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I was very recently reminded that I have a blog about introversion (although it’s been almost 4 years since I posted there..)
There’s been discussion over the years about whether or not introverted people are more creative than extraverts. Susan Cain, in her new book Quiet, suggests that solitude may be important to the creative process, which would naturally appeal to introverts or shy people.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of the books Flow and Creativity, suggests that creative people exhibit the traits associated with both introversion and extraversion.
I don’t know who’s right – it may be a meaningless question. But I came across this quote from Psychology Today which presents an interesting take on the subject:
…to oversimplify, introverts can generate new ideas, make plans, and help quietly, while extraverts can implement those plans, think quickly on their feet, and make use of their great energy.
I don’t think this definition is universally true by any means, but I think it helps to illustrate a common view of extraverts: they seem to be the ones who have all of the energy and who can act and speak quickly. Thinking on your feet – or being able to respond quickly to problems or questions – would seem to indicate intelligence, if not creativity. By contrast, some introverts (like me) might not be good at being creative on demand, especially when we’re faced with subject matter or situations which we aren’t comfortable with.
By the introvert can be extremely creative and develop deep, comprehensive ideas. They just might not be able to do it quickly.
Ultimately I think the Psychology Today quote captures the essence of Csikszentmihalyi’s concept: delivering creative work requires multiple skills. There is a time and place for quiet brilliance as well as a need for energy and hustle among other people to make things happen.
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I’m half way through Susan Cain’s Quiet and I’ve been meaning to share some thoughts on it, but I’m waiting to finish it. What I can say though is that is not that simple as dividing personality traits into two opposing camps. I’m sure there are introverts who don’t have a creative bone in their body, the same way that there are many extroverts who are constantly making things. See Merlin Mann.
*BTW had no idea you had blog dedicated to inroversion.
Hi Jay. I haven’t read Quiet yet but it’s something on my list to read this year. I think you’re correct about about personality traits: they aren’t absolutes, more like measurements which can fluctuate over time.
I haven’t updated The Mighty Introvert in a long, long time and I tend to forget about it.
I think being introverted or extroverted emphasises a different kind of creativity as it is not just the “condition” itself as the surroundings and experiences that help to shape the thought process.
When I was younger (early twenties) I was a bit manic depressive and, depending on the circumstances would swing from highly extrovert (DJing in a club) to intensely introvert. During the introverted times (which also coincided with the more depressed episodes) I was incredibly creative with poetry but now that I am older, more extrovert and, overall, happier that part of my creativity has gone – I think the depression fed it and the seclusion meant that I was alone with my thoughts.
I am now more creative in other ways, including blogging that I would probably not have been able to manage if was still a depressed introvert.
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You are making an interesting connection between how you gained (or lost) energy and your moods. I don’t think the two things are always connected but they seemed to be in your case.
In the book Your Creative Brain, the author describes a series of creative exercises that you can try depending on your moods. Down moods seem to lend themselves towards reflection and introspection (pretty natural, really) – perhaps that’s similar to your experiences with writing poetry?