Stay ConnectedThe Creative Introvert Podcast is the podcast for creatives, makers, artists and entrepreneurs who prefer to work solo.
Cat Rose digs deep into the struggles creative introverts face and provides you with actionable tips every week. Topics tackled include: battling fear, increasing confidence, self-promotion without feeling sleazy, and overcoming procrastination.
Copyright: © Cat Rose Astrology
We’ve spent the last three podcasts in this Enneagram series going through the three triads, covering all the core 9 types. The idea is that your core type, one of the nine numbers we’ve discussed, describe your personality overall.
However: it gets a bit more complex. The wing - another type - adds an important, sometimes contradictory, element to your personality.
Last weekend was opening weekend and I surprised myself: I got stuck in to Brighton Festival for the first time.
On Saturday I went with a friend to a comedy gig. I didn’t have much in terms of expectations, I just knew it was at the right time of day (early evening - I’m not going to an 9pm gigs because, bedtime) and it was in the right place: the Warren.
The Warren is a part of the festival that I’ve heard very good things about, so I wanted to explore it. And oh boy: was I in for a treat.
I have this thing, may be it’s because I’m fairly empathic or maybe it’s because I know how it feels to be on stage…
But I make extra effort to smile and laugh.
And may be it was the beer, but after the initial awkward 5 minutes (which by the way EVERYONE experiences - something to think about if you’re scared of being on stage - you only need to get past the first 5 minutes)
After that passed, I was basically in hysterics. And I mean hysterics: laughing and crying. Yes, there were tears. I think the comedian took a shine to me then, because I was clearly a fan - and pulled me on stage to dance with him as part of this bit where he acts out the starting credits to Magnum PI, with the themesong playing…
Apparently I was only there for 15 seconds, but it obviously felt like an eternity.
Thank god there was some booze in the system or that would have been much, much worse.
Click here for show notesIf you’ve been keeping up with this series on the Enneagram system, you’ll know about what it is, where it comes from, all the different nine personality types and the wings of each type.
Unless you’re already familiar with the Enneagram, I really recommend going back and checking out the rest of the series here, in order to get much sense from today's post.
OK so today we’re talking about the Levels of Development. Now this is what really got me hooked and interested in learning more about the Enneagram because I don’t know of any other typology system that really lays out in detail this idea of progress within each personality type.
And forgive me, if you’re someone who understands the Enneagram as more than just a personality typology, I know it’s not defined in that way by everyone, but for the sake of this beginners series, let’s look at it in that light.
The idea is that there is an overall structure to each personality type. Each type description spans from healthy traits, to its average traits, and then to its unhealthy traits.
Full episode show notes here: https://wp.me/p5bc9S-2jA
Reading is one of the best solitary activities there is, and I for one have always been - since I could read I guess - a big old book worm.
But one thing that you can’t do alone, is discuss the book afterwards - and this is something I love to do. It’s like going to see a film: for me, the best part is discussing the film afterwards with the person you went with. And as much as I love solo cinema going I do miss that post-mortem part.
So books are no different. On the odd occaision someone has read the same book as me - ideally recently because my memory sucks - there’s nothing like a good discussion about the book. What we liked, what we didn’t like, what we learned.
Oh and on that note - most of the books - 99% - are non-fiction. For whatever reason, I got on the non-fiction train a few years ago and haven’t gotten off since, apart from the odd graphic novel.
But I don’t have many friends who read non-fiction quite as avidly as I do, well, until I moved to Brighton. Last year, while hunting for speakers for a live event myself and a friend put on, Wildfire Women, I met Donna for the first time.
Donna is the founder of Gozen Girls and has recently started her own podcast.
The idea behind Gozen Girls is getting together to discuss books, mostly non-fiction, written by women. The non-fiction part is what hooked me, and I finally went to my first GG book club: I didn’t have a choice when I saw the book to be discussed was Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.
I loveElizabeth Gilbert. So much. I had put off reading Eat Pray Love for the longest time, purely because I thought it was - and please don’t get offended - ‘chick lit’. I thought it was a fictional account of some soppy love story and that just didn’t inspire me to read.
But then someone gave me a copy as a gift, and I decided - why the hell not. Since reading EPL, I declared my all out fangirl status for Elizabeth Gilbert and decided to consume all of her works.
Big Magic is her finest work, in my opinion, second only by a hair to EPL.
Now it’s safe to say that the book club were a fan too. And, happily, everyone there was all up for having those big conversations that Gilbert starts in Big Magic: about creativity, the resistance, fear, courage, purpose, creative calling and so much more.
It was an awesome night full of stimulating conversations that left me pondering all sorts of questions afterwards, and reminded me of how lucky I am to have this creative, open minded community on my doorstep. Which I guess I already knew, but if someone didn’t know that, all they would have to do is go to a book club like this and see for themselves.
And that’s my message for you today. Is there a ready-made community available for you on your doorstep? May be it’s also a book club - they’re common in most cities. Or can you be the one to start one, like Donna?
It doesn’t take much to get a group of people giving there opinions about something they love, like a book, and you don’t have to do anything other than show up. In fact, a couple of women who joined us did just that: they sat back and absorbed.
I didn’t leave feeling drained, likely because it was lifted to two hours which is just about my limit, and everyone was polite enough to give each other space to pipe up, if they wanted.
No pressure from Donna, who was a wonderful facilitator: who asked great questions and gave us a worksheet to go through which I found very helpful. If you’re subscribed to the Museletter you’ll receive the questions Donna gave us from that in this week’s update.
So, a perfectly introvert friendly evening, even if it was technically a group environment.
Fun rating: 8/10 Links mentioned:If you’ve been following along on this Enneagram series so far, you’ll know exactly what the heck I’m talking about and are ready for this instalment where I go through the final 3 types 8,9,1 of the Enneagram.
If not, don’t worry! You’ll want to go back to the first episode in this series, which you can find here.
Ok so last week I spoke about the Thinking triad: that is the three personality types, described by the enneagram that are types 5,6,7.
Today we’re onto the Instinctive triad: so we have three more personality types to dig into.
What what - an introvert at a conference!?
I know - but remember I do like a challenge...
This was an unexpectedly fun part of my week, and my conclusion for why this was is... FOCUS.
My funk last week, I believe, is down to a lack of focus.
A feeling that is definitely disturbing to type-A MUST BE ACHIEVING folk like myself.
Focussing on a speaker at a conference is much like the equivalent of watching a film at the cinema vs. watching Netflix at home. Your focus is increased. I bet you aren't scrolling through Instagram at the cinema.
Fun rating: 7.5/10I did leave at lunchtime (6 speakers is quite enough for me, thank you) but I feel that was the perfect dose of though-provoking information, lots of tips and a lot of people to carry me into the weekend!
(NOTE: This is also the first ever off-the-cuff podcast I've recorded, so if you want the full low down - word fluff and all - definitely listen to the full episode.)
If you’ve been following along on this Enneagram series so far, you’ll know exactly what the heck I’m talking about and are ready for this instalment where I go through the types 5,6,7 of the Enneagram.
If not, don’t worry! You’ll want to go back to the first episode in this series, which you can find here.
Ok so last week I spoke about the Feeling triad: that is the three personality types, described by the enneagram that are types 2,3,4.
Today we’re onto the Thinking triad: so we have three more personality types to dig into.
I've been in a bit of a funk lately... nothing serious, just a bit of apathy that I know will pass.
What's weird is that things that might have excited me and challenged me and delighted me in the past, aren't quite doing the job this time.
Do you ever experience this? I'm sure, if you're human, you do. It's not a feeling that says something's wrong, or even that there's a problem to solve. In some ways, I'd love a problem to solve - as long as it means I can get fired up about it.
Instead, I'm left with a vague sense of impatience and craving, but without any real drive to take wholehearted action - which is odd, because I've historically been a very action-oriented, head strong type.
So this apathy can range from day to day activities, certain coffee shops I love (or have loved) to work in, bits and bobs for the Creative Introvert and how I choose to spend my free time - including many of the activities I've put in my Jar of Fun.
But what does this all meeeean??
Well, that's the question I've been asking. i've been journalling about it, discussing it with my pals, sending intentions out to the universe to answer me: what is this slump all about?
If something isn't fun anymore... What's changed?
If the activity hasn't changed... And my circumstances are still the same - and on the whole, very good - I guess it's me that's the culprit of this change.
Now I embrace change, or at least I attempt to.
Particularly personal change - heck, I wouldn't have started this Creative Introvert business if I wasn't a personal development junkie myself.
But I can't deny this has made me feel a bit like an awkward chrysalis (by the way, have you seen the process of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly? That sh*t is crazy) somewhere between my former caterpillar self, wiggling around and munching on everything in it's path, and the incredible butterfly that soars all around your garden.
It's not entirely pleasant, but I'll take it if it means the butterfly stage is coming.
I'm also using this caterpillar butterfly metaphor to explain - to myself as well as you - the change we all go through at various stages of life, over and over again, as we shed our former self that may be limiting us in some way, and become what we're destined to be.
I'm using the word 'destined' lightly, because I'm not sold on the idea of fate or destiny currently, but I am a big believer in their being a True Self, or a more authentic, genuine self, that we're possibly always subconsciously aware of... and are always getting steered towards from within... if we listen carefully.
Ok so esoteric stuff aside, what does this mean for the Year of Fun?
Well, I've decided to take an approach which I've been doing more and more over the recent year or so, but my former caterpillar self would absolutely balk at.
I've been looking at my to-do list and only picking out what I want to do in that moment.
If something feels uninspiring, I leave it for a time when I'm feeling more up to it.
Of course, I still keep my appointments and scheduled calls, but I haven't been acting on something just because it's in my Asana calendar.
Now there are times when this approach might not be a good idea, and of course I'm in a position where I'm under very little external pressure or responsibilities, but on the whole: I think each and every one of us could stand to pay attention to the way we feel about the day-to-day tasks we demand of ourselves.
We go into autopilot, and this isn't necessarily a bad thing. But it can be limiting you becoming your butterfly self. When you stop and pay attention to how you really feel about things in your life that were once serving you but now may be aren't... that's when you can usher in real change.
Of course, this is especially applicable to this little Year of Fun project. Part of me - the INTJ - the thinker, the finisher, the doer, the analyser - wants to turn everything into a science experiment with rules and controls and a method and an aim and... I'm not sure that's helping me find my FUN.
Full show notes: https://wp.me/p5bc9S-2li
Last week I introduced this series which is all about the Enneagram: a system for describing nine personality types.
Like I said, I see this as just one more way of learning about yourself, and it’s a fun tool to geek out on.
Today we’re going to be looking at three of the nine types, which all fall under the Feeling triad.
The two, also known as the helper, the three, also known as the Achiever and the Four, also known as the Romantic.
When these three types are at their best, they’re in touch with their feelings, their emotions, they’re compassionate and considerate of others - they’re basically the nurturing ones we need in our life.
But when they’re at their worst, they can get out of touch with their feelings, suppressing them in order to conform or be liked by others, rejecting their own identity in the belief that they’ll be more lovable if they act in another way: creating a false self image.
Links mentioned:Personality Types by Don Richard Riso
The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Baron and Elizabeth Wagele
Here we are - the 13th week of Fun in the year.
Since we last spoke I had a birthday, exited my twenties - with some trepidation, some relief.
I was planning to use my birthday as the subject of this week’s podcast but if I’m honest, there was little to say other than, I had a nice time with my best friends, basically on a pub crawl around my beloved Brighton.
But that’s a very short episode and I figured you deserved something more substantial.
Fortunately, my quest to find something else fun to do this week to tell you about resulted in some interesting self reflection, and that’s really what I want to tell you about.
Sure, I made a collage, which was in my jar of fun, a safe option, and something I really should do more often. I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to magazines, which is understandable when the ones I buy can cost up to £10 or so.
But cutting them up and making an interesting collage from them makes me feel a bit more justified in my hoarding.
Weirdly, my favourite part of making a collage is the cutting. I love the process of flicking through a magazine or catalogue and finding images or words that speak to me. The actual assembly part is much of a muchness.
Anyway, back to my revelation.
When I pulled ‘make a collage’ from the jar of fun, I was a bit disappointed. I’ve mentioned before about my need for challenge, so I suppose that ws missing. But there was another element: people.
Recently, I’ve had some really really fun times with people. Not randoms either, I mean people I consider my very good friends.
And whilst I still enjoy my solo cinema trips or an hour spent cutting and sticking for a collage, there’s part of me that is really craving that sense of a shared experience.
Improv wouldn’t have been as fun if I didn’t have my accomplice, thank you Rachel. That cottage weekend was fun entirely because of the company I was in.
This realisation definitely put me in a bit of a tailspin.
Am I questioning my introversion?
No, actually. Because I know where my boundaries lie. I know that a shared activity doesn’t mean doing something with strangers - like the Charleston episode. It’s doing things with people I know and love.
It also doesn’t mean partying late into the night - groups above 5-6 become substantially more draining for me.
It just means making time, regularly, to do things for fun whilst also considering asking a friend or two to come along. I’m very rarely the one to ask someone to ‘do something’ with me. I get the invites, I say yay or nay. That’s been my comfort zone for these 30 years.
But now, I’m wondering if embracing my idea of fun means being the inviter, not just the invitee. Which also means getting used to the idea of hearing no, i’m busy. Or no, not for me. Yikes. Is this how extroverts feel?
Anyway, that’s all for today - I’m going to send out some invites this weekend to see if I can recruit anyone to partake in a fun activity with me - and I will let you know how I get on. Wish me luck!
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