Complexity of the Creative Personality

One of my favorite topics from talentdevelop.com, and the article I read recently, is The Complexity of the Creative Personality, by Douglas Eby. I constantly feel so complex--in one moment, I can be both happy and sad, highly optimistic and extremely worried, craving company, but also isolation.

 The article begins with a quote from a creativity researcher, who says creative people are so complex, "instead of being an individual, they are a multitude." He describes personality characteristics of creative individuals as:

   -Humble and proud, both painfully self-doubting and wildly self-confident.
   -Both extraverted and introverted, needing people and solitude equally.
   -Smart and naive at the same time. A mix of wisdom and childishness. Emotional immaturity along with the deepest insights.
   -Convergent and divergent thinking.
   -A great deal of physical energy alternating with a great need for quiet and rest.
   -May defy gender stereotypes.

Hearing famous actors talk about being shy has always fascinated me. I think, how can you be a celebrity, how can you be in front of a camera for your job, and be shy. But, it makes sense. After all, these are highly sensitive, highly creative people, so they are bound to be introverted, shy, complex.

In an interview, Sigourney Weaver commented, "Sometimes because I am very shy, when I meet a director, and they are shy too, we just sort of sit there."

Similarly, Evan Rachel Wood admits, "I used to not even be able to order pizza on the phone because I was just so shy."

Nicole Kidman has said, "It was very natural for me to want to disappear into dark theater, I am really very shy."

I've always wanted to try acting, but told myself I could never do it because I'm too shy. Maybe I'll give it a try.