the responsibility to be authentic

I am a proud introvert as many of you know.  It took me a long time to stand on this soapbox with my introvert superhero cape.  There are SO MANY misconceptions about this "label".   I feel grateful to have a continued, energetic passion to work in education because I feel that many times (still, to this day), introverts get overlooked in the classroom and I feel I have what is needed to engage, captivate and find ways for EVERYONE to participate and grow in a fruitful learning environment.

One of my revelations as an introvert AND a highly creative being is that I thrive on ideas.  And ideas don't "arrive" unless I am alone.

I love love love people (especially those individuals who let me know who they truly are) and especially children (the "cloud" of our culture and all that goes with this hasn't started following them around yet) but, ideas don't flow until I find my equilibrium and quiet time once again.  And, mind you, I am an idea junkie.  If I've spent day in and day out with a group of people, there comes a time where I hit a breaking point.  Not because I don't like people but because I can't hear myself think (and this exhausts me).

The downside of being an introvert AND a creative is that sometimes (a lot of the times), I am left with my own thoughts that aren't as healthy.  These can be loud and completely disruptive to my process and once they start, it's hard to get them to stop.  These are old beliefs or ideas that I don't think I ever initially had but that I chose to take on from somewhere else.

Recently, the term "responsibility" has been coming up within me.  Old (ancient) ideas of responsibility look something like this: Get a degree that will get you a job, that will pay you a salary,  provide health insurance and contribute to your retirement.  As an artist and small business owner, this old belief can crush me (in an instant).

What was especially inspiring about yesterday was that, during a coaching session with a client, I heard myself stand up for another version of responsibility - the one I really believe.  What if responsibility is actually being authentic and true to yourself?  Having this belief is one thing but to keep on showing up and acting on this belief everyday is an entirely different GIANT endeavor.  It takes SO MUCH COURAGE.  It can feel SO VULNERABLE.

Where can you step outside of an old (ancient) belief you have today?  Try it for 5 minutes somewhere.  How can you acknowledge or support someone today who is practicing being courageous?

Creating this board on pinterest is a way I can begin to spread more positive messages (as well as humor) about introverts.

I recently found this video on courage and creativity by Tiffany Shlain inspiring (ooops!  but one could possibly interpret a negative association to introverts here - watch out!)

Tiffany recommends celebrating the breakthroughs.  I LOVE CELEBRATING.  In fact, call on me for any minor accomplishment towards your vision and I will literally jump for joy.  I am celebrating the breakthrough of my creative online curriculum (it's been THREE years!) and offering a special.  Get 5 days of creativity for $25.  You can view ALL the details here.

You can also follow my ideas and creations here: instagram, facebook, flickr and etsy.

For more posts on being an introvert, visit these:
me, the INFJ
an introvert's guide to holidays: here and here
quiet influence, a quiz