Alone ≠ Lonely

Recently, I stumbled across an article called “The Stigma of Doing Things Alone,” which discusses the social un-acceptance of being by oneself, whether purposefully or by accident.

This article struck a chord with me on multiple levels. For one, I like doing things alone and have plenty of hobbies which needn’t involve an additional person, so it was nice to have a blog post that so eloquently put that feeling into words.

On the other hand, I appreciated the article because if there’s anything I’ve learned from writing my first draft of A Whitewashed Tomb, it’s that silence and “alone time” are critical components of unlocking the wealth of creativity tucked away within us. If we are in constant connection with something outside ourself, how can we give our own muse the attention it needs to speak and be heard?

Christina Ling, the author of the article, writes:

“Time spent by myself is time spent alone with my thoughts, which I relish in a world of distraction.”

Whatever your creative endeavors may be, I encourage you to take some time to rest your eyes from screens and your ears from chatter, and look into yourself. You may be surprised what you find!