’t find here.
Get 30 Days of FREE Email Coaching!
Here are some of the links I mentioned:
Fear Setting explained by Tim Ferriss
Jess Lively on writing to your intuition
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Decisions, Decisions, Decisions (+ How to Make ‘Em) appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today’s podcast guest is someone I really admire, because she’s an introvert who has actually made video her friend, and rocks on camera. Amazing, I know.
Tors Grantham started her training in television broadcasting over two decades ago. She’s helped create programmes that run the gamut from home improvement to the Six Nations (Rugby) commercials to behind the scenes of Doctor Who, Torchwood and Merlin.
Now she works with entrepreneurs wanting to position themselves as experts in their niche, helping them create and leverage video for their business that’s engaging, on-brand, and effective.
We discuss:
- Why bother with video, if you’re an introvert
- How to get started with video
- Why production values and equipment are not the most important part
- Common mistakes introverts make on video
- Imposter syndrome, lack of confidence and how to get OVER it!
Links mentioned:
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Tors Grantham on Video for Creative Introverts appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Get 30 Days of FREE Email Coaching!
This is a bit of a controversial one because I talk so much about introversion and shaping your life to your personality and preferences, which I’m still all for. I do believe we can make better decisions based on what we know about ourselves, what we tend to behave like what we prefer, where we shine and so on.
However, I’m also sorely aware of a lot of people out there who are letting introversion hold them back from living a full life. I mean, technology isn’t helping either. If I can get all the social stim I need from a 10 minute back and forth on Whatsapp, and get all my entertainment from Netflix and order literally everything I need on Amazon… then I can really let introversion dominate.
And actually before I dive much deeper in, I’d like to let you know about an offer I’m running as of today: it’s 30 days of FREE email coaching.
Signing up means you’ll get an email from me every day for 30 days, with my personal insights, tried and true tips and BS-free advice.
We’ll get into the challenges creative introverts face, overcoming obstacles, identifying what you really want - and finally living a creative life the way YOU want.
To make the most of our time as email-buddies, remember to hit ‘reply’ when something strikes a chord or you have a question. I’ll always reply 
Get 30 Days of FREE Email Coaching!
Here are some of the links I mentioned:
A version of the Myers-Briggs test I like
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Does Introversion Hold You Back? appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today’s podcast guest is someone who has been on my radar for quite some time in the online social media space - and not just because she used to work for the band Megadeth.
Cara Chace is the CEO of Chace Digital, a Pinterest marketing agency, and the Founder of Pinterest PowerUp, the first Pinterest marketing membership community designed for entrepreneurs.
She loves nothing more than seeing those light bulb moments with her clients and members when they see how Pinterest builds their businesses… except for maybe a good book and another cup of coffee. You can find out more about her at carachace.com.
We discuss:
- How the internet is giving introverts an opportunity to find ‘their people’
- How to build online business buddies (and why)
- What it means to think like a fan (and Cara’s metalhead background!)
- The advantage and disadvantage of scheduling social media in advance
- How to create a Pinterest strategy that works for you
- The importance of repinning other people’s pins
- Why so many creatives get burned out with social media (and how to avoid that)
Links mentioned:
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Cara Chace on Pinterest for Creative Introverts appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Get your FREE Progress Tracker!
At the time of recording this episode, it’s the end of the summer in the Northern Hemisphere and I’m feeling the urge to take stock of the last few months and review the progress I’ve made and basically prepare myself for moving forward into my second favourite season of the year, Autumn (or Fall, if you’re that way inclined.)
For the record: my favourite season is Spring.
OK so it’s kind of like there are harvest vibes in the air. And I really like the idea of aligning how I approach my business and creative pursuits and life in general with a seasonal approach. Energetically, it just makes sense. And even from a practical perspective it could make sense to have this seasonal approach: I’m not a mum but I know that a lot of kids go back to school in September, starting a new year. I think part of me still gets the shits every September with that anxiety that comes with starting a new year at school, even though it’s been a decade since I’ve been in formal education.
So rather than trying to ignore whatever anxiety or anticipation we might feel at this time of year, why not work with it? Turn that nervous energy into something we can productively use in our creative businesses?
This brings me to what my recommendation is on todays podcast: reviewing your progress.
And before I dive in, I just want to acknowledge much of todays episode comes from a chapter in my book, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms, though I’ve added quite a bit of extra juice here.
Oh and I’ve made a little free pdf guide that will help you m=put everything I chat about today into actual ACTION! It’s a Progress Tracker and it’s basically going to walk you through the suggestions I make today, help you crack through your own progress review and make plans for the rest of the year. You can use it any time actually, not just at harvest time - unless you’re an actual farmer and intend on using it for those purposes.
Get your FREE Progress Tracker!
Here are some of the links I mentioned:
How to Bridge the Gap Between You and Your Goals
Goal Getting For Creative Introverts (Part 1)
Goal Getting For Creative Introverts (Part 2)
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post How to Review Your Progress (+ Actually Make Progress!) appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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I’ve gotten to the point where I’m a bit burned out on reading books about creativity, how to be more creative - there are lots of them, and not many of them are worth dipping into other than to procrastinate on doing actual creative work.
But when I heard about today’s guest, Marc Silber’s book, Create: Tools From Seriously Talented People to Unleash Your Creative Life… I knew I had to have him on the show. We discuss Marc’s incredibly practical and inspiring book about what it is to be a creative, and what it takes. He even has an interview with Nancy Cartwright, whose voice you are likely very familiar with…
Links mentioned:
Create: Tools From Seriously Talented People to Unleash Your Creative Life
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Marc Silber on Living a Creative Life appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Join the Free 6-Week Marketing Challenge!
If you’re someone who has told yourself you’re not wired for marketing, not made for talking to the masses about what you do and think of yourself as a walking disaster when it comes to selling… you’re not alone.
I’ll be the first to admit, as a hardcore introvert: many of the tactics and skills preached by typical marketing and sales ‘gurus’ rub me up the wrong way. I know how difficult it is to blow our own trumpet, and I’m certainly not recommending you do something that makes you feel slimy and inauthentic.
My chat last on last week’s episode with Sarah Santacroce about marketing that feels good vs marketing that feels shitty has inspired today’s podcast - I want to basically outline what I’ve seen in my time in the creative introvert community when it comes to our very common anxieties around marketing.
I’ve also created a 6-week marketing challenge for all those brave enough to attempt it. It’s not a prescription, it won’t tell you what kind of hashtags to use: it’s more a guide to show you ways to get to the answers you might have about marketing. How do you know who your ideal customer is? How do you know what your best marketing platform is? This guide outlines how you can run experiments to actually get to the bottom of these important questions, so your marketing can be way more fun and way more effective.
Add your email below to join the challenge!
Join the Free 6-Week Marketing Challenge!
Here are the scheduling tools I mentioned:
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post How to Manage Anxiety About Marketing appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today’s podcast guest is a return guest, someone who I always love chatting to and catching up with, Sarah Santacroce.
On today’s episode, we’re discussing:
- What’s wrong with the current marketing paradigm
- Why introverts struggle so much with marketing
- How introverts can reduce their anxiety around marketing, and market in a way that feels good
- The 7 Ps of Marketing and what the Gentle Business Revolution is
… and much more. Enjoy the show!
Links mentioned:
The Gentle Business Revolution
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Sarah Santacroce on Heart-Centred Marketing appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Download your Free Guide to Creating Your Perfect Morning Routine Below!
OK so two weeks ago I gave you my foolproof sleep routine, which I hope was helpful if you have been struggling with sleep and tried any of those tips out. Or you listened to the show and fell asleep, which I will also take credit for.
Today I thought I’d provide a little bookend to our sleep chat, with some ideas I have about morning routines. Basically, how you spend the first half hour to 2 hours of your day, which I believe is just as important if not more so than how you end the day.
I know I may be biased as I am most definitely a morning person and always have been according to my somewhat grumpy parents. That said, I do firmly believe that everyone can benefit with an intentional, well thought out morning routine. Actually, night owls will especially benefit from it, because it can make the difference between dragging yourself out of bed like a reluctant teenager (no offence to teenagers) and actually looking forward to waking up because you get to have this amazing experience upon waking.
I may be hyping this up a little too much, but that’s only because I’ve spent many years exploring this in my own life, and studying the morning routines of awesome creative people. All I can say is: starting your day right is something worth playing with.
Download your Free Guide to Creating Your Perfect Morning Routine Below!
Here are some resources I mentioned:
Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey
The Artists Way - Julia Cameron
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post How To Create Your Perfect Morning Routine appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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When I first came across today’s guest, I knew immediately I had to have her on the podcast. She’s managed to combine two of my greatest obsessions: personality typology AND marketing. And even though she’s an extrovert, Brit Kolo is most definitely on my wavelength - and I think you’ll agree when you hear our chat today.
We cover:
- Why some marketing feels sleazy and gross, and some… doesn’t
- Why something that works for someone else may not work for you
- The hidden superpowers introverts have in marketing
- How all the different aspects of your Myers-Briggs type indicate the best marketing strategy for you
Links mentioned:
Connect with Brit:
The Marketing Personalities podcast
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Brit Kolo on Types of Marketing Personality appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Sleep is arguably a topic that already has enough coverage. I mean, you probably don’t need another person telling you you should be getting more sleep or giving you random advice for sleeping better.
But… I’m kind of going to do it anyway. My reason being is that if I can share one tip on this podcast with one person that helps them get a better night sleep, then it’s worth it.
In addition, I’m on my high horse about sleep at the moment because I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that since I’ve been travelling, my sleep hygiene has taken a real hit.
The truth is, sleeping in different places every few weeks not to mention different time zones, makes it nigh impossible to keep up the kind of military-like sleep regime I had pre-January 2019.
And I’ve had to admit to myself: it’s affecting me. I know my energy is dipping way quicker than it used to, I know I’m abusing coffee in a way that isn’t doing me any favours, and I’m sure my memory and attention span aren’t what they once were…
…
Where was I again? Oh yeah, sleep!
I recently took matters into my own paws and decided to dive into the much-recommended best-selling book, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.
For someone who thought they knew everything they could about getting a good nights sleep, this book blew me away. I learned SO much, and not just about getting a good night’s sleep but about dreams and our body clock and a whole host of other fun facts I don’t have time to dive into on this episode, but in short: read the book!
Why sleep is so important for creativity
Oh and before I dive in to my recipe for an excellent night’s sleep, I should mention: I am not a natural good sleeper. I always found it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep even as a child, and I’m still a very light sleeper to this day.
I struggled most with sleep in my late teens, and resorted to herbal sleeping pills which didn’t seem to help me sleep, but did seem to make me feel drowsy the next day… Oh and as a side note on sleeping pills, I’m not one to preach but after reading Why We Sleep I can honestly say I wouldn’t touch those with a barge pole. Really - there’s some scary stuff in that book regarding sleeping pills - it’s worth giving it a google and making your own mind up though.
I’m also not someone who can get by on 4-6 hours sleep. I have friends who claim to be of that genetic ilk, but I actually don’t believe them. I can’t help but think: sure, you’re great and all on a few hours kip, but what would you be like with a solid 8? You’d probably be a superhuman!
I seem to be at my best with at least 8 hours sleep, even closer to 9. In the book, Walker makes it quite simple to figure out if you’re getting enough sleep. Quote:
“First, after waking up in the morning, could you fall back asleep at ten or eleven a.m.? If the answer is “yes,” you are likely not getting sufficient sleep quantity and/or quality. Second, can you function optimally without caffeine before noon? If the answer is “no,” then you are most likely self-medicating your state of chronic sleep deprivation.”
Yeah. I realised that of late, I can honestly say I’m not getting enough sleep, so I’ve decided to do my very best to put together a sleep-regime that will work for me on the road, and that will hopefully be of use to you too, regardless of where you are.
Here are some resources for some sweet dreams:
Magnesium powder (seriously yummy!)
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post A Guide to Better Sleep As An Introvert Insomniac appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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I know I’m not the only one who has ever found themselves in a creative funk. You know, being in a state of uncertainty, confusion, overwhelm, apathy… whatever the flavour a funk takes, I can for sure attest that isn’t pleasant. In addition to making daily life a grind, they make doing creative work hard or nearly impossible.
Note that this podcast is intended just as a guide to show you how to get out of a creative funk, but if you have prolonged sadness, anxiety or feel like this mood is affecting your life in any significant way: please please do ask for professional help. There are loads of people who are qualified to help with mental health, I am not one of them.
Here are some resources, which I’ve vetted and believe in wholeheartedly:
Resource for coping with depression
International suicide prevention hotlines
Depression support groups (UK)
Depression support groups (USA)
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post How to Get Out of a Creative Funk appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Oh boy do I have a show for you today… I’m actually a bit nervous about airing this one, purely because it’s quite revealing about my current belief system and if you haven’t heard me chat about this stuff before, and you happen to be particularly skeptical of such things, then… I don’t blame you if you want to stop listening.
But on the off chance that you’re an open-minded creative introvert who is willing to leave prejudices at the door in the quest for self knowledge and on a grander scale, a deeper understanding of life itself, then you might find this episode both useful and entertaining.
Anyway, that’s my warning. Today’s guest is Sam Reynolds, and I don’t want to spoil any surprises about the topic of our conversation today so I’m just going to get straight into the interview. Enjoy.
We cover:
- How Sam has learned to embrace his introversion
- How he went from trying to disprove astrology to being a full-time astrologer
- Why astrology doesn’t need to be classified as a science
- What the Five Love Languages are
- How your Myers-Briggs type relates to Five Love Languages
- How Myers-Briggs types relate to the classical temperaments
- Should astrology be self-diagnostic?
- How all these different tests and models can be useful for self-knowledge
- How learning anything often begins with black and white thinking
- Why astrology’s latest Renaissance might come to a stop
Links mentioned:
The Seeker and the Skeptic
Carl Jung on Astrology
Franz Mesmer
The Five Love Languages
Myers Briggs Type test
The Enneagram series
Keirsey Bates Sorter
Heidi Prieb
The Moment of Astrology by Geoffrey Cornelius
Helen Palmer
My personal astrology playground
Dorian Giesler Greenbaum
Connect with Sam
@sfreynolds on Twitter and Instagram
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Sam Reynolds on Self-Knowledge, Skepticism and the Sky appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Why do we have to talk about planning?
I’m a SUCKER for a plan.
Personally, I find the creation of a plan both very soothing on times of stress and overwhelm, AND exciting in times of apathy or boredom.
A good plan gives you direction, motivation and a structure that ultimately can make your life exponentially easier and more rewarding.
And let’s get real: it’s half-way through the year of 2019, if you’re listening to this when you should be - the very day it comes out…!
It’s worth thinking about where you are, where you wanted to be back at the start of the year, and where you want to be by the end of the year. Maybe you had big plans to get your new website launched by the summer and oh look… it’s kind of half done but it’s already June. A revised plan can help you get back on track.
Or maybe your new years resolution was to start podcasting and you bought the mic on January 1st… but it’s still in its box. Womp womp.
Regardless of where you are, whether you overshot the mark or didn’t have a mark in the first place, there’s NO judgement here. Heck, I’ve long since stopped setting goals thinking I’ll literally achieve them by the exact deadline, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still plan for success. You can’t succeed if you don’t at least try, right? And part of being a creative introvert who attempts to make a living doing what they love, is trying, failing, making adjustments and trying again.
Anyway, I know that planning is what I’m spending some time on this week, and I figured it would be worthwhile sharing what my plan is to plan for the next 6 months… if that makes sense. Basically, this is your plan for planning.
And I know not every creative introvert listening will be quite the fan of planning as I am. But the point of this episode is to try to break down the process of planning in a way that is as pain-free as possible, that you can do within an hour and that you can actually implement over the next 6 months without losing track or getting overwhelmed. So if you’re a procrastinator or a rebel (see Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies for more on that) then I highly recommend giving this process a try. Can’t hurt to try, right?
I’ve also made a handy printable PDF guide that will take you through this planning process, so if you’re in the car or out running or doing the ironing, you don’t have to worry about taking notes: it’s all there ready for you below:
OK, without further ado, let’s get to the plan…
The Past
Before we look ahead, we gotta look behind. I don’t like dwelling on the past in general, but in putting a plan together it really is helpful to take note of what you have been achieving up till this point.
It’s going to be really helpful in working out what you can realistically achieved going forward, and where you’ll need to focus. Here are some preliminary questions I recommend asking yourself when you sit down to plan:
- What did you want to have achieved by now?
- How does life compare to life in January? What’s better? What’s worse?
- How did you feel then? Back then, what were you hoping to feel by now?
- What do you think has been getting in the way of achieving what you wanted?
If you struggled with answering any of these, and you don’t keep a journal… I highly recommend it. I know I say it a lot, and maybe you’ve tried journalling and didn’t dig it, a daily or weekly checkin in my journal is a super useful way to keep track of where I’m at in life. I’ve kept my entire journal in Evernote for the past 3 years and it’s immensely helpful (and hilarious) to look back at to see where I wanted to be in the future and how much has changed.
Oh and I should note that the point here is NOT to dwell on where you’ve missed the mark. A big part of this practice is to look at the gap between where you are and where you wanted to be with objective eyes, self compassion and a dash of optimism for the future. Which, again is a practice.
The Present
Next we’ll look to the here and now. It’s time to get SUPER honest.
It can also help to run through a typical day in your life, to get a sense of what’s currently affecting you. Maybe your situation has changed dramatically since January - I know that my situation has constantly been fluctuating since travelling and I can’t really deny that travel has affected my productivity and I’ve had to readjust my plans accordingly.
- Here are some questions to get scribbling on:
- What isn’t working? What do you dread? Grumble about? What exhausts you?
- What is working? What energises you? What lights you up? What brings you joy?
- What feelings do you experience on a typical day? Run through a typical day.
At the end of this process, you should have a pretty good reading for your current temperature… in terms of how you feel, what your values are and what your needs are.
Sidenote: In my book, The Creative Introvert, I do go through a more in-depth process of realising your values and needs and how you can best check in with those at any time of year.
The Future
My fave part!
Looking ahead to the future. This is something that can, understandably fill people with fear. After all, today was the future 6 months ago, and it’s quite possible this is NOT the future you had hoped for back then.
I understand that that can feel crappy. Just know that you’re not alone. In these times, there’s a lot of chat about feeling apprehensive about the future and it isn’t easy to slap on a happy face and pretend like we can be sure it’ll all turn out ok…
But. What choice do we have, other than to act as if we have the power to make it ok? Yes I’m talking at a global scale, but even on a very personal, mundane level: the one way to get through another day is to act as if there’s a chance tomorrow will be brighter.
OK enough deep shit and pep talking. Let’s get practical. Here are the questions that will guide your future:
- What do you want most? How will that make you feel? What do you want to feel?
- What’s the most important thing? What are your values? Do your future plans align with them?
- Will what you work towards this year improve or benefit you next year? The year after?
- What will life look like if you do what you intend to in 6 months? In a year? In five years?
- What’s the best case scenario? Make it better.
- What’s the cost of NOT doing these things?
- Where would you be in 6 months if you change nothing after listening to this podcast? Where would you be in a year? 5 years?
- What’s the worst case scenario? Make it worse.
Yes, the point of that last one is to scare you, sorry about that. It’s hard medicine I’ve been forcing down my own throat, and I can honestly say it’s powerful shit. As much as I love the happy clappy side of things, it’s THIS question that seems to kick my butt into action more than any other.
The Plan
Now it’s time to put this all together and create your plan.
What can you put into place to ensure you don’t get held back in the same way again?
What can you continue to do because it’s working so well?
What can you add or begin to make sure you end up where you want to be? What can you remove?
- Limit to 5 things with one taking priority
- If you feel stressed, remove more than you add
- If you feel bored/apathetic, add more than you remove
Ideally, you’ll have some kind of calendar or diary to get this stuff written down with DEADLINES. I mean it. I don’t care how arbitrary or even unrealistic those deadlines feel right now; I know from past experience if something doesn’t have a deadline it has a tricksy way of NOT getting done.
I personally recommend an online tool and app called Asana, a very neat project managing tool with a calendar interface I love and that integrates with Google cal.
Of course you can also play with paper planners and all that jazz.
Here are some resources that might be helpful in your planning:
Journalling - Bullet Journalling, Morning Pages (Julia Cameron’s site is down at the time of posting, but do search for ‘morning pages, julia cameron’ and her original piece should come up at some point in the future!)
Project Management apps - Asana, Trello
Mindfulness* - Meditation.Live, Insight Timer
*Because, you know - planning can be a bit stressful!
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Pain-Free Planning for Creative Introvert Rebels and Procrastinators appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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I wanted to share with you my ultimate list of books for creative introverts, the ones that have genuinely changed my life (for the better!) and the ones I point to over and over again, when anyone ever asks me for recommendations.
1) Quiet by Susan Cain
How could I not kick this list off with the Queen of Introverts herself, Susan Cain. I was recommended this book by the same friend who told me, I’m an introvert. After I denied his diagnosis, after all I didn’t consider myself shy and that’s what all introverts are, right, shy?… Or so I thought - he told me to just read this book by Susan Cain and check out her TED talk, which I did.
And I was stunned. I’m sure many, many of those listening have come across this book and found it just as enlightening as I did. It really is the starting point for introverts who are looking to understand themselves better. I’ve read lots of other books with ‘Introvert’ in the title, but honestly nothing compares to Quiet.
I also just really love Susan Cain herself - if you’ve ever heard an interview with her, you might understand why. I’ll link to some in the show notes at theCreativeIntrovert.com. She’s just so… down to earth, intelligent and sweet. She’s definitely my Queen.
“So stay true to your own nature. If you like to do things in a slow and steady way, don’t let others make you feel as if you have to race. If you enjoy depth, don’t force yourself to seek breadth. If you prefer single-tasking to multi-tasking, stick to your guns. Being relatively unmoved by rewards gives you the incalculable power to go your own way.”
Cain’s overall take seems to be to embrace our introversion, and like me, encourages us to work with it as opposed to trying to fit ourselves into boxes made for extroverts.
Check out the book >>
2) The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron
Another super popular bible for many introverts, and some extroverts, is The Highly Sensitive Person. This was another epiphany for me, when I discovered what it was to also be a HSP. About 70% of introverts are likely to also be HSPs, and this was another book that shed light on why I was so uncomfortable and drained in the traditional office environment.
An HSP is basically someone who takes in more sensory information than average, and all this stimulation can get rather exhausting for the nervous system. Ultimately, this means HSPs aren’t at their best in hectic environments, loud places, bright places and can respond more strongly to all kinds of information, including things that create an emotional response. So if you’ve ever been told ‘you’re too sensitive’ (UGH) then you may be an HSP and I can promise you - it is not a bad thing at all.
Here’s a link to an episode of the podcast on HSPs and if you want to check out Elaine’s work, I highly recommend giving her a google.
“There is a common misunderstanding that emotions cause us to think illogically But recent scientific thinking, reviewed by psychologist Roy Baumeister and his colleagues, has placed emotion at the center of wisdom. One reason is that most emotion is felt after an event, which apparently serves to help us remember what happened and learn from it. The more upset we are by a mistake, the more we think about it and will be able to avoid it the next time. The more delighted we are by a success, the more we think and talk about it and how we did it, causing us to be more likely to be able to repeat it.”
Like Cain, Aron emphasises the benefits of this quality and how we can work with it, not against it.
Check out the book >>
3) The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Yet another foundational text that I have had countless conversations about with fellow creatives. Not everyone jives with Julia Cameron’s talk of God and the emphasis on the spiritual nature of creativity, but I’ve read it twice and can honestly say if you can get past that stuff, there is a LOT of gold in this book.
What I like most are the exercises she gives you at the end of each chapter. In fact it’s really a 12-week course which I recommend going through in real time. Some weeks the exercises will seem virtually impossible - I’ll admit I’ve never done the break from reading she suggests - but Artists Dates are a game changer, as is the Morning Pages.
“Boredom is just “What’s the use?” in disguise. And “What’s the use?” is fear, and fear means you are secretly in despair. So put your fears on the page. Put anything on the page. Put three pages of it on the page.”
Quotes like this are peppered throughout the book, on nearly every page you’ll find little golden nuggets like this and that’s why it’s a must-have for any creative who wants to get serious about making art.
Check out the book >>
4) The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
I LOVE telling people about this book who haven’t come across it. At first some will try to correct me with: ‘don’t you mean the Art of War?’ but no, I don’t.
Pressfield is a great writer anyway, but for me it’s his non-fiction writing, his writing about writing and creativity in general. This is the ultimate book on creative resistance, and how to overcome it. Honestly, this is the number one book I turn to when I’m feeling like I’m avoiding doing something or that I can’t climb the daunting mountain of a creative project.
I think I actually cried at one point in this book - a part where he talks about the Muse and it gets a little bit spiritual… but in a way I think even the most hard-nosed skeptic can appreciate.
“Here’s another test. Of any activity you do, ask yourself: If I were the last person on earth, would I still do it?”
Pressfield is constantly pressing you to be more in this book. He can be a bit of a hardass like that, but my god is it helpful, or at least I found it so. If I could hire anyone on earth to be my creative coach, it would be Steven Pressfield.
Check out the book >>
5) Anything You Want by Derek Sivers
Here is a book from someone who I would give my little toe to have on the podcast, Derek Sivers. This is a super practical, sweet and funny book which is packed with advice for anyone trying to start making a living from doing what they love.
“Never forget that absolutely everything you do is for your customers. Make every decision—even decisions about whether to expand the business, raise money, or promote someone—according to what’s best for your customers.”
That seems to be Sivers in a nutshell - if you want to take advice with someone who is truly heart led, this is the book to read.
Check out the book >>
6) The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer
I think this is a book I’ve mentioned more than any other on the podcast, and for very good reason. It’s kind of a long read to get to the overall point, I’ll admit, which is basically to ask for what you need and trust people will support you - but I picked up a lot on the journey.
Amanda Palmer isn’t exactly an introvert, and I can’t see myself going to quite the lengths she does in the name of art, but I do admire a lot about her, and this book reminded me I’m more capable than I’m usually aware of - if I let some trust into the equation.
This is the book to read when you’re in need of some guts: or just a great story about a fascinating character.
“When you’re an artist, nobody ever tells you or hits you with the magic wand of legitimacy. You have to hit your own head with your own handmade wand. And you feel stupid doing it.”
What I take from quotes like this is that Amanda fully acknowledges the pain that comes with making art and sending it out into the world, yet she doesn’t back down or quit when it gets tough. She does it anyway, even if she feels stupid doing it.
Check out the book >>
7) The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz
This book makes my list not just as a great read for creative introverts, but one I could recommend to pretty much any soul on this planet. These four, simple (yet not always easy) agreements or rules for life that Miguel Ruiz lays out so beautifully really spoke to me when I read them, but I also like to remind myself of them again and again. Most of my suffering comes from not living by these agreements, and I’m willing to bet at least one of them will hit you in a profound way too.
“Whatever happens around you, don’t take it personally… Nothing other people do is because of you. It is because of themselves.”
That was from the second agreement, ‘Don’t take anything personally.’ This chapter alone will do a lot for you, if you’re concerned about the opinions of morons on social media or anyone else for that matter.
Check out the book >>
8) The Art of Shouting Quietly by Pete Mosley
Now this truly is a book for creative introverts - after all, the author totally is one. I don’t remember exactly how I came across Pete Mosley, but once I did I knew I had to have him on the podcast, and I was lucky enough to get a yes. It’s a pretty quick read and some of the lessons in it have stuck with me like glue. One of them, from the Cheeky Letters story actually made it into my own book - I just updated it by replacing letters with email - and made sure to credit Pete for sharing this with the world.
“It is important to understand that your values generate the energy that fuels you to work consistently towards meeting your goals. Do something that fits with your innate values and you will make progress. Do something that doesn’t fit and you will grind to a halt. It’s a no brainer.
One way to judge whether an activity fits with your innate values is the extent to which you are in flow whilst you are doing it – does time pass without you noticing it? Are you eager to get back to the task after taking a break? Do you consistently look forward to your next burst of activity?
If the answer to these questions is yes, then the chances are your chosen activity meshes with your core values. If the answer is no, then goals and values are in conflict.
It’s important to work from a baseline of strong personal values – and values that are your own – neither pushed upon you by others nor acquired by osmosis through the ever-present ‘collective unconscious’ of social media overwhelm.”
This is what you’ll find throughout the book: simply explained concepts, which, if followed will undoubtedly lead you to do what you love, in a way that suits you. There are also lots of questions to the reader throughout, which I found really helpful in getting me to face myself and acknowledge certain facts about myself and my way of operating - and change something if needed.
Check out the book >>
9) Essentialism by Greg McKeown
This is a really underrated book, in my opinion. Partly because there’s another fairly similar book called The ONE Thing, which at the time I read both, seemed to get more press coverage, at least on the podcasts I listened to.
Anyway, where the ONE Thing is probably a slightly easier read, I felt like it lacks the depth and the practical advice I found in Essentialism. Maybe read both, because I’m sure every creative introvert who has ever felt overwhelmed because they’ve got too much on their plate or feel they can never finish anything because they’re always starting new things… could definitely find some utility in the concepts shared in them.
“The word priority came into the English language in the 1400s. It was singular. It meant the very first or prior thing. It stayed singular for the next five hundred years.”
This quote stuck with me, and since then I try not to let myself say something like ‘I have three top priorities.’ I took the plural out of my vocabulary, and try to state the ONE singular priority.
Check out the book >>
10) Originals by Adam Grant
How do creative people come up with great ideas? Moreover, how do they put those ideas into action and actually make significant change in the world? That’s what Adam Grant seeks to do in this book.
I don’t normally love books that are just case studies about unicorns - well, actual unicorns would be cool but I mean the human kind - because I generally don’t find them informative or inspiring, just kind of depressing because they remind me of how I’m NOT these people.
But Grant has a way of writing, a humour and a practicality that actually makes these types of case studies really helpful and inspiring. I also link to his TED Talk here so you can check that out for a flavour of Grant’s style and his own original ideas.
“If originals aren’t reliable judges of the quality of their ideas, how do they maximize their odds of creating a masterpiece? They come up with a large number of ideas… They simply produced a greater volume of work, which gave them more variation and a higher chance of originality.”
Check out the book >>
11) How to Fail at Almost Anything And Still Win Big by Scott Adams
So the author of this book is a super interesting character, who I got super interested in after I heard him interviewed on the Tim Ferriss podcast and read this incredible and mind-bending book he wrote, God’s Debris. That’s for another list, but the book I think is most helpful for creative introverts is this one, the crazily titled How to Fail at Almost Anything And Still Win Big.
As crazily titled as it is, it does point to one of my favourite lessons in the book: this idea that you can fail or have perceived failures in life, without being held back. You can overcome weakness, turn flaws into benefits and ultimately leverage your innate talents and personality to your benefit. It’s beautifully and simply written, with a healthy dose of humour - the author did create the Dilbert comic after all - and you will undoubtedly take something from it, even if it’s just a reminder that you aren’t a failure, no matter what you think.
If you’re someone who feels goal-setting just leaves you feeling frustrated and like you’re spinning your wheels, you might like Adams’ take on goal setting versus systems:
‘If you do something every day, it’s a system. If you’re waiting to achieve it someday in the future, it’s a goal.
…
[O]ne should have a system instead of a goal. The system-versus-goals model can be applied to most human endeavours. In the world of dieting, losing twenty pounds is a goal, but eating right is a system. In the exercise realm, running a marathon in under four hours is a goal, but exercising daily is a system. In business, making a million dollars is a goal, but being a serial entrepreneur is a system.
…
Goal-oriented people exist in a state of continuous pre-success failure at best, and permanent failure at worst if things never work out. Systems people succeed every time they apply their systems, in the sense that they did what they intended to do. The goals people are fighting the feeling of discouragement at each turn. The systems people are feeling good every time they apply their system. That’s a big difference in terms of maintaining your personal energy in the right direction. …’
Check out the book >>
12) Lost Connections by Johann Hari
I was telling someone the other day about a story in the first chapter of this book, because it had such an impact on me. There’s something about Hari’s writing that makes this book un-put-downable, and I can’t say that for many (or any) books I’ve read about mental health and brain science.
The overall point of this book is to illustrate the problem Western society is facing with depression, and it’s true causes. As someone who has had run in’s with the black dog, and has to carefully pay attention for it’s signs: this book is really important to me.
“Loneliness isn’t the physical absence of other people… it’s the sense that you’re not sharing anything that matters with anyone else. If you have lots of people around you—perhaps even a husband or wife, or a family, or a busy workplace—but you don’t share anything that matters with them, then you’ll still be lonely.”
Loneliness is a big subject in this book, and it’s something I’ve found myself almost unconsciously trying to combat with my search for community and authentic connections which I’m sure most of you’ve heard me rabbit on about more than once. Introverts are of course just as much if not more at risk of loneliness and some of the more extreme consequences of isolation and this is why this book makes my list. Check it out, with an open mind.
Check out the book >>
13) To Sell is Human by Dan Pink
According to Pink, we’re all in sales. Which I’m willing to bet sent chills down the spine of many of you. I know it did me. But when I wrapped my head around the idea that selling, or encouraging someone to take an action, is a fundamental human skill… well, I could see Pink had a point. I could also see that it’s a skill that I could get better at, without having to do anything gross or spineless.
This is what this book can do, particularly for those of us who are a bit allergic to the idea of sales. It shows us that even if we suck at selling, there are a handful of metaskills that we can practice in order to sell with greater ease and confidence and less self-doubt.
“Extraverts, in other words, often stumble over themselves. They can talk too much and listen too little, which dulls their understanding of others’ perspectives. They can fail to strike the proper balance between asserting and holding back, which can be read as pushy and drive people away.*”
So if you associate selling with extraversion, Pink is going to bust that myth for you in this book.
Check out the book >>
*BONUS* The Creative Introvert by Cat Rose
Come on, did you think I could leave out my own book?
Well I could, for sure. But after glancing over Pink’s book I figured it was probably worth reminding you that I did indeed write a book last year and it’s actually coming up to the 6-month anniversary of its release date. Sweet eh?
Yeah so The Creative Introvert book was officially written in one year, but really it was a good 7 years in the making, because it really is the culmination of everything I’ve learned (at least the stuff that worked) in the years between quitting my day job at the web design agency, to building and growing the business that is The Creative Introvert.
I try to pack in as much as I can - everything from self-knowledge to proper planning to marketing to dealing with critics - the outer and the inner kind. It has a bunch of resources to download for free when you purchase it, and it’s still on Kindle Unlimited for a crazy affordable 99p in the UK.
I’m not usually proud of things I make, but it’s been 6 months and I can still look at this and think: yeah, it’s OK.
If you do read it I’d love to know what you think. Getting tagged in IG stories or posts about the book literally makes my day, so thank you if you do that too.
Check out the book >>
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This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post 13 Life Changing Books For Creative Introverts appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Paula Mould is an author, artist, teacher and entrepreneur who’s life’s goal is to help creatives connect with themselves, their craft and earn a good living from their work. Her first book, Wake The F*ck Up!, was designed to light the creative fire in women who hit their early 40s, look around at their lives and wonder if this is all there is.
Paula has teamed up with UK artist and writer Leigh Shenton to found The Creative Visionary. Together they are teaching and inspiring hundreds of creatives, artists, writers and more, from around the world to live high energy, rewarding lives.
Connect with Paula
You can find Paula’s work at www.PaulaMould.com and The Creative Visionary’s free Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/thecreativevisionary
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Paula Mould on Facing Fears and Waking the F*ck Up! appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Burnout is a topic I’ve been meaning to cover for some time on the Creative Introvert podcast, but I’ve been slightly cautious about it because I wanted to make sure I don’t in any way glamorise it. This is something I’ve seen hints of in the online business world, with the entrepreneurs, infopreneurs or whatever-preneurs they want to call themselves. People acting like it’s some sort of honour to work so hard you don’t sleep or take care of yourself. To then have to take some sort of glamorous retreat in Bali or something, just to get their shit back together.
Well, hopefully that’s NOT what this podcast will be about. I want to explain a bit about burnout (which is more tricksy than I had thought prior to researching this) and of course, some practical tips for avoiding burnout and how to un-burn yourself.
The different types of burnout
Like I mentioned, burnout is a little bit tricksy because I think for many of us, we expect the symptoms to be as extreme as fainting or falling asleep at the wheel or something. Of course, it can get to that point. If you get so exhausted you can’t hold yourself upright, I can see that happening.
But extreme exhaustion is just one of the symptoms of burnout. It can manifest in many different ways. Lack of focus is another way it can show up. Overwhelm. Indecision. Anxiety. Headaches. Sleeplessness (even if you feel sleepy.) Outbursts of anger over little things. Apathy, feeling uninspired or unmotivated.
See how varied these symptoms are?
I’ll quickly note that Adrenal Fatigue is something more specific, and also something to watch out for. Currently, mainstream science doesn’t really accept it as a thing: it seems to be more commonly diagnosed by naturopaths and alternative health practitioners. Personally, I’m open to it being real, if anything because I’ve heard about so many people who’ve experienced these symptoms and they seem to go away with some proper rest, good food and self-care - which isn’t commonly recommended by a standard GP, at least not in my country.
The symptoms sound a lot like burnout (which is also not an official medical condition either): extreme fatigue, brain fog, unexplained weight gain, unexplained weight loss, hair loss, irritability, sleep disturbances, lack of sex drive and skin problems. Not fun.
Either way, it seems clear that the impact that prolonged stress (mental, emotional or physical stress), lack of sleep and a crappy diet leads to a host of symptoms, and whether you call it burnout, adrenal fatigue or if your doctor tells you you’re fine - I’d like to suggest that if you’re having these kind of miserable symptoms it’s worth staying tuned to see what can be done about it.
How do we get burnout?
Although us humans have an awful lot in common, especially creative introverts, it seems that we all have slightly different limits, different needs, different strengths and blindspots. What this means is that burnout is likely going to affect some of us more than others, and the solution will also vary. I’ll do my best to give you a range of options here.
First I’ll tell you a bit about my burnout story. Now many listeners will already know my story: how I worked at a lovely little digital design agency for 3 years, but despite it’s loveliness I was totally miserable and actually, in hindsight I can see that I was suffering from burnout.
I had all the symptoms. I couldn’t sleep, but I was exhausted. My face looked grey - I can see it in photos now. I was seriously moody, I’d snap at anyone and could burst into tears over spilled milk. I’m pretty sure I did. Nothing inspired me and at times, life felt like I was in some kind of fog of misery. It SUCKED.
Now I don’t want to confuse this for actual clinical depression, which I was never diagnosed with, and is not the focus of this episode. I actually think my symptoms were entirely situational and they could - and would - be solved with simple(ish) lifestyle changes.
DISCLAIMER: if you ARE suffering from these symptoms, or worse, I definitely recommend going to an actual doctor! I’m not one of those, not by a long shot. I also recommend reading Lost Connections by Johann Hari for a much deeper look into depression and it’s causes.
OK. Back to me. You likely know the rest of the story, ultimately I quit my job, spent a few weeks in Japan and even though freelancing has it’s ups and downs, I felt a whole lot better and can safely say that the years since then have been completely different.
Now, the cause and solution to my burnout was clearly something to do with my work environment, but it also had many other factors. I was working out a lot, I was going out and partying a lot (neither of these things suit me) and I also was in a bit of post-university malaise. I really feel for anyone going from school to work, because it can be a really tough transition. But naturally, some people will thrive when they’re out of academia and love their first job. You might even love your open plan office environment, even if you’re an introvert. We all have different needs and limits.
Why introverts are at risk of burnout
I do have a theory, a hair-brained theory at that, as to why creative introverts in particular may experience burnout.
For one, if you ARE like me and get overstimulated in busy environments, loud environments, lots of people and bright lights and looking at a screen 8-12 hours a day… then you might also be a highly sensitive introvert (google: highly sensitive person) and the problem really might be in your environment.
I know not everyone can change their job or go freelance, but it could be an option for you at least in the future. All I can say is that it suited me, and whilst it was a gamble, it worked out. I gave myself a 6 month trial period, after which I would try to get another job if it didn’t work out, and I didn’t have to do that, thankfully. Though I’ve come close MANY times.
I want to make that clear. It’s not that my life got easier after I left my 9-5, in some ways I work more and have a lifestyle that would stress others out.
But it works for me. This is the one message I want you to take from this: there IS something that will work for you, you just need to find it! It might mean kissing a lot of proverbial frogs, but I will bet my little finger that you will find it.
Another cause for burnout is lack of stimulation. Weird eh? That the other cause would almost be the exact opposite to the first one? But we’re weird like that, us humans. Anyway, stimulation is also key to being a happy creative introvert, especially if you’re also a high sensation seeker.
I personally think we all need a balance between low sensation environments, places where we can be where we feel calm and peaceful like a walk by the sea or in a forest - but we also need to switch things up. Trying to work on the same thing every damn hour of every damn day, is naturally exhausting!
Multipassionate creatives - those of us who are always looking for the next shiny object (a blessing and a curse) genuinely have a need for change. I even found some internet science to back it up. This study showed that the dopamine pathways in the brain light up when we’re witness to something completely new and novel. Dopamine makes you feel good, so novelty makes us feel good, basically.
Actually, it’s a little more complex than that. Dopamine is really the thing that gives us motivation to seek reward - to seek the good feeling thing. So when we’re exposed to something new and novel, we’re actually motivated to act. How cool is that? Novelty motivates us.
What I take from this is that it’s important for us to mix it up. So let’s say you are stuck in your office job, and bloody hate that environment, what if you could make time to walk to a new part of the city or town on your lunch break? Take a different route to work? I remember feeling much happier when I started riding the bus to work, happier still when I cycled.
It might be as simple as cleaning your desk, removing the old stimuli and replacing it with something new and novel.
If you are working for yourself, then it’s even easier to shake it up. Work from a new coffee shop. Switch up your morning routine.
And something we can all dabble with: learn something new. I create new content each week, which isn’t just for your benefit - it’s for mine. As soon as I start feeling bored with a topic, I make damn sure to switch it up.
How to know if you’re burned out
- Are you exhausted all the time?
- Do you feel more anxious than you used to?
- Do you feel overwhelmed and indecisive?
- Are you struggling to focus?
- Are you having headaches?
- Are you having difficulty sleeping or staying asleep?
- Are you getting angry about small stuff that used to not bother you?
- Do you feel totally frustrated, stuck, or uncreative?
What to do if you’re already experiencing burnout
1) Admit it
Oh my goodness isn’t this always the first step to anything?
I still can’t believe how long it took me to realise that the way I felt every day was NOT OK!
To just accept that your life is miserable is not OK. Unless in accepting that you become less miserable.
Sure, maybe life is suffering, but could it be possible we could suffer a bit LESS?
Admit that the way you feel is not OK and from there, see if you’re up for changing that. You can’t change what you don’t admit to knowing.
2) Determine the stressors
This is where some detective work comes in. Stressors could be your lifestyle: so how much exercise you get, whether you’re over-doing it or under-doing it, what you’re eating, drinking, when you’re going to bed (or at least attempting to), who you’re spending time with, and so on. Then there’s your environment, which we touched on. Where do you spend most of your day? If you’re miserable there, what’s bugging you? What do you think you’d prefer?
You don’t have to know all the answers, but it is worth listing out all possible stressors, and seeing where you get. Of course some things, you simply can’t change. You have no control over some life events, and they just suck. That’s it.
But what can you change? There’s always something, even if it seems insignificant. In fact, just proving to myself what I could change gave me a greater sense of autonomy even before the bigger life circumstances could change. That really helps, and not in insignificant ways.
Brainstorm possible stressors, cross out the ones you literally cannot change, and think of ways to change the others. That’s my version of the serenity prayer.
3) Work out the absolute minimum you need to get by
This step mostly applies to monetary matters, because this is largely based on my experience - but it can apply elsewhere too.
Before quitting my job, I had to work out the minimum I would need financially to live on. I was lucky enough to have options like: moving back home with my parents IF I couldn’t make rent, but on the whole I was strongly averse to that option and had enough incentive to make sure that wasn’t the case. (Even though, I have stayed with them a couple of times since them for months at a time, and it really wasn’t bad at all, so don’t poo-poo that option IF you have it.)
I did work out the minimum I needed to make rent, pay bills, buy food etc. And that was massively comforting because it meant I knew how long I could support myself even if I couldn’t get freelance clients or sell my pet portraits. Having this knowledge instantly took some of the stress off me, and freed my mind up to focus on more productive things.
Worrying is really taxing on the brain. I don’t recommend it! Another tool that might help is keeping a worry journal. I also recommend gratitude journals, writing down what you’re grateful for, but sometimes it takes a while to even get to a place where you can feel grateful for anything. been there too.
Writing your worries down, last thing at night (or during the night if you wake up) is so, so helpful for me and I highly recommend it. You don’t need to even try to solve them: just write them all down, get ’em out and shut the book. Then see how you sleep.
If you have other stressors, like taking care of kids, keeping a household running and still trying to work out - again, I recommend having a think about the minimum you need to get by. This doesn’t mean I’m suggesting neglecting your kids or whatever, but it can be a useful thought experiment to remember: the world won’t end because you sleep in or have to get a babysitter. Many of us introverts are especially hard on ourselves, and pile an awful lot onto our plates.
Of course it’s honourable and good to take responsibility, but we can only carry a burden for so long. Just have a play with what the minimum you need to get by is.
4) Ask for HELP!
This is the big one! Don’t end on the last step - I strongly recommend following up that last thought experiment very quickly with this one: ask for help.
If you can identify some ways others can support you whether it’s sending an email out to some old colleagues or friends and asking if they know anyone who needs the service you offer, or has a job opening, do it. Send that email, and leave your ego at the door.
Same with household matters. Is there someone in your life who can give you more support? Time to fess up and tell them what you’re going through, and how they can help, if they want to. Don’t just assume people are shit because they’re not giving you the help you need. We all have our own issues, and most of us just don’t realise how we can help someone else. If they say no, then you can be mad. But you can’t be mad unless you ask!
I’d also strongly recommend reaching out to others in your industry. I created the League of Creative Introverts for this very reason. Introverts get lonely too, and I didn’t bring this up yet but loneliness is a big factor in burnout. When you feel the weight of the world is on your shoulders and no one else is around you either to help or just to walk this miserable path with you - life is understandably tough.
But, just knowing you’ve got someone - maybe even an entire community - of folk who have been there, done that or even going through it too - well, that’s when things can shift, believe me.
How to avoid burnout
For those of you who haven’t experience the depths of burnout, or maybe like me, you’re past the worst of it but for the love of god do NOT want to experience it again, here are some tips that I’m following and hopefully they can help you avoid burnout too:
1) Make sure you’re connecting with others
Yes, dear introvert: even if you think you’re perfectly content on your lonesome, I strongly recommend making time for true connection with other people. It might be one person, your partner, your mum, dad, sister, best bud.
Or maybe it’s someone not that close to you: a friend at a creative meetup group or someone you met online in a forum, on Twitter or Instagram.
I recommend the face-to-face option, but take what you can get. Just talking about things that light you up with someone else, even if you’re struggling to make things happen in the way you want or have other challenges in life: that in itself can be hugely beneficial to our mood and relieve stress.
2) Practice saying ‘No’
For many of us, the road to burnout begins with saying yes to too many things. Hence, why we need to practice saying NO! If you’re the person who people just assume will say yes to every thing - it can be hard at first. Breaking people’s expectations is genuinely difficult, and no one wants to be a disappointment.
But the sooner you start shaking up their opinion of you the better. Over time, they’ll stop assuming you’ll do everything they say, and that you have boundaries around your time. This applies to loved ones, friends, family, employers, employees and everything in between.
3) Get clear on your vision
I talk about finding your True North a lot in my book, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms, but in short: you need to work out what you value in life as well as what your mission is that will help you live by those values and achieve those feelings you want to feel, and make the difference you want to make.
Knowing why you’re doing something can be enough motivation to either power through a burnout but it can also help you realise whats worth your energy, and what AIN’T. I realised I was spending 80% of my day doing something I didn’t give a monkeys about, so it was a no brainer to switch that up.
But it’s not like it’s been smooth sailing since. There have been dozens of times over the past 7 years I’ve had to reassess what the heck it is I want to do, switch gear and often it means stopping doing what doesn’t bring me joy or meaning. And at times, it’s been tough. It can rattle you to think: shit - have I been wasting my time with this? It’s like realising you’ve fallen out of love with someone, it isn’t exactly an easy thing to come to terms with.
But once you have, you can start putting together a plan that is meaningful and which actually energises you.
4) Make a plan
Which brings me to: planning. Oh how I love a plan. But I know you don’t all love the planning stage. Fair enough, it’s not for everyone to love. But it is for everyone to have: I do believe everyone needs a plan, even if it a very very vague one.
The best plan is a simple one: it’s one that can tell you the answer to this ONE question:
“What do I do next?”
That’s it. If your plan can tell you that answer, you’re golden. I recommend attempting to answer that question every day, ideally first thing in the morning. When you have your answer (which is ideally in line with your True North) then I suggest doing nothing but that thing, until it’s done.
It doesn’t mean you don’t do anything else. Pay the bills, shower, walk the dog etc. But when you sit down to get that thing done: that’s all you’re doing. This is how I recommend anyone who wants to quit their job and start a creative business to begin. Baby steps, taken every day. Deliberate steps: steps that you know will move the needle.
If you need help in figuring that out, The Creative Introvert Academy (which is freely available to members of the League of Creative Introverts) has a Masterclass to help with that. I also ask the Leaguers every Monday what their goal is for the week for this very reason. If they only achieve this one thing this week, what would that be? I know it helps with keeping me accountable too.
5) Stay in your own lane
So let’s say you’ve got your mojo going, you’ve got a plan, you’re getting it done… and then you go for a scroll on Instagram.
BAM. That’s you falling from your happy introvert zone, and landing with a thud in the land of… Comparisonitis. Ugh.
Comparing ourselves to someone else’s highlight reel, is of course, bad news. It doesn’t feel good to see someone who is clearly kind of like us but evidently doing so much better than us.
Of course the reality is usually that they’re living a life that has it’s own problems, and they’re much more similar to us in many ways. If you lived a day in their shoes, theirs a good chance you’d be gagging to get back to your own shoes by 5pm.
Feeling like I was once step behind all of these other creatives online only served to fuel my lack of self-belief, and made it harder to get shit done. It distracted me from my true beliefs, desires, needs and personality. Since spending less time consuming media, and more time creating, I’m measurably happier.
This doesn’t mean you don’t use social media: I still post, I reply to direct messages, I just don’t spend too long scrolling through or watching stories - unless I’m in a kind of bulletproof mood. Until you feel resilient enough to do that (and trust me I don’t all the time) then take a break from looking over your virtual neighbour’s fence.
6) Eat, Sleep, Move
There have been times, particularly when money is tight, where my dietary habits have been far from ideal. I’d swing from a monk-like diet of lentils and rice to a toddler trying to comfort themselves with enough cookies and chocolate ice cream to give me the sugar shakes.
In short: I wasn’t prioritising my health. It’s amazing how food literally impacts our mood, and this is NOT pseudo-science. See what happens when you increase your fresh veggie intake, eat some decent quality protein and take your time to eat a nice meal, with nice tablewear. Yeah, that was another thing I stopped doing: eating out of sad tupperware boxes. If you need to take a packed lunch to work, buy a cute lunch box, dammit. Buy glass tupperware or a neat Japanese bento box. Eat without looking at your phone. Ideally, eat with another human being.
I know the tendency for this introvert is to isolate myself when I’m feeling on the verge of burnout, but I know from enough of these crashes is that it’s the last thing I need. Find a lunch buddy, at least once a week.
The next thing is sleep. This deserves a podcast in itself, but I’ll quickly share my sleep formula:
- Take a good quality magnesium supplement. Just try it. Get one with an ”-ate’ at the end (like Magnesium Citrate, Malate etc) NOT OXIDE.
- Get into bed earlier than you need. This way you’re less likely to feel the time pressure to get to sleep because you have an extra hour or so to waste.
- Read before bed, ideally while you’re in bed so as soon as your eyelids feel a teeny bit heavy, you can roll over and try to sleep.
- Keep your worry journal (remember that?) by your bed. Ideally, fill it out each night, but even if you don’t you can have it handy incase you wake up with those 3am thoughts…
Finally, Move. One of my issues with burnout way back was that I was trying to get in a silly amount of exercise before or after work. That was just stressing me out. Since then, I’ve dramatically cut back on formal exercise, and in the last year or two I’ve realised I just don’t care about having 6-pack abs anymore, which is nice. It also means I can do the things that bring me joy which are simple: yoga and walking. That’s it.
You could need more or less, but it’s really worth getting something in. Since being in the States on my travels I realise how hard it must be for some of you to find a place to walk - seriously, the lack of sidewalks in some places is shocking. Plus, everything’s so far apart you have to drive everywhere, so just walking into town to meet a friend becomes much harder. That said, you’ve got some insane places to go hiking, and your backyards are often bigger than some English parks - so go nuts in those, if you can.
Going for a quick walk can be all I need at times to turn burnout around, and I wish I’d done this more when I worked in the office. I actually know my employer would have been happy for me to take a 20 minute walk around the block to get past an afternoon slump, had I just ASKED. So do think about that - don’t assume your employer won’t let you take a walking break unless you’ve asked.
7) Minimise decision-making
Since being on the road I’ve also noticed how important my morning routine is to me. When I skip it, and just get straight into people time or start on someone else’s schedule, I notice how rushed and cranky I can feel by noon.
However, just getting up a bit earlier to carve out some Cat time, and I feel ready for just about anything. Unless you’ve experienced the joys of a morning routine, I don’t expect you to believe me. I won’t preach about what I think your morning routine should consist of (I’ve written about mine before) but having something you can do that requires NO decision making, is ideal.
That way, when you wake up you aren’t looking at your phone to take orders from someone else, or wasting brain energy (and willpower) trying to decide what to do next. You already know.
Other ways you can minimise decision making - which honesty saves so much energy and stress - is deciding a work uniform, unless you already have one. Even if you work from home, having a set of go-to clothes is a big time saver. And make sure they’re ones you feel good in too - again, this boosts self-confidence and makes you feel a bit more badass.
You can also save decision making with how you schedule your day, what you eat and so on. Just deciding this stuff in advance is super empowering, at least I’ve found.
8) Change something in your environment
All that being said, you don’t want too much routine, right? We’ve discussed the importance in shaking up your environment and so on, and your daily life will really benefit from having some elements of randomness in them especially if you’re feeling the boredom or apathy end of the burnout spectrum.
I’m very liable to this, I seem to have the attention span of a gnat most days, so I really have to treat myself like a small child who you need to keep entertained.
I’ve found a great solution to that this year through travel, but it’s definitely not the only thing you can do to change things up. What about spring cleaning a small area? It could be one room in your house, or one area of one room? Like I mentioned earlier, you could jazz your desk space up.
I remember one of my colleagues took great pride over his desk space, he kept it clean and always had cute toys to entertain us on it. I really should have taken a leaf from his book, it could have bought be another 6 months at in that environment.
So have a think about how you can create change in your environment, and make a date with yourself regularly to change things up.
9) Learn something new
In addition to creating change outside of you, you can also try creating inner change. Learning something new is an incredibly powerful way to stimulate that dopamine pathway, and I can’t recommend it enough. Oh and it’s no big deal if you don’t become an expert in whatever you learn, or you start learning one thing, change your mind and learn something else. Who gives a rats ass? This isn’t school, this is life!
Learn what you can, where you can, when you can. Dabble. I’ve dabbled in learning languages, crochet, yoga, origami, shodo and god knows what else. My Year of Fun was pretty great for keeping me accountable for this.
And there are tonnes of options to learn online. I add a new Masterclass every month to the Creative Introvert Academy, and encourage the Leaguers to keep learning. I hope they appreciate it, and don’t find my enthusiasm too annoying…
In short, learn something new.
10) Create ‘Do Not Disturb’ time each week
Finally! My last tip to preventing burnout is to create Do Not Disturb time for yourself each week. What you do with this time, I couldn’t care less. Actually, I’d love to know, I’m that nosey, but I’m really just trying to encourage you to do whatever YOU want. Don’t worry about those lists online of ways to practice self-care or whatever: if you don’t want a bubble bath, don’t take one!
Maybe make a list of the things you’d love to have time for, but don’t feel like you do. See what you can push aside to make happen. Again, when I was on my Year of Fun I really prioritise this time, and I was amazed at what I could get done, and how something as small as buying a magazine could make me feel alive again.
It’s also worth setting an auto-responder on your email client that tells people, kindly, that you aren’t going to be answering emails for 24 hours or whatever the time you allow yourself is. That way you don’t feel any need to keep checking your phone or computer.
OK I’ve rambled on for long enough! I think that’s a wrap for my advice on burnout. Let me know what you think, find me on Instagram and Twitter @creativeintro and you can find the show notes to this episode and all the others at thecreativeintrovert.com
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This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post How To Avoid Burnout As A Creative Introvert appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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On today’s podcast I have two for the price of one! I have an amazing duo on, Dörte and Georgie of Curly Carrot (formerly Social Pow Wow.)
Georgie has worked in digital marketing since 2012 with a variety of clients including artists, interior designers, and lots of ethical and sustainable brands.
Dörte is co-owner and manager of an online business called Lewes Map Store. As well as their Lewes Map collection, they have a beautiful curated selection of gifts from UK designers & makers.
I really enjoyed talking to them both and it was lovely to see such a great example of effective collaboration.
Links mentioned:
Cat Paterson podcast where we discussed Pinterest
The League of Creative Introverts
The Curly Carrot team have also offered you listeners 15% off their online course, Grow Your Creative Business With Pinterest. Just enter the coupon code ‘CATROSE15’ at checkout.
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Georgie and Dörte on Collaboration for Creative Introverts appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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“One genuine relationship is worth a fistful of business cards.”
~ Susan Cain
Today’s podcast is all about… Networking. Or, more accurately: connection.
I share my thoughts on how to network if you’re an introvert, the four steps to genuine connection (online and offline methods included) as well as what to do with the connections you make.
Links mentioned:
Jennifer Corcoran’s networking tip (the bathroom beeline)
Laurie Helgoe - Introvert Power
The League of Creative Introverts
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Connection: How To Network Without Networking appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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In this episode of the Creative Introvert podcast we have fellow Cat, fellow ginger and fellow INTJ: Cat Paterson. Business strategist extraordinaire, Cat has a super interesting background, which includes heading up intelligence analysis for a covert agency… and it makes total sense as to why she’s a personality profiling geek, like me.
Apologies for the airplane sound effects - that was 100% my fault, it’s just one of the side effects of recording this podcast while I’m travelling…
What we discussed:
- How different types of introvert deal with conflict
- How Cat turned a health condition into an opportunity
- How to lay down boundaries and stick with them
- How Cat started her online business with no pre-existing client base
- The value of collaboration and referrals in the online business space
- Why Pinterest is the most introvert-friendly platform
Links mentioned:
Quotables:
“Where there is chaos and uncertainty, I see opportunity”
“I don’t think you can start a business from scratch and not get a few scabby knees along the way”
“85% of my website traffic comes from Pinterest”
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Cat Paterson on Personality Profiling and Pinterest appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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The biggest challenge the creative introverts face when it comes to marketing their work is… Fear of coming across as sleazy or gross or inauthentic.
Yep. That’s the number one obstacle. Not things like figuring out Facebook or Instagram, not worrying about paid advertising or email campaigns, not even having not enough time, though that is up there.
It’s having the confidence to go out there and share your work, the thing you love with all your heart - at least most days - and communicate what you do to people who may actually give you money for it.
OK. I’m not going to pretend there’s a simple 10-step guide to marketing that doesn’t feel sleazy, that actually feels good and normal and easy… At least, if there is one I don’t know about it.
But in today’s podcast am going to attempt to share with you what I’ve come to see about marketing, and help you find a way that feels good to you - and helps you get your work in front of the very best clients or customers for you.
Links mentioned:
Dodgy unclear guarantee - can you work out what this means?
Example of @bravesnaildesigns Instagram questions
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post What is Authentic Marketing, Anyway? appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today’s podcast guest, Morgan Stapp is the chief brand strategist at Specht + Co. She specialises in helping businesses communicate their message. We talk about her experience in starting to work for herself, how to handle being an introvert when going to conferences (something I also dived into in depth on the 99th episode) and why she decided to invest in a Mastermind group.
Connect with Morgan
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post Morgan Stapp on Starting a Freelance Career as an Introvert appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today I’m celebrating my 100th episode of the Creative Introvert Podcast!
Technically, I’ve recorded many more shows - nearly 50 ‘Year of Fun’ minisodes, plus two 10 episode series, one on Self-Knowledge and one on the Enneagram.
I know every podcaster who hits an arbitrary number with some 0’s on the end says this, but I really am surprised I’ve been going this long.
I’m a serial quitter. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, I’m actually really proud pf my ability to switch gear or to acknowledge when something isn’t for me any longer. I’m definitely not one for flogging dead horses.
And amazingly, this podcast has kept me entertained for over two years. And whilst I’d love to say it’s because I’ve got some knack for podcasting, I’m certain it’s 50% because of the awesome guests I’ve had the pleasure to chat to on the show, and 50% due to YOU the listener, who keeps my faith in humanity alive on a daily basis. The sweet emails I get, the comments on Instagram and Twitter - this is the stuff that fuels me when I have to scrape together my incoherent thoughts, and record something for you. So… thanks for that.
So before I get too mushy, I figure I’d share some of what I’ve learned from this podcast, the thing that started as an experiment way back in January 2017.
1) Done is better than Perfect and Not Done
I wouldn’t have started this podcast if I had expectations of it being perfect. I see way too many people delay starting something, or never starting because of this fear that it won’t be perfect.
I say, screw perfect, let’s embrace ‘good enough’. Heck, let’s embrace sub-standard, IF it means we make a start and are willing to keep going until we improve.
My major hangup when starting the podcast was mostly around my speech. I was terrorised as a child, by my well-meaning father, who really didn’t care for the ‘likes’ or ‘ums’ that peppered my speech. He had a point: it’s annoying. It’s sloppy.
The great thing about podcasts is… you can edit that shit out! So, I embraced my imperfect speech and got to it.
I don’t edit much now, and you’ll still hear plenty of ‘ums’ and other fillers, particularly when I’m interviewing guests. But: I actually think my speech has improved naturally since starting the podcast. Daddy should be proud.
2) People will help you - IF you ask
Deciding to do an interview show meant I was going to have to really go big on my asks. Until the podcast, my asking was limited to occasional collaborative projects. But the podcast meant I’d need to be asking a lot of people for their time, nearly every week.
Some people, like Joanna Penn, Tad Hargrave and many more - were my heroes way before I started podcasting. The idea of getting to speak to them for a half hour was equally terrifying and exciting. I think starstruck is the word.
In addition to asking guests for their time, I made other asks from friends of mine. The new intro and outro music is courtesy of an old friend, which you may have noticed in recent episodes. The photos on my site - another friend. And it wasn’t easy for me to ask, for fear of them saying no or worse - of them laughing in my face that I had the audacity to ask…
Asking is hard. But bravery means doing something anyway, because it’s worth the potential reward.
And - as I learned - bravery is always rewarded. Maybe not immediately, but in time. So ask, ask, ask away.
3) Listening can be learned
I generally say that listening is a Superpower of introverts. And in general, it is. But it’s worth remembering not ALL introverts have developed this skill to its full capacity AND equally, extroverts are capable of developing it too. The difference is that plenty of the more quiet introverts might appear to be listening because they’re not speaking - but that’s very different to listening.
What I had to learn to do on the podcast was truly listen. That means giving my undivided attention to the guests, so that I can ask a decent follow up question. I can’t stand interviews where the guest is just barraged with question after question, without the interviewer stopping to acknowledge what’s been said. I try my best not to do that.
And the result is I’ve become a better listener in daily life. Where I might have zoned out in the past, I’ve learned to be much more present when speaking with someone - and people appreciate that.
4) Speaking can be learned
Just like listening, speaking is something we can totally improve at, just from some focussed practise. Naturally, when I’m around friends, I don’t have to think about how I speak.
I already mentioned the ‘ums’ and ‘likes’ which I’m very slowly ferreting out of my vocab, but there are plenty of other things I’ve been working on too. Like trying to slow down. I’ve noticed this acutely when speaking to guests with slower speech, and have been trying to take a leaf from their books.
There’s a lot of creepy advice out there about trying to deliberately match someones speech patterns to get them to like you or buy from you, and this is definitely NOT what I’m trying to say here. But, I do think there’s something to be said for noticing how your conversation buddy speaks, and trying your best to accommodate them.
I’m currently in the States, and I’m doing my best to clarify the weird British terms I use. I grew up with a LOT of American TV, so this isn’t a challenge, but I don’t expect the folk here are so used to British TV (and I assure you, you’re not missing out.) Anyway, it’s just a good skill: to be able to clarify your speech for others. And it can be learned.
5) Silence is golden
As an introvert, you might think I’m totally fine with silence, and speaking is my issue. Nope. I can’t stand awkward silences - they’re called awkward for a reason! So I end up jumping in and sometimes cutting guests off, if they take a long pause. Again, this is something I’ve really had to consciously be aware of.
I actually learned a fair bit from Tim Ferriss who has talked about this too on his podcast; how he had to get comfortable with letting a guest have time to think and formulate their answer, without butting in to try and help.
So. That’s a work in progress for me, but I’m learning that good stuff comes from these awkward silences, if you let ’em linger. Maybe I should stop calling them awkward.. .
6) Experiment with everything
I haven’t held back from experimenting on the podcast, but it’s been a conscious effort to do it. The Year of Fun was a total experiment - I had no idea how you would respond to such a random concept.
Same goes for the series on the Enneagram - that stuff is kind of far out, and not exactly in line with ‘marketing’ or ‘social media’ or whatever other more practical topics I could share.
But I’ve learned how important it is to experiment, because who am I to know what YOU like? All I can do is lay something down, and let you tell me what you think. I can also look at the podcast stats of course, which is helpful.
I also run the occasional podcast listener survey, to check in on these experiments, and try to gauge a bit better what you’re after.
It’s also a great way to approach difficult decisions, like if you’re trying to decide whether or not you want to start a podcast. Why not run an experiment? Experiments are low pressure: because they’re simply designed to help us learn something. You could decide on a 10 episode podcast as your experiment, decide on your ideal outcome, and get to it. If you like it after 10 episodes, keep it up!
This is exactly what I did with the Creative Introvert Podcast, and this experiment is still running, over 100 episodes later.
7) Check, check and check again
Oh man. This is not something that comes naturally to me. I tend to prioritise speed over… accuracy. So… yeah, there will be mistakes that slip through the net.
But podcasting has taught me to slow down and take a bit more time to try and get things right. I mean, every podcast interviewer’s worst nightmare is recording an episode with a dream guest, and realising afterwards… they weren’t recording. Yikes.
So, I’m learning to get a bit more careful in my pre-podcasting checks.
8) Podcasting is the ultimate accountability tool
I know I’ve said it like a hundred times already, but introverts need accountability too! And podcasting is insanely good at keeping me accountable. Knowing I’ve promised a weekly episode (or two a week, last year) is enough to keep me on my toes, even now that I’m on the road, and in some places with less than adequate wifi.
So, thank you for keeping me to my word.
9) Breathe
Before every guest interview in the early days, I would be super nervous. Like, fear sweat nervous. And if I’m honest, I still do get a bit of nerves, especially if it’s someone I’ve been gearing up to speak to for years.
And the age-old advice to take some deep breaths is… actually very helpful. It’s helpful in most any nerve-wracking situation, but especially when you have to use your voice. When we’re nervous, our voice goes high and just taking some deep breaths really does help to lower it to a normal, human frequency (not just one for bats.)
10) Do it for the process
Another hackneyed expression for you, but heck, these things are cliches for a reason. They’re true! It really IS all about the process, or the journey. Podcasting is NOT - I repeat NOT an overnight money maker.
I still don’t have sponsors for the show. I depend on you supporting me on Patreon, and on some of you who decide to take it a step further and work with me or buy other products I make for you. Not everyone can do that, and that’s fine. I’m not doing this podcast as a job, I’m doing it because it brings me joy to know I’m helping some fellow creative introverts, and because I love the conversations I get to have with incredible humans. And because of all these little skills I’ve been able to pick up on the way.
So. If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, I really do encourage you to do it. Experiment. But remember to do it for the process, not some end goal (especially if it’s financial.)
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP100: 10 Lessons I’ve Learned from Recording 100+ Podcasts appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Let’s imagine your industry’s biggest conference is coming up. Three days of back-to-back presentations, workshops and panels, with endless opportunities to network, pitch influential people and evenings spent keeping the party going…
If you’re an introvert, this may sound about as appealing as a punch in the ribs. Unfortunately, conferences are generally not designed with the quiet-seeking, introspective and highly sensitive type.
Conferences are designed for the many, not the few. If a quiet meeting over tea with a friend is pole fishing, conferences are ocean-floor scraping. They prioritise mass engagement, not one-to-one connections.
Highly sensitive introverts have it even harder. A highly sensitive person tends to feel overstimulated with bright lights, lots of noise, lots of action and before long they burn out.
If you’ve ever been to a conference and felt like you’ve been run over for days afterwards, you’ll know how this feels.
If you haven’t attended a conference yet - don’t let this put you off! Remember introversion is not an excuse not to do something because it’s hard. If going to a conference aligns with your goals - and if getting your work out into the world and making a living from your creative pursuits is one of those goals - then it’s more than likely going to a conference is something worth considering.
I’m recording this just after my final day at one of these big conferences, with over 2000 attendees, Alt Summit. I travelled 20 hours to get here, gave two 90 minute presentations and spoke to more people than I have done in the past year or two combined.
Worth it? Well, the sunk cost fallacy, a cognitive bias we all have that leads us to judge things we’ve invested time or money in as positive regardless of whether they were or not, could be at play. But: objectively speaking, I can honestly say that even after my first day of the conference I had:
- Met someone who I might collaborate in the near future with
- Got some great advice for using video and guest blogging (which I will of course be sharing with you)
- And got a real confidence boost from knowing I could speak to an audience of strangers without reading a script and without relying on slides
But as great as all that is for me, I was hyper aware of (1) my jetlag and (2) my need to conserve my energy. I already had a game plan mapped out to minimise the damage, and I really think it’s what has helped me keep my energy and enthusiasm up.
Regardless of your conference experience to date, I want to show you the simple strategies I mostly managed to apply over the past few days. So hopefully you can put these into place should you have a conference in mind and want to make sure it’s manageable, valuable and maybe even… enjoyable.
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP099: The Introvert’s Survival Guide for Conferences appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today’s guest is someone I’ve known even before I knew I was an introvert. We met on the Princes Trust Enterprise Program, and since then it’s been a delight to see Nigel’s comic book world grow.
Connect with Nigel
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP098: Nigel Twumasi on Quiet Leadership appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today’s podcast guest is someone I’ve wanted the chance to speak to even before I considered starting a podcast. Mark McGuinness of lateraction.com I think is best introduced through the words of another of my favourite authors and creativity mentors, Steven Pressfield. Here’s what Steven says about Mark:
“Mark McGuinness is a rare cat - part poet, part coach for creative professionals, part old-time, overeducated Brit who thinks deeply about stuff you and I have never heard of… a man who has lived the life and who has watched and worked intimately with hundreds of others who’ve done the same.”
How’s that for an intro? I hope you enjoy our chat as much as I did.
What we discussed:
- How to embrace the ‘old ways’ whilst still remaining relevant
- How to find the time and resources to work on ourselves
- How to cultivate the courage to follow our fear
- Mark’s advice for beginners, fresh out of college or university
Connect with Mark:
Twitter | Medium | Facebook | Podcast
How to Support the Creative Introvert Podcast
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
BECOME A SUPPORTER
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP097: Mark McGuinness on Building A Successful Creative Career appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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I remember clearly being called ‘shy’ as a child. Sometimes ‘quiet.’ I despised the latter more. At least with ‘shy’ it felt like a virus I had caught. Being called ‘quiet’ suggested I had nothing to say. But I had lots to say, just not out loud.
Either way, I knew that they weren’t terms of endearment.
Slowly but surely, I learned ways to cover up my shyness, and pipe up. I surrounded myself with gregarious characters, in the hope it might rub off on me. At times, it did - especially with the help of alcohol.
It wasn’t until I found myself in the real world of work; commutes, meetings and beer o’clock on Fridays that my personality and preferences for quiet and solitude became a real issue. My life force would flatline by 2 pm. I was cranky, uninspired and prone to bursts of tears on public transport.
I wasn’t sure what the problem was. I knew it had something to do with me, because other people seemed just fine with a busy commute on public transport, spending all day in an open-plan office with the radio blaring and small talk by the water cooler and ending the day at a pub in Soho, spilling out onto the streets.
I figured I was broken.
A few years into pushing through, feeling like I was walking on broken feet, I finally left my job at the digital agency to try my luck freelancing. You can work from home, they said. You can work your own hours, they said. Pants are optional, they said.
I was sold!
For a time, the freelance life suited me.
I took advantage of my newfound freedom, relished in the comfort of my own space and experimented with obscure working hours and my personal hygiene.
After a few months of fun, I realised two things. One, that showering daily was probably a good idea after all and two, that clients don’t just stumble across your website automatically and give you money.
That’s when I started to learn about marketing, sales, networking, public relations… and realised I may have made a very big mistake in leaving the agency job, which in hindsight looked positively heavenly.
The advice I’d read online and in books about networking made my skin crawl. These people clearly were nothing like me. I wasn’t interested in learning how to ‘mirror’ someone, or smile in a way that shows at least 26 teeth. No thank you.
The online stuff wasn’t much better: I watched formulaic webinars teaching me how to teach people how to teach people marketing. If that’s how they got their Ferrari, I’ll continue to take the bus.
Surely, I thought, there must be a way to get my work seen by my dream clients, without selling my soul to the Dark Lord of Sleaze?
Moaning to a friend about my dilemma, I finally got my diagnosis.
He said, “You’re an introvert. Of course you find it hard.”
I scoffed, “You’re wrong! I’m not shy!”
My friend went onto tell me about the original definition of introvert, the one Swiss psychoanalyst extraordinaire, Carl G. Jung coined.
An introvert is simply someone who gets their energy from spending time alone. They enjoy their own company and deep, one to one conversations. They process information slower than extroverts and in greater depth. This explained my trouble at networking events, my aversion for small talk and why most people made their way to the canapés when I started talking about the nature of consciousness.
In addition, introverts are NOT necessarily shy or quiet, though can come across that way, especially in large groups. They’re often easily over-stimulated, which would explain my trouble in the open-plan office and the busy London lifestyle.
This knowledge came as a giant relief to me. An epiphany, really.
It meant I wasn’t broken. It meant that there were others like me. It meant I could start to manage my energy more effectively and actually use my introversion to my advantage.
From here, my business picked up. I started to approach marketing and pitching clients in a way that suited my personality type and preferences.
When it came to networking, I took my time. I played by my rules. I would go to events that had speakers - something to focus on and give me something to make conversation about that wasn’t too big or too small. I wouldn’t pressure myself to pitch my services right then and there; I’d use my introvert superpower of listening, and follow up the next day with a well crafted email. It worked remarkably well.
Email became my biggest ally. I learned how much I loved to write - introverts usually express themselves better through writing, because it gives us time to think and process our thoughts. I made it a habit, most days, to send just one email to a potential client or collaborator or mentor. Over time, I’ve built up a solid network, in a way that suits my skills and preferences.
Most challenging was to learn to balance my time alone and my time spent with people. Too far in the hermit direction, and I become anxious and life loses it’s colour. Too much time socialising, and I become cranky and critical. It’s a delicate balance that needs daily recalibration. For introverts, it’s worth becoming a real Goldilocks when it comes to energy management.
What surprised me most of all in the years following my introvert epiphany is learning about the value I get in community. Specifically, communities of people (usually creatives and introverts, like myself) who have similar problems as well as similar values as me. I thought I was immune from needing others in this way, until I accidentally found a Facebook group I liked. I started my own, which grew into the League of Creative Introverts. Since then, I’ve witnessed the difference accountability, support, shared skills and shared laughs make in both my life and the lives of my fellow creative introverts.
The final lesson my introvert epiphany gave me is the importance of not using our personality traits as an excuse. Hiding behind the label of introvert to excuse ourselves and remain only in our comfort zones, is a big mistake. Like being given fire from the gods, only to use it to burn our house down; learning about your personality type only to shut yourself away is a major opportunity and potentially a life, wasted.
Getting our work out into the world, serving the people we want to help, and fulfilling whatever purpose we’re here for means acknowledging our needs, playing to our strengths and mitigating our weaknesses. It means finding creative ways to overcome our perceived boundaries, and gently, stretching our comfort zone, whether that means posting our latest piece of art on Instagram or plucking up the courage to go to a local meet up of fellow creatives, even if it’s for 45 minutes.
My introvert epiphany is one of many. I’d love to hear (or read) others. If you know you’re an introvert, how did you find out? What have you learned since then? How have you put your introvert superpowers to use?
Get in touch: [email protected] and send my your introvert epiphany. You can write it, paint it, draw it, sing it - up to you. You can also tag my on Instagram @creativeintro
The post CIP096: My Introvert Epiphany appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today’s podcast guest always knew she was an introvert but didn’t start living boldly, embracing her introversion until she read Quiet by Susan Cain. Ultimately, this book changed Natalie’s life, giving her a new sense of confidence and pride in her quiet nature. She founded Quietly Ambitious in 2015 and since then has been using her online platform to showcase other bold introverts and has started a line of awesome prints that celebrate what it is to be an introvert.
What we discussed:
- Why we need to stop being ashamed of our introversion
- What it means to be a bold introvert
- How Natalie manages a part time job, a 2 year old AND her business (!)
- The value of showing more of ourselves online
Quotables:
“Just be bold in your introversion! It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Don’t look at the followers. Focus on the content you’re putting out there.”
Connect with Natalie:
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube
How to Support the Creative Introvert Podcast
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
BECOME A SUPPORTER
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP095: Natalie on Being Quietly Ambitious appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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What a weird phrase. “I’m in my element.”
It just popped into my head the other day (coincidentally, I was weeding) and before long I was writing this podcast in my head.
What does it mean to be in your element? According to Cambridge dictionary, the expression means: “to be happy because you are doing what you like or can do best.”
Sounds good to me.
I couldn’t find much on the origin of the phrase, so I decided to come up with my own, somewhat educated, theory.
I guess the element it points to comes from the traditional, elements or substances that were thought to comprise all matter in the universe. They’re likely familiar to you: earth, air, fire and water. I know I know - us westerners miss out the fifth element, aether, and unlike the Taoists, we don’t consider wood and metal to be their own elements.
Oh and seeing as we’ll be talking firmly in metaphors today, I won’t be mentioning the ACTUAL elements, definied by the periodic table. Not today. Since I’m a westerner, and not a scientist, we’re going with Earth, Air, Fire and Water.
Now, what I like about talking in terms of these four elements is that it doesn’t take much for us to quickly agree on a pretty much universal language. I think we can all agree that fire is hot. Water is wet. Air is light. Earth is dense. And from these concepts we can really say a LOT about something - or, more interestingly, someONE.
To prove this, let’s do a quick quiz.
I’m a redhead, I blush easily, I’m quick to anger, quick off the mark and full of fiery passion.
Can you guess the element I what I identify with most?
If you guessed fire, you’d be correct! We’re speaking the same metaphorical language.
And then there’s my friend. She has deep blue eyes, cries at every romantic movie, goes with the flow and makes decisions with her heart, not her head.
Any guesses?
I reckon my friend is all about the WATER element.
OK, these symbols are not set in stone (ha - another metaphorical phrase based on our understanding of elements) they are fluid, like… water!
But for the most part, they’re a great shorthand for us to communicate with ourselves and others about a vast range of complex feelings, sensations, perspectives and approaches to life.
This is also the reason I love personality type tests and astrology, but let’s stick to the elements for today.
You might at this point still be wondering why I’m going on about these arguably archaic concepts, but all will become clear soon.
So going back to me digging in the dirt, weeding out pesky greens, and generally having a lovely time on a work-away type holiday, and it occurred to me that I had surrounded myself with something that was missing in my life. Earth.
And yes, I realise the literal meaning but that was just a signpost pointing to the underlying epiphany I was having. I was, until this trip, lacking the EARTH element in my life.
I have an abundance of fire. No one is telling me I could use a bit more drive or to be less patient. If anything, I could probably do with tempering my fire.
And I actually have tempered it, come to think of it, as I look back to my past few years in Brighton. That is one watery - possibly airy too - city. I was literally by the sea. And I was surrounded by incredibly artistic, easy going people who were certainly in touch with their emotional side. I realised my Feeling function, which I associate most with Water, was underdeveloped.
Interestingly, Fire isn’t the element that is least in touch with it’s emotions, it’s really Air that commands the mind and left-brained decision making. But the emotions that Fire commands, mostly rage, passion and obsession, are ones I have let historically get the better of me.
A healthy balance of Fire and Water means tempering those heated emotions, without extinguishing them. It’s looking at them, holding them, sticking with them until they sizzle out.
I did pay attention to this, and started to use more language that spoke to my feeling side. Instead of saying ‘I think this’ I would say ‘I feel this.’
In my journal, I’d write more about how I felt that day, rather than what was happening. If I felt pissed off, I’d sit with it. I would try not to stuff it down, only to let it surge back up later with a vengeance.
I’d say I’ve done pretty well, and my biggest relationship triggers for ragey Cat *cough*family* have improved dramatically.
OK so I’ve worked with Water to temper the Fire. The second element dominating me, I believe is Air. Like I mentioned, this is the one that speaks to my Thinking function.
Oh BOY do I love to overanalyse. If you do to, it could mean that Air has a grip on your mind.
I personally associate INTJs most of all with Air because of how logical they tend to be, as well as being big picture thinkers.
Interestingly, you could be just as likely to be a genius as an airhead when it comes to having a dominant air element. Lots of air can make you indecisive, inconsistent, full of ‘hot air’ and a wee bit selfish.
It’s like air-dominant folk need their balloon popped, they need to be brought down to earth.
Enter: the element of Earth. I was in the rainforest of Peru when I realised I needed to spend less time at my laptop, and more time doing things with my body and with a small community of real live, people. Er - call this a 30 year old crisis if you like, but even months after returning home I felt this urge to be more earthy, more real - it had stuck with me.
Here’s a fun fact: the element of Air is also associated with… technology! Hah. So naturally, an overabundance of Air became next on my list of elements to balance. Earth is the counter to Air, just as Water is the counter to Fire. Just as I had naturally been drawn to Brighton and embraced my Watery side, I’ve more recently been led to the Algarve and had the opportunity to develop my Earthy side.
So I’ve been led to a villa in the Algarve where I’ve spent the past few weeks helping out in the garden in exchange for room and board. It’s a pretty awesome way to travel if you have a flexible job and don’t want to spend a lot of cash on lame, lonely Airbnbs. I get to meet people AND get my paws in the mud.
This was really my idea of an experiment, maybe an extension of last year’s YOF. But I didn’t realise what my subconscious had been doing until the other day, when this phrase popped into my head:
In your element.
I have the hardest time identifying with the element of Earth, if I’m honest. Sure, Earth is stable. Grounded. Hard-working. Persistent. Gritty. Nurturing. Loyal.
But where’s the fun, freedom and flexibility of Air? Where’s the intensity of Fire and the depth of Water? Earth is kind of… boring.
But you know what I haven’t been when I’m up to my wrists in soil, with bugs crawling around in my field of vision, and grass stained leggings? I have NEVER been bored.
I have been so very satisfied. That’s the only word really. Content, may be. Tired, sure, but it’s a physical tiredness. It always recovers by the next day and you know the coolest thing? It doesn’t deplete mental energy!
Yeah. If anything, using the physical energy seems to - seems to - increase my mental energy.
I don’t understand any of this myself, I’m just laying down the facts.
Or the feels, more like.
So how does this ramble about metaphorical elements help you?
Well… How about you identify your dominant element? If you’ve taken a personality type test like Myers Briggs, I’ll bet you’ll find this super easy. Or if you’re into astrology, you’re probably well versed in this.
It doesn’t matter: it’s all the same principle because ALL of this is SUBJECTIVE. Yeah. I’m not saying you literally have more fire in you or that being born under the Sun in Pisces literally makes you a watery dreamer. But… If you identify with these traits and associations , these archetypes, then you may find this process very useful.
Then you can identify what element you might want to enhance a bit more, and experiment with ways to do that. You can be super abstract, just focussing on the quality of an element you know you want to develop.
Let’s say you realise you’re lacking in Air and decide you want to be better at critical thinking, using your rational mind to see the world clearly, so you read a book about the subject.
Or you could be really literal, realising you want more Fire because you’re feeling a little cold and apathetic, so you paint a picture with lots of red and orange, and light some candles (er, but do be careful, you don’t want too much fire!)
The parts of me that I’m abbreviating to these symbols, these elements, ALL have their upside and their downside. And naturally, we can let our traits and preferences get out of balance, and our actions and behaviours ultimately reflect that. Then we end up snapping at a co-worker (Fire) or staying in a shitty relationship longer than we should have (Earth.)
It’s super helpful, in my experience to start communicating with yourself in these symbolic ways. Some of you will take to this more than others because yes, we’re all different. But we’re also really similar, and that’s why these systems work. It’s like having lots of different ways to organise your CDs. Back when CDs were a thing. I chose alphabetically. My sister chose colour, organising the spines like a rainbow.
So if you’ve stuck with me through this super esoteric ramble, I applaud you. And as a reward, I have a pretty snazzy online quiz you can take for free, that tells you your dominant element, explains all the four elements in depth, explains how they might relate to your Myers-Briggs type, and tell you what to play up as well as what to watch out for.
You can find that quiz and all the tips at thecreativeintrovert.com/elements
And as always, let me know if you’re enjoying the show! I love receiving sweet reviews on whatever podcast app you use and you can always email me, [email protected]
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP094: When Are You ‘In Your Element?’ appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Oh boy was this a treat for me. And I reckon it’ll be a treat for you too because today’s guest can only be described as a Superhero in the world of feel-good marketing. Yeah. That’s a thing. And when you hear Tad Hargrave from Marketing for Hippies talk about finding your niche, building a reputation and communicating what you do… I think he can really change the mind of even most marketing-allergic creative introvert out there.
What we discussed:
- Slow Marketing
- The importance of reputation
- Having a lot of different interests and still build a solid brand
- Experimenting to find your niche
- Charging what your work is worth (and how to feel good about it)
- Lack of confidence vs. lack of competence
- What if one day I decide to call myself the uncreative extrovert?!
Links:
Jordan Peterson - do what is meaningful, not what is expedient
Quotables:
If you never do the maintenance you’ll burn out
We’re lucky if we get known for one thing
Your business doesn’t have to meet all of your needs
You’re not crazy if it isn’t working
Connect with Tad:
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP093: Tad Hargrave on Slow Marketing appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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I was recently asked the question: what would I do differently in my business if I could go back in time five years?
The answer is… I regret nothing!
Er… but another, more useful answer, is… I would know more. I would know certain things like what to invest my time, money and patience in. I would know what to say yes to, what to say no to…
I thought it might be helpful to share the seven things I came up with - the seven things that I would tell Cat of 2013-4 about how, as a creative introvert, to build a business solo.
Self-Knowledge
I like to start with Self-Knowledge, because without it… we’re awash at sea. With it - even with a smidge of it - we can start to orient ourselves, and maybe make our way to less stormy seas.
There are many paths to finding yourself, who you are, what you need, what you want - and you could spend a lifetime on those paths alone.
But for me, there is one pretty direct path - and that is the path of… personality type tests! OK, not the most scientific technique, but let’s face it: you, your ’self’ is entirely subjective, just like these quizzes. You get to decide who you are, what you’re about, and how you see yourself.
With tests like the Myers Briggs Type Inventory or the Big Five or OCEAN model, you have the chance to really reflect on what these tests kick up for you. You might learn something about yourself from the questions you answer alone - like ‘Do you try to respond to your e-mails as soon as possible and cannot stand a messy inbox?’ - that might bring up its own series of insights that you hadn’t even noticed about yourself and your behaviours until you were asked.
Take note of what you agree with, what you adamantly disagree with, and let it speak to you. Ask yourself: what does this tell me about me? What can I do with this knowledge?
Focus
Once we have some knowledge about what we personally need, what we value and what our strengths are, we can apply this to a single point of focus.
Gulp. Focus - meaning to focus your attention on ONE thing or one outcome… isn’t exactly a skill that comes naturally to most creatives. We tend to act more like magpies: jumping from one shiny object to another.
Whilst I encourage the ‘Renaissance Person’ style of dabbling in multiple creative pursuits, I also know very well the limits of this kind of behaviour, long term. When our attention is split, and remains split, it becomes nearly impossible to get anything done. Or anything we do get done isn’t of the standard that it could be, had we just focussed on that one thing at a time.
The point of focus isn’t to limit yourself to only one thing… forever and ever… but to focus on one thing at a time, allowing you to dedicate yourself to the task at hand, free from distraction, and then move your focus to your next one thing.
Routine
I admit that different creatives need different amounts of routine, or at least different types. Personally, I feel my best and do my best work when I have a solid morning routine - so my first 2-3 hours are set in stone. After that, I’m happy to let more of a spontaneous flow shape my day.
So how much routine do you need? What kind of routine? I’d definitely treat this like a personal experiment. Try out a morning routine. Try out an evening routine.
If you work in an office, see what tasks you can do at certain times of the day. If you work at home, you likely have even more flexibility, but of course parents know that your routine has a lot to do with your kids and what they need.
One thing I’ll say is that you likely have more control over your routine than you think. And if you are a stickler for routine, maybe you need to shake things up a bit. If you’re allergic to routine, maybe it’s worth seeing what happens when you add one routine into your day, like drawing a doodle at lunch time.
Courage
Oh courage. I still think of the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz when I think of courage, because he’s great proof - even if he is a talking lion - that you can DO courageous things ad still be scared.
Courage doesn’t mean sacrificing your fear - because fear means something. It means you care enough about something to fear losing it.
The real secret to doing something courageous isn’t having some certificate that the Wizard gives you to prove your bravery: it’s actually much easier to get. All you need is to care enough about the outcome that you can do something in spite of your fear. No flying monkeys required.
I’ll admit, you will sometimes encounter things that you simply can’t bring yourself to do. But it isn’t because you lack courage, it’s because you don’t want it enough. You don’t want the reward more than you fear the possible loss.
And that’s OK! Just be honest with yourself, and decide what you want courage for. If you want it enough, the courage will show up.
One Superfan
If you haven’t heard me talk about a Superfan before, I’ll summarise:
- Your Superfan has the problem you’re solving - solving a pressing problem your Superfan has is a necessary requirement for anything you’re offering.
- Your Superfan has the same worldview as you - When they see your product, your Superfan will experience the “That’s the one! It was made just for me!” feeling.
- Your Superfan has time and money to use what you sell - A true Superfan won’t complain that what you’re offering is too expensive. Nor will they say they don’t have the time right now.
Once you know precisely who this Superfan is, and you are aligning your offering with them and their needs… then you won’t have a problem marketing or selling your creative work.
Simple… but not easy. It can take years for someone to truly know their Superfan; some never find them. But I’m a strong believer in taking this slow. Trying to figure this out overnight (been there) isn’t fun and usually just doesn’t get you anywhere.
Next month I’m going to be sharing my process for finding your Superfan in the League of Creative Introverts - we’ll do a livestream with an opportunity to ask questions and all that jazz. If. you’re a member or want to join the League, of course you can sign up over the next week. Just go to thecreativeintrovert.com/lci and you’ll see all the info there.
One platform
What I mean by platform is a place for you to consistently share your work.
Argh. Do I have to? I hear you cry. Yes you bloody well do!
Let me just say that there are almost infinite ways to share your work online - a recent Leaguer (that’s what I affectionately call folks in the LCI) has shared an amazing blog post sharing snaps of her studio, the view from her window, some of her work and my god it’s fascinating. And makes me really warm to her, as a virtual stranger, and makes me a helluva lot more likely to think of her when I’m in the market for handmade jewellery.
OK so what is the platform for you?
- Like Penny, you could go for the blog - especially if writing comes easily to you and you’re confident with platforms like blogger or WordPress or have a website already
- Or you could go down the social media route. I also have some Leaguers doing amazing things on Instagram, like Elliot Kesse, @changedotyoga - she’s a yoga teacher and promotes yoga for all bodies, all abilities, and has a lot of body positive messages (as well as hilarious yoga memes) which perfectly resonate with her audience, which includes myself.
Whatever you pick, I have faith that you can find something that feels like a creative extension of your existing work. I feel this way about the podcast for sure. I love writing and thinking about these topics, and I just happen to be flowing that through the podcast right now.
I don’t think of it as my number one marketing tool, even though it is, I think of it as a way of getting my art out; communicating with my Superfans and challenging myself creatively.
Community
Hmmm… you probably weren’t expecting this hardcore introvert to be spouting off about community as one of the vital tings a creative introvert needs to build a business solo. I mean, isn’t that an oxymoron? Am I being an oxymoron?
Before you unsubscribe from this podcast, let me tell you what I mean by community. Because up until 3 years ago, I had no clue myself. I certainly didn’t think I needed one.
So what in the heck IS community?
People I can go to for help.
People who I can share jokes with.
People who I can learn from.
People I can help.
People who get me.
People who I get.
That’s just my definition. You may have your own - you might add to my list, subtract from it, whatever.
The point is what community feels like. It feels like support. It feels like comfort, but not without interesting challenge. It feels like someone has your back. It feels like purpose, meaning and trust.
Oh boy is community important if you’re playing this creative career game.
I can still remember clearly those long nights I would stay up thinking of what exactly I was doing wrong in my illustration business. What was I missing that they had? Was it my talent? Was it my Instagram strategy? Did I need to read more books about marketing?
Fast forward a few years, and I’m in Brighton, at my own Meetup - Creative Cafe - and basking in the presence of just a small group of like-minds. I might not be best friends with these people, but they were my creative community.
I also found this same feeling of support and mutual encouragement in my online community, the League of Creative Introverts. There, I have the advantage of connecting with folk all over the world, helping each other out, sharing tips and skills, egging each other on - in a gentle way, because we all get it. We know the introvert struggle is real. And we know the joy of being in our own company, and still being able to dip in to our community - because we know the value of it.
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP092: 7 Things Creative Introverts Need to Build a Business Solo appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today I’m chatting to Steve Folland, freelancer extraordinaire and all-round lovely bloke.
We talk about:
- How Steve began freelancing
- Working from home vs. co-working
- Making video work for creative introverts
- The personal value of vlogging
- Marketing your creative work
- Using email to reach out to collaborators
Steve is also host of the Being Freelance podcast, which I highly recommend you check out.
Connect with Steve:
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP091: Steve Folland on Video for Creative Introverts appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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I’ve hesitated to talk about this partly because I don’t like to dwell on my own sob stories unless I think I can be helpful, and up till now, I don’t think I’ve been confident I can do that with anxiety. The other reason is my own… denial. Denial that I could be feeling anything less than perky and enthusiastic, and denying that to myself let alone podcast listeners. Oh and of course, my fear that I can even talk about anxiety because I haven’t personally experienced an anxiety attack/panic attack.
But I think it’s all relative, and if more of us are willing to talk about this stuff, the better we can support each other and manage these inner shit-storms.
The reason I’m finally getting around to talking about this and think it might be a helpful episode, is because of a couple of other podcasts I listened to in the past week, which revealed some misunderstanding on the part of the podcasters about introversion, high sensitivity and social anxiety.
In the podcasts, which had some great info in them btw, it seemed to me that all three tendencies were getting clumped together.
And whilst I do think overlap between introversion, HS and anxiety occur quite frequently in one person, I really don’t like the idea of confusing one for another. I don’t think it’s helpful.
I’ve spoken a lot about introversion before, a little about HS - but not about anxiety. Hopefully in this episode I can clear up some misconceptions about the links between these traits and issues, and maybe even offer some advice I’ve found helpful for managing my own anxiety.
I discuss:
- My story with anxiety
- Defining anxiety
- Types of anxiety
- Why we get it
- Anxiety and introversion
- Anxiety and high sensitivity
- How to handle anxiety
Links mentioned:
Are you a Highly Sensitive Person?
Test for 4 different types of Introvert
Calming tunes Spotify playlist
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP090: Are Introverts More Prone To Anxiety? appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Today I’m rather excited to share a conversation with someone who is a bit of an idol of mine, a coach to creative misfits, a maven maker and all round bad ass business woman: Ebonie Allard.
I’ve basically been in awe of Ebonie since I saw her speak at an event in Brighton, I also had to have her speak at my first ever live event back in 2017 and since then it’s been an honour to get to know her better, and get to grill her on today’s podcast.
You can connect with Ebonie online - I’ve got all the links in the shownotes at thecreativeintrovert.com/podcast - and after you’ve listened to today’s show, definitely go and subscribe to Ebonie’s podcast, Adulting with Ebonie - I reckon you’ll love it.
Connect with Ebonie:
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
The post CIP089: Ebonie Allard on Being a Misfit and Making it Work appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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What is an introvert-friendly marketing strategy? Isn’t that a contradiction in terms?
Kind of! I’ve been dancing around even talking directly about marketing on this podcast for a while, because I know the response so many of us creatives - especially of the introvert variety - kind of loathe the word.
We don’t want to think about marketing - we want to focus on DOING the creating! Can’t we be so good they can’t ignore us? So good that our dream client will just stumble across us, and throw cash at us to keep doing what we’re doing?
The problem with this fuzzy thinking, is that it actually results in lower self confidence.
For instance: let’s say you are a jewellery designer. You love your work, and you’ve sold some pieces to friends and family. You’ve even listed a few items on Etsy. No sales yet, but that’s fine. It’s just a matter of time, right?
Oh and forget social media - Facebook is evil and Instagram is just for self-obsessed posers. You’re an authentic artist. You’re better off continuing to make your jewellery, and eventually, they’ll find you…
But it’s been over a year now and this is really starting to feel… depressing. It’s 3 a.m. and you go for a scroll through Instagram. How does that jewellery designer have so many followers? Oh wow her website is slick. Is she charging that much? Her work is sold WHERE? How can she be doing so well, getting all those commissions and reviews… her work isn’t even as good as yours?
And then, the self-doubt kicks in. The inner critic, as it’s otherwise known. The voice that whispers: “It’s because her work IS better than yours. You just don’t have it in you. You’ll never be that good and you’ll never catch up. You might as well just throw in the towel.”
OK: I’ll stop there, I’m starting to upset myself… But this is just an example of the kind of story I hear all the time from my fellow creative innies. This rampant self-doubt, comparisonitis, that results in procrastination and ultimately, quitting - is really common. And I’m sick of it, dammit!
The truth is: it isn’t your work or WORTH that are in need of an overhaul. It’s your marketing strategy.
Oh and before you hit stop or delete on this podcast, I promise you I won’t try and get you to do anything I wouldn’t do. This is the marketing strategy I’ve found after floundering with extroverted approaches and sales techniques that leave me feeling like I need a shower.
Marketing is simply a way of getting…
- Clarity - the clear thinking and sense of peace that comes in knowing you have a plan, a step-by-step strategy to carry out.
- Evidence - yes! you won’t just be guessing at what works or throwing money at Facebook ads that go nowhere - this method guarantees you’re left with something that you know will work.
- Money! Yeah - that’s why we’re doing this, right? You want to sell your work or get commissions, right? So you can, you know, keep making more art?
I’ll remind you of one of my favourite quotes:
“We don’t make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies.”
Why this approach?
Now this is where my own personality type and preferences come into play: I’ve shaped this approach to suit my love for questions and experiments.
Oh and don’t get me confused for a scientific type: sciences were not my strong point at school: my reasoning behind this experimental approach is more to do with my anxiety.
The pressure that we put on ourselves when we undertake a big marketing strategy that some expert who promises to make us 6-figures with their tried-and-true method, is…actually very terrifying. I’ve tried this enough times to know.
We end up feeling like we have ONE SHOT. And if you’re making a serious investment in time, money or energy (which you likely will be with their strategies) you do only have one shot.
I don’t deal well under that kind of pressure. I crack, I cut corners, I self sabotage and ultimately, fail.
But with this approach, this experimental approach, you can’t fail.
You can’t fail because you’re running mini experiments, asking questions, testing hypotheses, and tweaking and retesting, making no BIG sacrifices or investments, just taking baby steps, and seeing how it goes.
Sounds a bit less stressful, right?
When to do this process
I recommend this for pretty much any creative introvert who already has made a start at selling either their services (design, illustration, copywriting) or their products (jewellery, art, crafts) online.
You’ve tried or dabbled in a bit of marketing: you might have a website or online store, you might have one or more social media profiles, you might even have an email list.
But you’ve stalled. You’re frustrated and fed up.
In any case, whether you do this now or in the future, I recommend doing it regularly. Why? Well, we all get a little stale around the edges from time to time, and I recently had my own refresh, using this very strategy.
Just because something was working, doesn’t mean it will continue to forever. You learn more about your Superfans, or your ideal customer or client, and you adjust accordingly to serve them better.
Where to do this process
This is the fun bit. Pick a quiet, comfy spot that you won’t be interrupted in. Ideally, you’ll block out some time on your calendar to go through this. Sunday afternoon, Tuesday morning - whatever time you know you can get an hour or two to sit, think, and write.
Don’t worry about implementing as you go through, you’ll carve out little pockets of time for each step, so that you won’t feel overwhelmed as you go.
Why to do this process
Why bother? What if this is just another freakin’ marketer harping on about what worked for them, and assuming you’re the same?
Kind of. I am telling you this because it works for me, and from what I gather, a lot of people listening have a lot in common with me.
But hold up: I’m just giving you the questions you need in order to find what works for you. The point of this isn’t to give you a precise strategy that worked for me, whether it’s Instagram, Youtube or anything like that: it’s to give you the tools (the questions) I use to find my own marketing strategy.
Plus! Ideas for running your own experiments in order to find the precise steps - like setting up an email list or getting a guest blog post spot - that will actually work. You’ll know they work because, you ran the experiment!
OK I think we’re clear, let’s dive in. We’ll start with the six questions you want to ask yourself, which you may feel like you’re guessing at now. Or maybe you think you know, but you have no proof that they’re working for you.
So after the questions, we’ll go through the experiment process, that helps you get more certainty on your answers.
6 Questions To Help You Plan An Introvert-Friendly Marketing Strategy
1. Who is my Superfan?
Superfan is just a term I like to use because it’s fun, but also it reminds me that these people aren’t just anyone who will give you money - these are the people who truly appreciate what you’re doing and are in it for the long run.
They’re the people Kevin Kelly describes in his article 1000 True Fans.
Without getting really clear on who you’re creating for, you really can’t reach them. If I think I’m helping everyone in the UK, I might think I need to go and get an advertisement in the Sun, our most popular tabloid newspaper.
However, this is probably a waste of time, because even if I could shell out for that, the majority of readers would have no interest in what I’m offering. But, if I went to Molly Makes or another artsy crafty magazine, I’d likely get way more bang for my buck.
i also dive into depth on how to find your Superfan in my book, The Creative Introvert, but for now, I just want to get to grips with the importance of starting with the Superfan, and have a think about who might that be for you.
2. What change do I promise?
Regardless of what you’re offering in terms of a service or a product, you’re creating change.
It could be the change from stress to relief, when someone who is desperately looking for a gift for their friend finds your homemade cactus earrings.
Or it could be helping a client change their clunky, outdated website into one they feel good about showcasing.
The point is you’re finding the feeling you create when someone finds you and what you do.
3. How do I deliver that promise?
This is the thing or things you create. What do you do?
If you love drawing monkeys, is that the final product you offer your Superfan? A drawing of a monkey?
OR are you solving their problem by offering a monkey on a t-shirt? Are you uploading your monkey design to a site like Redbubble who do print on demand, reducing any overheads, or are you going to a local screenprinter because that’s what your Superfan would want?
Have a think, and be prepared to change things up.
4. What will they pay for that?
Agh, the money question. This is totally individual and if I had to guess, I’d say the majority of you aren’t charging enough for your creative work (particularly the service-based businesses) I will never recommend charging something you aren’t comfortable with.
I’m all for letting your Superfan determine your price point, and if that isn’t sustainable for you (for example, if you do make a physical product and can barely cover costs) then I recommend supplementing your income with something else that is cost-efficient.
Again, I go into pricing in more depth in my book. For now, just come up with your best guess or whatever you’re currently charging - and run the experiment later to find out.
5. How will I reach them?
This is where the marketing part really kicks in. Start by brainstorming: what are all the different possibilities? Hint: Blogging, Guest blogging, Podcasts, Being a guest on podcasts, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, local press, magazines, workshops, email, universities, Meetup groups…
People are in a lot of places! More importantly, where are you people?
Ditch your own opinions on these outlets for a second, and consider where your Superfans are at.
That’s exactly where you’ll reach them.
6. How do I propose my offer in a way that guarantees sales?
This is more to do with your actual selling strategy, which is sort of a whole other podcast but worth thinking about here.
In some cases, particularly with products, you’ll want to be thinking about guarantees - do you offer a refund policy and is it clear and simple?
If it’s a service, how can you make the process as easy and delightful as possible for the client?
Have a think about what makes something a no-brainer for you, and how you might be able to offer the same sense of ‘HELL YES.’
Now we have the questions, we run our experiment.
How to run your marketing experiment:
a) Devise your hypothesis
You’ve already done this if you started to answer those questions, even in your head. The point is just to give your best guess at the answers to those questions. That’s your first hypothesis.
For example, you think your Superfan is new mums age 25-35, who want to get back into exercise gently. You offer post-natal yoga classes in your local community centre. You think they’ll pay $10 for a class, and with 3 attendees, that ensures you make a profit. You think you can reach them by flyering in the local cafe you’ve seen some potential Superfans at, and setting up a Facebook page. You’ll continue to post ideas and short helpful videos on Facebook, and share them on other community Facebook pages your Superfans might hang out at.
You can go into more depth of course, but effectively that’s all your hypothesis is.
b) Design your method
Your method is the steps you’ll take to find out whether you’re right about your Superfan.
This might be going to a coffee shop you know these mums hang out, and starting a conversation with them.
OK - that’s not very introvert friendly, I’ll admit. So is there another approach you’re willing to try?
Maybe it’s joining a Facebook group for young mums, and going from there.
The aim is to get some real solid evidence that this particular group is looking for a solution you can offer. Are they even interested in getting back into exercise, or is it super low on their priority list? Would they pay $10 a week or a discount at $50 for a 6 week course? This is where you find out.
c) Run your first test
The best part of this approach is that it gives you a self-imposed deadline. It’s much harder to procrastinate when you know you have a looming date in your calendar to figure out the answer to this question.
Give yourself a set period of time, like 2 weeks, and get it in your calendar!
d) Analyse your results, and retest
What came of your experiment? Reflect on what you learned. Maybe you found out that your hypothesis was correct, these new mums are ready and raring to go, and would be willing to jump at your post-natal yoga classes.
Or, you found that this demographic was not what you thought, and you go back to step 1 - coming up with another, more appropriate Superfan.
This is an overview of the exact way I work with myself and other creative introverts to get unstuck in their business challenges. It really is amazing what you can find out and how much time, money and energy you save when you just run through one experiment, let alone follow up experiments.
Of course you can take what I’ve suggested in this podcast (and I’ve listed it all in full at thecreativeintrovert.com/marketing and go through it on your own, and I have no doubt you’ll rock it. But if you’d like to go through the steps and run an experiment with me and some fellow creative innies, I’ve set up an email challenge where you can do just that.
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This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP088: 6 Questions To Help You Plan An Introvert-Friendly Marketing Strategy appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Vanessa’s mission is to help organisations create a culture in which people, in all their uniqueness and diversity, can be known, feel valued, and thrive.
She recently published her book, Shaping Workplace Culture: A Practical Guide - a must-read for introverts and extroverts alike.
Connect with Vanessa:
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my new, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
The post CIP087: Vanessa O’Shea on Introverts in the Workplace appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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So it’s been one whole year of me attempting to find what ‘fun’ means for me, pushing my comfort zone, learning my personal sweet spot between challenge and boredom… and hopefully, showing you that you can do the same, all on your own introverted terms.
Overall thoughts
I definitely don’t regret doing the challenge, and didn’t find it too hard to put out an extra podcast each week and do something that I could say would be worth your eartime. However, I only count 44/52 weekly challenges, so clearly I didn’t manage every week.
Some weeks it was just too hard to schedule something bigger in, and it was interesting watching myself argue with myself as to whether I could podcast about reading a magazine, even though I personally find it fun.
It was interesting to see how my mood dictated what might be fun: some weeks I had a lot of energy to extrovert, and some I really didn’t. I found the summer particularly hard, because I struggled with the heatwave we had, and lots of my more adventurous plans got pushed back, and ultimately cancelled.
What I learned about what I think FUN is
I certainly don’t see fun in the same way I did in January 2018. My biggest discovery is just how much challenge I need in order to feel a real sense of fun - at least the rewarding type, the type that stimulates my adrenal system, probably. The activities that only stimulated pleasure, or dopamine, were much less rewarding and sometimes I felt a bit crap afterwards: like making and eating a batch of shortbread cookies.
Of course the type of challenge proved important: I learned a LOT about what makes for a conducive group environment for introverts (and yes they do exist) vs. what makes a really unpleasant, possibly damaging one. There is an art to group facilitation, and I’ve seen both ends of the extreme this past year.
The biggest discovery was that my most memorable and rewarding adventures involved… people. Well, people and travel. I knew I liked travelling to new places already, but the people one? Well, that was a surprise.
Again, the type of people involved make or break an adventure. Also, the time spent and what you’re doing is going to make a difference too. But some of the things I did with friends, like Improv comedy - I can’t fathom having done had I not had one of my besties, Rachel, there to accompany me.
And the adventure that could have proved a total disaster - the retreat in Peru - was made magical by the great people I met there, and the facilitators at Dreamglade. I learned that to be a good facilitator for introverts, you have to be super warm, without going over the top. Introduce yourself, don’t assume they know who you are or anyone else is. If there’s time, ask the introvert who they are privately - don’t insist on group introductions. And finally, prepare them for what’s to come! Again, ideally this will be a 1-1 but it could be to the whole group, or even sent by email in advance. I have lots more to say about group facilitation, but I’ll save that for later this year I think.
I will say that I’ve noticed a big shift this year in my ability to manage my energy, when it comes to people time. I’ve learned not just to recoup after social activities, but to conserve energy during them. This involves more inner work, rather than taking physical time outs. It’s more to do with how you interact… I haven’t quite put all of this into a theory yet, with actual words, but I plan to, so watch this space.
Now for the reward ceremony:
Most fun adventure - Glastonbury
Remember the angels and aliens and egg stone? Yep, the woo-woo capital of the UK was by far the most fun I had. And this was experienced with not one but two people! And we had all of 3 nights there together. I think the fact that we’re all introverts helped, and the fact that we get on like the proverbial house on fire, helped.
Listen to the Glastonbury episode >>
Least fun - Learn the Charleston
Oh boy was this a disaster. I went to Chichester to take a workshop in learning the Charleston, because I’d attended a conference where we did a bit of the Lindyhop, enjoyed it, and figured this would basically be the same. Trust me, I was prepared to be embarrassed by my dance ability - or lack of - but I wasn’t prepared to feel so… unwelcome by the people there.
I don’t blame anyone for this, it probably was my own attitude, but it was enough that I left half way through. Hey, it happens. And my one rule of thumb with any of these personal growth challenges is: if you sense something truly isn’t for you, don’t stick it out! Leave, be done with it and find something that does suit you.
Listen to the Charleston episode >>
Best for personal growth - Ayahuasca
Oh yeah, my trip to the Amazon! It has to be the one. Technically, this was probably the riskiest thing I did, and if you know about what it is to be a HSS you can probably understand the appeal this adventure had for me.
I’m not going to recommend this one to everyone, and I’d lean on the cautious side especially if you’re new to plant medicine and solo travel, but… if you’re interested, I can highly recommend the centre I went to, Dreamglade and the awesome people there. For a group environment, surprisingly introvert-friendly.
Listen to the Ayahuasca episode >>
My favourite spot
Best for introverts - Take a Sound Bath
I wanted to pick something you can do in most cities, and I think this one is a bit obscure, but if you CAN do a sound bath or a gong bath near you - DO IT. I personally found it very introvert-friendly (because you’re just lying down with your eyes closed) whilst still being a new experience that challenged my comfort zone just the right amount.
If you’re someone who struggles with meditation or yoga or other spiritual practises… this is one to try. In my opinion, it’s one of the experiences where it’s hard not to feel very chilled out in. Much easier for me than the float tank anyway.
But if you want something a bit more solitary, then you can’t go wrong with making a collage. You could pare it with buying a nice magazine beforehand, which could serve as your collage material. Ooh and make yourself a batch of cookies for afterwards.
Plans for 2019
Not so much a challenge, but a continuation of updates that are more personal and hopefully give you ideas about:
- Making a living from your laptop
- Travelling solo, as an introvert
- Workstaycations - I’m using HelpX
- Facing challenges outside your comfort zone
This has been a dream of mine for years now, to live off my laptop and travel the world, and whilst I can’t pretend I feel totally ready to do it, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be and I’m not getting any younger.
I was pushed to take action when I was in Peru last year: realising that as much as I appreciate the magic of the internet and still want to make a living from online, remote work - I don’t want to be a slave to it.
I want to spend time outdoors, help in a practical way, and meet new people… which is most definitely in my area of discomfort zone, but that’s all the more reason for me to give it a go.
And that’s all this is: it’s giving something a go. It’s experimenting. It’s playing. Which reminds me of the breakthrough one-liner I received in Peru: ’This isn’t a pass or fail thing.’
So, where am I going?
OK so first stop is confirmed: Porto!
Then I have some tentative plans to do some workstay’s around Portugal until late March, when I’m going over the pond to Palm Springs, Cali. This is because I’m going to be speaking on two days at the Alt Summit, which, in its own words is: “the premiere conference for creative entrepreneurs and stylish social media influencers.”
Then I’ll be going to a retreat centre in Joshua Tree, which looks amazing, and doing another workstay deal there. In May I’m heading north to Seattle, a place I’ve always wanted to see since Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks stole my heart in that movie… you know what I’m talking about.
I’m there for another conference, this one is… um, well… it’s an astrology conference. Don’t judge me! I explain my interest in the art of astrology in the latest Seeker and Skeptic podcast - guess which one I am. Find that at seekerandskeptic.com
OK so after that… agh! I don’t fully know, but it’s likely going to get exotic for the months of June through to late August/September. I’ll either go back to Peru for more adventures in plant medicine, or do the stereotypical lifestyle entrepreneur thing and go to Bali and/or Thailand.
One thing I know is I’ll be wrapping the year up, if I can afford it… in Japan, my heartthrob country. I want to see the autumn there, and try out all my Japanese I kind of learned and kind of have forgotten already…
I’m planning on being home, in London, for Christmas. And who knows, I might be back in Brighton before that even.
This is the biggest challenge for me right now: NOT KNOWING. And as an INTJ who loves to dream but also loves to logically make plans and put them into action… this is kind of killing me.
But hey ho, for every great adventure there is a great sacrifice, and that’s the one I’m making.
So, if you’re up for following along on my journey, I’m going to try to actually make video content this year (that’s something I failed at on the YOF) and that will be posted on my Instagram account @creativeintro and my Youtube channel, which I’m just dipping my toe in - search for The Creative Introvert and I should pop up there.
Oh and if you’re in or near any of these places in the next few months, and want to meet in a quiet cafe, hit me up!
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Porto (Jan-late Mar)
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Palm Springs (April-May)
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Seattle (May-June)
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This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting this project gets you lots of goodies, including a copy of my newly released book, The Creative Introvert: How to Live a Life You Love on Your Terms, monthly Masterclasses and much more. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
The post The Year of Fun: A Review & What’s Next… appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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Hope you’ve had a lovely holiday break, whether or not you choose to officially celebrate any or not, I assume the majority had some kind of break from work or your regular routine.
Whilst I did enjoy time with my family of origin, and my friends, I’m quite ready to get back to regular life again. I just want the world to go back to normal - with regular opening hours so I don’t get thrown out of my favourite coffee shop at 3pm.
That said, I do like taking the weird limbo between xmas and new years day to really do some reflection on the year that’s past. It’s easy to just keep on moving from one thing to another without taking some time to stop and smell the flowers, as in: reflect on what worked, what didn’t, what you’ve learned, what you loved over the past year.
In many ways I group 2018 and 2017 together, because these were my Brighton years. The years I’ve spent away from London, the place I’ve called home, and attempted to basically start a life from scratch, relying only on the work I do online.
Which is quite funny in hindsight because it was in the past two years I learned the value of what comes from offline life. Meeting people in real life, and learning to manage my energy when doing so. Speaking to audiences from a stage, not just on the podcast. Creating community events in physical locations, not just on Facebook.
I learned a lot, and was definitely challenged as an introvert with mild social anxiety and a tendency to stay in my comfort zone behind the screen. Anyway, next year I’ve got plans to both utilise the magic that is an online business, and experiment even more with being location independent as I do quite a bit of travelling starting very soon. Whilst also embracing what comes from the real world, living more of my life offline, without relying on the comfort blanket of my laptop and phone.
I’ll share more about my plans for 2019 on Thursday’s podcast, but for now - I thought I’d talk a bit about GOALS. I’ve harped on about goal setting before, you might know how fond I am of this process. Or at least, how fond I’ve been in the past. I’ve started to soften up my approach to setting goals for myself, and in doing so I hope I can help more of you who have a less… easy relationship with the G-word.
I’m going to read a short chapter from my new book, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms, which is officially released tomorrow - just search for “The Creative Introvert” on Amazon - as this is all about tackling the issue of goal setting - and finding an approach that works for you.
I tried to do as much of this ‘choose your own adventure’ in the book as possible, taking into account multiple different types of creative introvert that I know are out there, my intention being that you find the very best path for you to accomplishing just about anything you want, at least in terms of your creative career.
The Bridge
You’ve likely been asked before about your ‘three year plan’ or your ‘five year plan’ or beyond… And if you felt a surge of fear when you considered the answer, you’re definitely not alone. Considering our future, for the most part, can fill us with fear because of the uncertainty any rational person knows the future holds. Unless you have a crystal ball, you’ll agree that we simply can’t know for sure what our lives will look like in these distant times. Heck, even next Tuesday could hold some surprises for us.
Or maybe you love answering this question and dreaming about your future self. Some people do: they could fantasise all day long… but when it comes to making moves towards it? They stall. It’s much safer to be in imagination land than in the real world.
For folk like this, it’s the daily grind that doesn’t appeal. The gap between here and there is so vast, that they grow discouraged, and start to believe that future fantasy will never be theirs. Is there even any point in considering these distant futures, if they leave us feeling either filled with the fear of uncertainty or the discouragement of overwhelm?
Yes. And no…
Yes to future plans:
The argument for having a future plan isn’t because in doing so you’ll create more certainty or make something happen, simply by stating it out loud. I’m all for vision boards, but not if you think that in the cutting and sticking of magazine and catalogue images that you’ll magically bring them into your reality. That’s a lot of pressure for some printed paper and glue.
But if you use methods like vision boards as a way to bring clarity to your desires and creative ideas, then I’m all for it. This is the single most valuable point of answering these three-year plan type questions: it brings clarity.
With clarity, you have something to set your sights on. You have something to get a grip on and something to work towards. Life can be just fine, swimming aimlessly at times, but at some point you’ll want to swim towards the shore. But what shore? Where is it? What does it look like? What direction do you need to orient yourself?
Whether or not you make it to the exact spot of the exact shore you have in mind is not important. This is the part we miss when creating our grand plans. When we cling too tightly to the particulars of our plan, from getting that dream job to getting signed by that publisher: we end up feeling discouraged and disappointed. It then becomes much harder to re-orient ourselves and swim towards a new, more suitable shore.
No to future plans:
Enter my argument against making distant future plans: they can leave us feeling like we’re attempting the impossible. Like anything we really want is too difficult or unlikely to achieve. Or because we know how likely we are to change our mind (a classic feature of a creative type.) We wonder: what’s the point of getting so specific? We’ll only go and change our mind along the way.
The result is that many of us end up over-thinking and trying to second guess our motives. Introverts are particularly good at overthinking, and whilst this can have it’s benefits… it generally holds us back.
What’s a creative introvert to do? What’s an appropriate amount of time to spend considering the future? How detailed do we get in our grand plans? How GRAND do we get? How big can a dream be before it scares us off? Is it too small so it doesn’t push us to expand and reach our full potential?
Enter… The Bridge
Regardless of whether you love or loath long term planning, the answer to getting from where you are to where you want to be is the same: you have to bridge the gap.
The gap is that abyss that seems impossible to cross. The gap that somehow, others have crossed… but then they must have had some paragliding skills you lack.
Wrong! Not everyone who has crossed the gap has had a special advantage. They just built a bridge. And building a bridge takes time, but you are totally capable of it.
To build a bridge (metaphorically speaking – I’m no engineer) you have to start small. You can work backwards from the grand plan, OR you can work forward from where you are today. The key is in getting the route that suits you.
If long term goals scare you, and you feel discouraged, start where you are and work forward. What would make tomorrow better? Then start thinking further beyond tomorrow, taking steps toward it. If taking baby steps is uninspiring and you love the big picture, start big and work backwards. What does that distant future look like? Then you can start breaking it down and making it happen.
Depending on what you prefer (or what scares you more!) you can pick ONE of the following options to use as your guide for building your Bridge. If you still aren’t sure, read through both and pick one that feels right for you.
Option 1: Start from where you are
This is the option for you if you don’t like answering the question ‘where do you see yourself in X years from now?’ You’ll start with thinking about your daily life, and the small actions you can take that enrich your life now and set you up for the future.
Write out a typical day. Everything you can think of - no matter how mundane. What aspects are keepers? The things you wouldn’t change for the world; the things that light you up and make you smile. If you have highlighters of felt tip pens, highlight these aspects.
For the things that you don’t enjoy, or want to change even a little bit, transfer these to another list. This is going to be the starting point of your Bridge.
Now for each of these less than ideal aspects, write down what you would prefer this to be or to feel like. For example, if getting dressed every morning is a pain, your desire might be to have a simple wardrobe full of only clothes that you like and feel amazing. Or if instead of waking up annoyed at the alarm or feeling unenthused about getting out of bed, you might want to feel well-rested and get out of bed with more enthusiasm.
For each of these desires, write down one small step you can take to move closer to them. For example, if it’s the waking up scenario, then it might be going to bed 30 minutes earlier. It might be taking a magnesium supplement to help with sleep. It might be changing your alarm to a song you like.
Finally, think about your day in three months from now, if you were to continue taking action towards improving these things. Write about your day as you did before, but under the assumption that you did what you intended and things improve accordingly. These things may seem small, but these little improvements are what add up to a contented life.
Option 2: Start big, work backwards
This is the option for you if you love thinking big: the future doesn’t scare you, it excites you… until you wonder how the heck you can make those plans happen.
Start with the end in mind. Write out a list of whatever it is you want for your future. It can help to pick a time frame, even if it isn’t precise e.g. in three to five years time. Things to consider: where you live, what you do for work, what you do for fun, who you surround yourself with, how you feel most of the time.
Now, for each of these desires, write out where you’d like to be with them in approximately half the time e.g. one year from now. Things might not be there yet, but you’re making progress towards these aspects.
Now, half the time again, so you might be at six months from now. In each case, you want to try to make each aspect feel more attainable; less like a big, unrealistic dream, and more like something you can confidently work towards.
One more time! See yourself in three months from now. What would you be doing that would sow the seeds to each of these later visions?
These are going to be small things, from browsing online for your dream flat and getting a clearer picture of what exists in your dream location, to researching clients that will allow you to do the work you dream of doing.
Congratulations! Regardless of which option you chose, you should be at roughly the same place: you, three months from now, taking daily action to bridge that ‘gaping abyss’, without feeling utterly overwhelmed.
ACTION STEP:
Pick ONE of the options above, depending on whether you love the daily steps (Option 1) or if big visions are your thing (Option 2.) Then start writing about your dream future. If you don’t want to write, you can make this visual, using collage or Pinterest or any other artistic medium that helps you get clear on what you truly desire.
In any case, if you need some pointers to help imagine this dream future, try answering a handful of these:
• Imagine you just won the lottery - what would you do with your cash?
• Imagine you had no physical limits - what would you do with your body?
• Describe your dream day - what’s different?
• What if you only had 6 months to live? How would you spend your time?
• What legacy would you like to leave?
• What would you want your tombstone to read?
• Describe the ideal version of yourself, with no limits – what does he/she have you don’t?
Excerpt from The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms.
Heads up! This is the LAST DAY to get your paws on the bonuses I’m offering as part of the pre-order deal of The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms.
You’ll get your hands on goodies worth around $700, including access to the League of Creative Introverts (my online community), a companion guide eBook and 6 months of book club calls that will begin in the new year.
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my soon-to-be-released BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
The post CIP086: How To Bridge The Gap Between You and Your Goals appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
]]>I’ll admit I’ve been a bit stuck on Year of Fun happenings to share with you for the last fortnight, and that’s not entirely because my life hasn’t had fun in it… but nothing is exactly big enough to write home about - or, make a podcast about.
After nearly a year of this weekly fun, I’ve learned a lot about what I need in my life, what I consider to be fun, and what I definitely don’t need. I’ll be sharing my round up properly next week, but for now I’ll share one last hurrah, one last look at this introvert’s idea of fun.
So what I thought I’d do is give you a full day of fun activities - actually it’s mostly eating - but a fun day that one could spend in Brighton, the city I’ve been living in for the last 2.5 years.
Seeing as I’ll be waving goodbye - for a while anyway - to Brighton and Hove in the new year, it seems like an appropriate way to round up my time here and celebrate what this quirky seaside shore offers.
Full disclosure: I haven’t done all of these in one day… but I have done all of them at different times, and am pretty sure you could do this all in one day without feeling overly drained.
How to get to Brighton
Arrive by train at Brighton Station. I say this because driving and parking in Brighton isn’t fun, so I’ve heard. Lots of one way systems and very expensive car parks - and with a direct train from London, you’re probably better off getting here by train. And do check the train updates before you leave - if you’re not familiar with the issues we have on this particular line, then… beware.
Brunch at Cafe Coho
Ok so you’ve arrived, yay! Ideally, you want to get here by 10:30/11 am, which is hopefully doable - and it means you’ll be in time for brunch, my favourite meal of the day.
Cafe Coho is right outside the station on the main road that leads to the sea, and they have some mighty fine brunch options. I recommend the sweet potato hash.
Window shopping in the lanes
Once you’ve had your fill and digested a good brunch, head down Queen’s road for a few minutes - before it gets too grim, which it will - and turn left down any of the side streets. This is where it starts getting ‘proper’ Brighton. The North Laines: lots of windy streets, cobblestones, street art, cafes and kooky, esoteric shops. I love it.
A tip I learned when I went to Glastonbury with two of my chums, is to window shop first, spot what you want, then go and do something else before coming back to buy. This is great if you have strong impulsive tendencies, and are likely to regret purchases later, like me.
So for the time being you’re just window shopping. My favourite shops are all on Sydney Street, more or less. You’ve got vintage clothing, comic books, second hand books, crystals, beads for jewellery making, a new stationery shop called Papersmiths and so much more. Definitely head to Sydney street.
The Royal Pavilion
At some point you’re going to have to whip out your maps app on your phone, because by now you may very well be lost down some odd side street. Type in ‘The Royal Pavilion’ because that’s where we’re heading next.
To be fair, you could just ask someone because everyone should be able to tell you where it is, it’s kind of a big deal in Brighton, but as you’re a fellow introvert, I’m guessing you’ll go with my first option.
So, the Royal Pavilion! If you heard episode 30 of the Year of Fun then you’ll know I love this place, and think it’s well worth an hour or two on your visit. Everything from the gardens around it, the street performers, the outside of the building alone is worth a visit.
Inside, you get the full extent of the decadence that the Prince Regent insisted on, and the weird mix of East and West in the designs. Go there, take some cheeky pictures though I’m not sure you’re allowed, and digest it all in the gift shop, which ain’t half bad either.
Before our next stop, make sure to head back to any shops to pick up anything you spotted earlier when you were window shopping, and make any purchases you still actually want/can even remember wanting.
Coffee + Cake + Games
Now you’re going to head south, roughly, down to the sea front. It doesn’t matter how you get there, but if you can wind in through the South Lanes - do. Though I take no responsibility for you getting lost and distracted there.
Once you’re on the sea front, stop, take a look around at the Pier, admit to yourself it’s garish and probably very loud and annoying with all those seagulls stealing chips - but quite charming in its own way.
Then swiftly head to the east of the pier, finding some steps to take you down to a little strip where you’ll find C:\Side Quest, a games bar/cafe which has made it’s way down from London and has proved quite a hit.
This is one of my more recent discoveries and I just wish I had found it sooner. For one, when I went on a weekday afternoon, it was pretty quiet. Plus it’s bigger than most spaces in Brighton, so even if it was busy you’ll likely find a spot to sit.
Order a coffee, tea - or maybe something stronger. They have cocktails with very ‘punny’ names, which I appreciate.
Then you’ve got the option to play a game, there are board games, and loads of classic video games and big comfy seats to spend hours there, if that’s what you’re into.
OR you can just take a seat by the window, and look out at the view of the sea. A weird fact about Brighton, or at least an opinion I have, is that there are very few spots along the sea front that give you a good view and that are not totally cheesy rip offs. So for the view (and vegan donuts) alone, C:\Side Quest is well worth a visit.
Take a trip up the i360
Now this is a controversial one, but I recently embraced it and I’m really quite glad I did. The i360 is this strange beast that was erected when I first moved here, and it’s basically a tower with a pod that takes you up and down, giving you a decent view of the city.
It’s a tourist attraction sponsored by British Airways, and most Brightoners will tell you it’s an eyesore. But then, that’s what they said about the Eiffel Tower… It’s basically Brighton’s Eiffel Tower.
It does cost a bit to get into, so I’m not saying it’s a MUST do, but if you’re with someone and you have an hour or so to burn, go for it. By this time, assuming you’re doing all of this in the winter when I’m recording, you’ll catch a nice sunset or night sky, which is ideal because the city will look much more twinkly and magical then.
Pre-prandials
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the insane amount of pubs and bars in Brighton, and whilst I’m not the biggest boozer these days, I will give a couple of recommendations if you’re looking for a pre-dinner drink somewhere.
So if you want a pub, check out the Black Lion or the Walrus, both nice and pubby, the Black Lion also has a decent beer garden for warmer weather. If you’re in the mood for something harder, maybe check out the Plotting Parlour or Bohemia for cocktails. And finally if you want a wine bar, it’s got to be Plateau.
And she says she’s not a big boozer…
Dinner
If you make it out of your pub in time for dinner, I’d strongly recommend Terre a Terre, a mostly vegan and vegetarian restaurant that has blown my mind every time I’ve been. It’s a little on the pricey side, so if you’re not feeling that, then I’d say Franco Manca, serving the best sourdough pizza in town, is worthy of your custom too, and super affordable.
Comedy at Komedia
Finally, if you’re in the mood to end the evening with some entertainment, head to Komedia on Gardner Street. You might have to pre-book depending on when you go, but there’s usually something on, usually comedy, that you can turn up for. I love a good giggle (as demonstrated in episode 17), and I’ve always been impressed by the comic standards at Komedia, though I do have friends who will tell you it’s hit or miss.
Few! I think after that you’ll be running to get home and into bed, because I’ll admit - Brighton can feel a bit full on, especially if you’re an introvert and/or an HSP.
But I love this city, and all it’s quirk and the people here are second to none on the friendliness level (especially for the South of England, not the warmest part of the world.)
Ooh and don’t dilly dally - the last train home to London is around 11:30 and I have had the joyous experience of being stranded here in my youth, so - check your train times! And I wish you a lovely day in Brighton.
Fun rating: 9/10
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting this project gets you lots of goodies, including a copy of my soon-to-be-released BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Live a Life You Love on Your Terms, monthly Masterclasses and much more. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
The post The Year of Fun #44: A Day in Brighton appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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I’m a massive fan of ‘best of’ lists, especially when it comes to books, and I figured it would be a nice way to start rounding up the year.
For the first time, I was pretty consistent this year in keeping track of what I was reading, averaging about 4 books a month - but I will admit I finished probably half of them. I’m a big believer in putting a book down when it stops interesting you. There are too many good books out there.
All but one of these are non-fiction, so apologies if that isn’t your jam, but if you listen to this podcast you’ll likely be interested in most of these topics anyway, so fingers crossed you find at least one book that piques your curiosity.
I’d also love to know what your favourite books were this year, I’m always up for recommendations.
1) Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss
I’ve been an embarrassingly big fan of Tim Ferriss for many years now, his books and his podcast - and this book kind of combines both. It is basically a reference book Tim created for himself, asking his world-class most expert buddies for advice on some of his most pressing questions. Questions like:
How could I be kinder to myself?
How could I better say “no” to the trivial many to better say “yes” to the critical few?
How could I best reassess my priorities and my purpose in this world?
I love the concept, of seeking council from the best, and if you have the contacts - you might as well use ’em. And if you don’t well you can read this book.
2) Shrinking Violets by Joe Moran
I stumbled upon this author at a talk he gave in Brighton last year, and I knew I had to have him on the podcast. Fortunately, despite being a shrinking violet, he said yes. This book is a fascinating and really quite sweet look at what it means to be shy, and as someone who often avoids the subject of shyness because I don’t want people to confuse it for introversion, it was an important read for me.
3) Your Press Release is Breaking My Heart by Janet Murray
Another hero of mine, Janet Murray is the author of this next book and one I prescribe regularly to any of my clients or just people I meet, anyone who wants to get their work out to the masses via the press and influencers.
I love how detailed yet simple Janet manages to make this topic of PR and how she does acknowledge what it’s like to be an introvert when you’re trying to reach out to the press.
4) 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson
If you’ve been listening to this podcast recently (or if you listened to the episode of The Seeker and the Skeptic on the book club we went to), you probably won’t be surprised to hear this entry. Some of his ideas are questionable, yes, but there is so much wisdom buried in this book - which is basically a self-help book. But unlike most other self help books I’ve ever read, there’s something about Peterson’s words that hit me at a deep level, it kind of shakes your core - at least, it does for me.
Regardless of what you think of the man, I think it’s worth giving this book a go, at least to understand what he’s actually trying to say.
5) The Creative License by Danny Gregory
Another podcast guest, this book comes from Danny Gregory who has been a real inspiration to me. I read this book during the summer while I was feeling particularly uninspired and well, sweaty, and this was a reminder of all the possibilities that creativity holds, and how you can start super small - just putting pen to paper - and what a difference that makes.
6) The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Danny takes a lot of his inspiration from this legendary book by Julia Cameron, and I decided to read this for the second time earlier in the year. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s basically more of a course than a regular book, and Julia walks you through 12 weeks of ‘artist recovery’ - yes, it’s based on the 12 Steps program and has a lot of God talk - but regardless of how you feel about that, it has some real gems that I think I’ll be using for the rest of my life.
7) How To Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
Increasingly one of my interests has become the use of plants and plant medicine for healing, both physically and mentally - and let’s say it, spiritually. You might have caught the Year of Fun episode back in March where I talked about my trip to Peru, and my experience with plant medicine there.
Again, not for everyone - seriously not for everyone - but we are definitely at a turning point in our cultural attitude to these consciousness-altering substances, and I can’t but help be excited for the possibilities they have, if used correctly. Michael Pollan is brilliant at explaining the why behind all this renewed attention for psychedelics, the history, the science and everything in between. One for the seekers and the skeptics.
8) Volcanic Momentum by Jordan Ring
One more podcast guest for you here, and like I mentioned on that show, I’ve read a hell of a lot of books on productivity and time management - but this was a truly great read. I flew through it, and never once felt patronised or like Jordan was trying to get me to do something unreasonable - this guy walks the talk, and I really clicked with his message. If you’re looking to get 2019 off to a momentous start, then this one is definitely worth checking out.
9) Mythos by Stephen Fry
Oh my… this is the one I’m most excited about now because I’m still currently reading it. Since I picked it up, I basically haven’t been able to stop thinking about it or how much I just want to be reading it. And it definitely sticks out of this list, because it’s entirely based on myth - the Greek myths to be exact. And I’ve been interested in the Ancient Greeks since I was at school, but always felt frustrated when I tried to dig deeper. For one, there are a LOT of characters to keep track of. Plus, the stories are so nutty that when you read them without some of Stephen Fry’s humour, they don’t seem to reach modern minds properly.
Fry is the perfect person to retell these tales, in my opinion, and if you have any interest in archetypes, legends, bizarre stories and the etymology of words (which I am very much) I highly recommend this tome.
10) The Creative Introvert by… Me.
Awkward… Yes, I am putting my own book on my list of best books I read in 2018 because what kind of a message would I be sending to you otherwise?? Honestly, it took me a while of battling with this - it’s been officially in the works since January 2018 but I really have been working on it for a good three years in terms of the ideas and activities in there.
It was only in the very last edits back in November that I started to LIKE this book though - which, if you’ve ever written or created anything you probably know how that feels. We’re our own worst critics. And whilst there’ll always be bits I’ll want to change and update, I have come to the conclusion that this is the best I could do up to this point, in explaining to others HOW to build a business or freelance career in a way that not only works as a creative introvert, but specifically for YOU - a reference book that allows you to pick and choose what appeals to you, specifically. I don’t know many people offering something like that, so I hope it provides a missing piece in the entrepreneurial creative self-help space. And I hope you enjoy it, should you choose to get yourself a copy.
And I’ll mention the bonuses I’m offering one more time before the offer runs out on December 31st - basically, if you order the book BEFORE then, you’ll get your hands on goodies worth around $700, including access to the League of Creative Introverts (my online community), a companion guide eBook and 6 months of book club calls that will begin in the new year.
Phew - all done. Hope you enjoy any of the books you pick from this list, and again - I’d love to read your recommendations too.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my soon-to-be-released BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
The post CIP085: The Best Books I Read in 2018 appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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It was a pleasure this week to have my first repeat guest back on the show, Martin Stellar (he’s also the business and mindset coach I mention in The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms.
We discuss what Martin has been up to in the past couple of years, what it means to calibrate reality, and discuss how we can be better decision makers, how we can stop people pleasing and start doing what we’re here for.
As mentioned, if you’d like to have a quick chat with Martin about calibrating reality and learn the 9 pillars of effortless mastery (plus how to actually put the to use!), just email [email protected]
Connect with Martin:
You can also download Martin’s Calibrate Reality Dojo Intro here to learn more.
If you leave a rating and review on iTunes (here’s how to do that) I will be as happy as a kitten playing with a laser beam (or sob into my pillow, depending on what you write.)
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting the Creative Introvert podcast also gets you lots of goodies, from a Monthly Ask Me Anything to a copy of my soon-to-be-released BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Build a Business You Love on Your Terms. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
The post CIP084: Martin Stellar on Calibrating Reality appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
]]>Dammit - I promised myself I’d recorded my last woo-woo Year of Fun adventure, but here we are. Getting an astrology reading.
After growing increasingly curious about astrology over the past year or so, I figured it was finally time to see what it would be like to get my birth chart - the map of the planets at the exact time I was born - interpreted by a human. I know you can get your chart interpreted online for free (and I recommend this, if you’re curious) but I also know the value in speaking to a real live human, and getting their spin on things.
I should let you know my beliefs around astrology, just to be clear. That said, I don’t blame you for already jumping to the conclusion that I’ve lost my mind. I AM still skeptical about the value in attributing what’s happening in our lives, and what our personalities are like based on the stars. I can see how nutty that sounds.
But… I also know that we don’t know everything. We don’t really know what makes what happen. Astrology has been around for a long time, and has existed in multiple parts of the world, across thousands of years.
If there’s anything to it, I’d say it’s much like the Myers Briggs personality test: YOUR interpretation, YOUR insights from the results and even from the questions - that’s where the value lies. If I look at my birth chart and see my sun is in Aries, a fire sign, a bold, strong and somewhat self-centred sign: I will take what I want from that. I might think YES! This explains my fiery temper, my passion and intense drive. I might ignore the self-centred, egotistical tendencies OR I might take them into account and try to temper those aspects of myself, arguably for the better.
Of course there’s more to me than those qualities and weaknesses, just like there’s more to you than being an introvert or an INFP. But sometimes it’s useful to have a helping hand in identifying those characteristics, and that’s what Astrology - I believe - does. It’s one more torch you can use to shine a light on yourself, and question what makes you, you.
OK, now that’s out of the way I’ll let you in on my first ever chart reading.
What I cover on the episode:
- The setting
- The personality of my astrologer
- Diagnosis #1: an indigo child?
- Am I a creative introvert, according to my chart?
- Business tips (from the astrologer, not the stars)
- What’s in my future…
Fun rating: 9/10
I’d recommend this to pretty much anyone who has an open mind, and is not prone (too much) to blaming external events for their reality.
You can find out more about my astrologer here (spoiler alert: highly recommended!) and if you’d like to hear a much more in-depth podcast about astrology and a discussion with my skeptical co-host, subscribe to the Seeker and the Skeptic podcast. The show will air 1st Jan.
POWERED BY PATREON
This podcast is made possible only by means of my generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you! Supporting this project gets you lots of goodies, including a copy of my soon-to-be-released BOOK, The Creative Introvert: How to Live a Life You Love on Your Terms, monthly Masterclasses and much more. Hitting milestones also funds future projects, and ideas guided by you, my supporters.
The post The Year of Fun #43: Get An Astrology Reading appeared first on The Creative Introvert.
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