ZU Magazine is a publication of ZU Media. The following is an article from Issue 5: Revolution.
Staff Writer | Jonah Minnihan
Agnes Martin, acclaimed abstract painter, once reveled in the idea of being alone. She said, “The best things in life happen to you when you’re alone … Oh comforting solitude, how favorable thou art to original thought!”
There’s a stigma that says being alone in public, or doing anything alone, is odd, unfortunate and worthy of pity from others.
Together, researchers and artists have proven there are benefits of doing things solo.
A 2000 study titled, “The Spotlight Effect in Social Judgment,” discovered that people generally assume that they’re being noticed by others more than they actually are.
The analysts write, “We dub this putative phenomenon the spotlight effect: People tend to believe that the social spotlight shines more brightly on them than it really does.”
Because of this phenomenon, people tend to be more self-conscious about what they do in public.
They went on to conclude, “The present research suggests that a great many of these fears may be misplaced or exaggerated. Other people may be less likely to notice or remember our shortcomings than we typically expect.”
The researchers hypothesize that if more people realized that others don’t notice them as much as they think, it might benefit them.
“We might all have fewer regrets if we properly understood how much attention — or inattention — our actions actually draw from others. We might take a modest step toward more fulfilling lives,” they said.
Many artists, writers and overall creatives find it worthwhile to be alone. The times they are alone are when they feel most connected to themselves and the world around them. In turn, they feel most creative.
In her book “A Writer’s Diary,” English writer Virginia Woolf touches on the correlation between being alone and feeling creative. In a more metaphorical, “Virginia Woolf” way, she describes how being alone has allowed her to feel the pulse of the world.
“If I could catch the feeling, I would; the feeling of the singing of the real world, as one is driven by loneliness and silence from the habitable world.”
Junior social work major and Azusa Pacific student Alexis Brown echoes these convictions.
“It’s when we are alone that we figure out who we truly are, what we are passionate about, what we like to do, etc. When we do every single thing with other people, we too are influenced by what they think and what they say,” she said.
Doing things by yourself puts other voices in the backseat, creating space for your own thoughts and persona to be formed.
Of course, it is important to have friends to spend time with as well.
Madeline R. Vann’s 2009 article titled “Strengthening the Ties That Bind” focuses on the benefits of spending time with others.
“Relationships are as essential to our health as nutrition and physical activity — social support has been linked to better heart health, a reduced risk of dementia and better coping skills during tough times,” she said.
There are obvious benefits to having a healthy amount of social interaction throughout your life. But there is also a need to balance it out with moments of solitude.
Kevin Parker, of the Australian band Tame Impala, recognized the importance of balancing both solitude and social activity.
In the 2010 track “Solitude Is Bliss,” Parker writes, “Space around me where my soul can breathe/ I’ve got body that my mind can leave/ Nothing else matters, I don’t care what I miss/ Company’s okay, solitude is bliss.”
Parker personally feels more at home, liberated and creative during his time alone.
During Ernest Hemingway’s acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954, he too made a connection between loneliness and creativity.
“Writing, at its best, is a lonely life… he grows in public stature as he sheds his loneliness and often his work deteriorates. For he does his work alone and if he is a good enough writer he must face eternity, or the lack of it, each day.”
Spending time with others is essential. There are numerous benefits that come with being around friends.
However, there is something about that space of solitude that allows you to open up and become your true self. So take yourself to the movies, drink coffee, paint and go shopping. Experience the serenity of solitude for yourself and see why some of the most creative minds find it useful.