"There is nothing more interesting than people. One paints and one draws to learn to see people, to see oneself."
Spanish Artist
1881 - 1973
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| La Vie (1903) |
For me, people are central to being a creative leader. The stories that writers share are about people and their relationships. When I speak on leadership, I talk about leadership being defined as people working with and through people. I love paintings and photographs that involve people. People communicate so much meaning through their expressions and gestures. I find people fascinating because in them I see bits and pieces of myself. Through interactions with others I learn more about myself. People teach me important lessons that I need to learn.
If I were the only human remaining on this planet, life would be boring. When I was young, I thought I would like to be a hermit and withdraw from the world, but I no longer feel that way. I do need people. Having said that, I must confess that I am still an introvert. What that means is that many people take energy from me and I must have alone time to restore my energy. Extroverts by nature enjoy people and are re-energized by being with people. After spending two hours in a mall, I am exhausted and must withdraw to replace my energy and recharge my spirit. One of the few places where I can be re-energized by people is when I am speaking in front of an audience. Some audiences will take the energy that I give out when I speak and return it to me ten-fold. Other audiences will absorb my energy and suck me dry.
Who are the people in your life? Do they help restore your energy or do they drain your energy? What about the people in your stories, your paintings and your songs? Are your relationships positive and life-giving? Or are your relationships toxic and destructive? What are the people in your life teaching you? Even the most difficult people in our lives are there to teach us lessons. What are you learning about yourself? And what are you teaching the people in your life?
