Solitude vs. Collaboration
Creatives need both solitude and collaboration to meet their greatest performance. Mastering both and scheduling the when of each is vital.
Solitude can enhance creativity allowing the mind and heart to focus. A recognized standard of twenty minutes is spot on when it comes to getting back on track after interruptions. Creativity is a lot of hard work. The efforts are not something you pick up and put down several times while juggling other responsibilities. Continual notifications, phone calls, texts and meetings can easily take a creative out of that coveted zone. Switching hats from right brain functions of entrepreneur, lawyer, producer and publisher to the left side of the brain as a film director, content creator and author sometime takes on the likes of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and can ultimately lead to burnout. Sometimes, we just want to be left alone when we’re in that zen. It’s really not effective nor maximizing your talents to jump from one to the other multi-tasking all over the place.
Although I play many roles in my projects and do so successfully, it’s only by time blocking that I remain productive and creative. During the pandemic, I have loved my quiet time to create. So many AHA! moments and inspirations have also popped in during the silence. The unstructured interaction with nature, the rediscovery of the home I love, the training of a new Golden Retriever puppy, the 24/7 spent with “my guy” , the personal introspection, the cooking and gardening without rush and the days of not wearing shoes-All gave me the benefits of increased emotional and physical well-being while also being highly productive and experiencing epic creativity in my business ventures.
Collaboration and community, however, are also important and I missed it as we danced around the lock downs, social distancing and COVID precautions. I crave collaboration just as much as I do solitude. Despite the myth, creatives are not typically introverts but rather require introversion and extroversion to be successful. There’s a magic that occurs at a film shoot, a photography editing session on a author client’s coffee table book, and an exchange of ideas and laughter with my glorious team in person. There are also break-throughs, clarity of vision and taking projects to the next level that only comes with communication and engagement with others.
At first, after traveling nonstop for the last few years on film productions, the time working at home over this last year plus was welcomed and wonderful. Yet, I missed my film crews and the energy of shoots when the productions were put on hold. We are a collective that has a higher purpose and calling. There’s an excitement of “game day” that prevails and celebratory high-fives when we wrap. Unprecedented and lasting bonds are formed on film shoots, editing sessions and publishing projects when the team gathers.
The travel that can become weary at times was additionally missed and desired. New sights, new sounds, new locations, new people-all fuel for the inner creative muse were absent. I also yearned for the personal engagement with film audiences and the fans of our projects. Hearing the chatter, laughter, watching the faces, hugging and shaking hands of those who tirelessly waited in line to ask me a question or make a comment about the film they just saw-all invaluable feedback, not to mention rewarding, for a film director and producer.
As we now proceed with a “new normal”, I continue to strive for a greater balance of solitude and collaboration but more intentionally. Days blocked off for solitude to quietly create and days allotted for energetic collaboration are both required. I’m a better artist and person, as a result ,and enjoy being a purposeful introvert and purposeful extrovert with planning, as well as more effective time and energy management.
How about you? Here’s to both beautiful times of solitude and collaboration! A creative requires each to be truly successful.
