Thus far I've done an interview with an introverted missionary, an introverted church-planter, an introverted Pentecostal pastor, and an introverted youth minister, but I still feel that someone is missing. An introvert in the arts. Therefore, I'm working on questions for an interview with introverted musician Natalie Nicole Gilbert that I will be posting in the next couple of weeks.
But for now I want to pose a couple of questions. Why do you think that introverts are so attracted to the arts? Pastors and leaders seem to tend towards the extroverted side of the spectrum, but musicians, actors, artists, and writers seem to go the other way. Is it simply because people in the arts tend to work in solitude, or is it more complicated than that? What are your theories?
I just wanted to let you know that I did a little review of Introverts in the Church for my blog. You can read the post here: http://tinyurl.com/2fx5x3f.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Ha - I see this right after I just sent you an e-mail on this very topic. My guess, with regard to music at least, is that there's an element of being able to keep a part of yourself in reserve that introverts find appealing. When I'm playing, I've got the guitar between any audience and myself. I'm speaking through the lyrics, which are already prepared for me. And even in front of a crowd of strangers, if I choose to, I can go deeply enough into a song that all of my surroundings go away. The song can be a sanctuary, a way to recharge on the fly - and then I can turn the energy outward again, connect with my listeners, share with them on a level deeper than I can usually achieve with normal speech without serious preparation. Music can be exhausting - I played for a group of new friends about a month ago around a campfire, and was practically mute for the rest of the night - but it's also a slower "drain" than normal speech and interaction, and contains within it a means to recover from or delay burnout. So there's one theory for ya.
ReplyDeleteThere is an interiority built into a life in the arts combining much thinking, reflecting, and conceptualizing. Frequent solitude is essential for deep creativity. I have played drums for over 4 decades and it has always been about my relationship with the instrument, self-exploration and pushing my creative boundaries in expressing the music. Performing wasn't as compelling as discovering new ways of playing and understanding the instrument. Also, playing with others was less about entertaining people and more about an creative dialogue with like-minded explorers, each contributing an individual voice and making all sorts on fresh tonal and rhythmic discoveries in real time together. Very personal, but in the company of friends so to speak. Also. I sat behind a very complex instrument which separated me from the viewers (but not the listeners). And I was the only one playing my instrument in the group.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Casey and Kit! I'm going to be thinking for a while about those comments. You're making me wish I'd devoted more time to artists and musicians in my book.
ReplyDeleteHey Adam,
ReplyDeleteJust ran across your blog through Rumblings... As an introvert (and artist) I felt somewhat compelled to comment on my first visit!
Artists as introverts... I think that might be a good characterization and a challenge. Though much of my art-making is done in solitude, I have greatly benefitted (and become more comfortable) with community and collaboration for both personal and professional reasons. It is always important to be aware of ones introversion and also to balance it. One of the benefits of being an introvert and artist is that I am willing and able to spend generous amounts of time doing detailed, sometimes tedious work. I think introverts aren;t necessarily more creative, just we apply our creativity in different ways. The arts require focus, contemplation and the steady practice of skills; and the arts are only a specific type of creativity. As an artist I feel that I carry a commitment to "the work unseen". Perhaps introverts are more likely to find fulfillment in such anonymity (though it is often frustrating as well).
I don't want to exclude any extrovert artists out there - I know of some and I hope they know how much I appreciate them. What I love about extroverted artists is their ability to make personal connections and network, they tend to make great curators and activists!
Welcome to the conversation, highestform. You touched on the dynamic I tried to emphasize in my book - the need to both travel inwards - to that place of creativity and imagination and solitude - and to travel outwards, towards collaboration and relationships with others. Thanks for your comment!
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