The Introverted Extrovert

Begonia PaintingI have been aware for quite some time that I am an even split between extrovert and introvert. What that means in my life is, I really need some times with other people, and I also really need other times that I am alone. Both are very important to me. Most people have a tendency to be just one or the other. What I have only become aware of recently is, research into creativity reveals that highly creative people tend to have this kind of unusual split with the introvert/extrovert personality. I find that encouraging! It works well in my profession too. I love my teaching time and get lots of energy from sharing art techniques with students. I equally love my alone time, which is when I do my best painting. If creativity and personality traits is a topic of interest to you, here’s a link to an article: “After the Show – The Many Faces of The Performer”  by Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD. Although this article focuses on actors and musicians, certainly much of it applies to visual artists too.