The Extroverted Writer

Yesterday, following a series of Messages From The Universe (MFTU), I had a moment of clarity. Or rather, a moment of common freaking sense.

I was chit-chatting with my friend and fellow writer, Stephen Reese, one of the smartest and most rigorously self-aware people I know. He mentioned the challenge of managing his extroversion and his creative work. This blew my mind. I don't know why I'd never thought about it in these terms before. And now that I am, it seems kind of obvious.

I am an extrovert. (Duh.) Extroverts get their energy from other people and stimuli. If we're alone too long, we tend to 'fade.' No wonder I go coo-coo when I'm by my lonesome. But as a writer, I need large, unbroken periods of time alone to do my creative work. Appointments and meetings fracture my focus and concentration. It gives my writing time a yucky pressured feeling.

I need isolation to create. But at a certain point, it depletes me. It's a frickin' conundrum!

I have a feeling introverted writers have an easier go of it.

Stephen (he is SO not a Steve) has determined that a not-too-creatively-demanding full-time job is his best solution. One that surrounds him with people he really likes and allows him to conserve his creative energy, so that when he goes home to work on his novel, he's got gas in the tank.

I have never been able to "do" the full-time job well. Maybe it's my overachieving gene or my penchant for office gossip, but I rarely conserve energy at work. Mostly, I get wrapped up in "being productive" and decide to take on seven freelance projects on the side and host weekly dinner parties for ten. And then I wonder why I'm not getting my novel written.

Except for during Ironman year. When I was training, I was totally focused. My job was just where I went from nine to five. It was fun, the people were nice, I didn't work very hard. And when the clock hit 5:00, I was off to live my dream. I was actually charging my batteries at the office all day, not running them down.

So, I'm I running off to find a full-time job? No. But this question warrants serious further investigation. Any ideas or suggestions are more than welcome.