I have always felt guilty about my strong craving for solitude. Is something wrong with me? Am I a weirdo? Does desiring so much solitude mean I don't deserve to have intimate relationships? The answers to those questions are no, no, and...wait for it...no!

In this episode I talk about the role solitude has played in my life from childhood to now, and advance the theory that creative types need significant periods of solitude not only in order to do their work but to feel alive and inspired. But how can we obtain the solitude we need when we often feel guilty about what often seems like our excessive need for alone time? I discuss this through the lens of a summer of solitude I negotiated with my loved ones and that I am finishing up now as August comes to a close. How did it go? What are my lessons learned? Listen to find out!

Mentioned in this episode:

Oops - it wasn't a podcast episode but an essay about empathy and lettuce that I mention.

Solitude: A Return to the Self, by Anthony Storr

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain