Friendship Sparks Creativity

When I first looked at the title of William Deresiewicz lecture “Solitude and leadership” I was not very motivated to read any further. I am external processor, happiest when I am engaged in a stimulating conversation.

Sitting with only my thoughts for company, whilst looking at an empty computer screen, is a nightmare for me. My mind seems to start blank and then drift into a cocktail of unimportant things. I often find myself gravitating to the local coffee house where at least the buzz of other people’s conversation can occasionally stimulate me into some sort of creativity.

You can imagine how happy I was when Deresiewicz mentioned that he was going to include Friendship as a form of solitude. He goes on to say that talking with friends will seem counterintuitive, as friendship is the opposite of solitude. In the context of his overall thesis that leaders need to think, he was highlighting one kind of friendship in particular, the deep friendship of intimate conversation.

“This is what we call thinking out loud, discovering what you believe in the course of articulating it. But it takes just as much time and just as much patience as solitude in the strict sense.” I am someone who thrives on the cut and thrust of debate and I am able to adjust my thinking as the conversation progresses. I realize that I need both environments to make creative decisions. I need to be able to write down my thoughts and work them as well as taking time to be stimulated by animated conversation and debate.

Friendship Sparks Creativity

When I first looked at the title of William Deresiewicz lecture “Solitude and leadership” I was not very motivated to read any further. I am external processor, happiest when I am engaged in a stimulating conversation.