Most creatives work really well alone. In fact, the majority prefer to work alone. I’m certainly no exception to this. One of my favorite parts of every week is Saturday afternoon, when my wife’s at work and I’m home to work on whatever I want with no possibility of unwanted distractions.

These are great times! They’re also when I get most of my (subjectively) best work done. But if I only had this kind of time to myself, if I didn’t do completely different things with others in completely different environments, this time to myself would mean nearly nothing! Here’s why I say this.

It’s the end of February, and (more or less) the month’s gone like this. Work, travel, write, work, travel, write. I’ve gone from Chattanooga to Orlando back to Chattanooga to Indianapolis back to Chatt. – all in a Dodge Durango. When I haven’t been in a car, I’ve spent about 13 hours a day working on Text Request and Kennetic Expression. And because of the travel eating away at time, I’ve spent most of my working hours in solitude. Right now, on this Friday morning, I feel completely spent.

I’m so burnt out. And I attribute that to my lack of discussion with others, to a shortage of creative depth and conversation.

At the end of a workday, I feel best overall if I’ve spent an hour to two in discussion with some team member or friend talking about growth, our company, progress, plans, etc. Personal discussion allows me to thrive.

Research backs this up, too. Humans are social creatures. No matter how introverted you might be, you need personal interaction to be fulfilled. This is something I’ve known for a while, but that just hit me like a bag of bricks last night.

The last few weeks I’ve spent on the road and working in solitude. Yesterday evening I grabbed coffee with my creative counterpart Will Malone (yes, we drink coffee that late). We caught up on what each other is doing, struggling with, what good moves we’re making, etc.

Just that simple hour-and-a-half discussion – even about work-related things – took days off of my wear and tear. It actually re-motivated me to keep writing and posting everyday, and to keep striving for growth.

Even though I’m perpetually-dog tired these days, this time spent in discussion made me want to do more. This same thing happens when I get into discussions with my wife or someone at work, too. I’m sure you have similar stories to tell!

We’re relational beings. It’s how we’re designed. That’s why you need to intentionally set aside time to spend with others in discussion about whatever’s important to you. Doing so will motivate and encourage you to be better. Making time for discussion will also help you feel better. I know everyone wants that.