Quiet Power: The Secret Strength of Introverts

Cain addresses non-conversational ways of expressing oneself, including through creativity, which often expands with time and comes in diverse forms. Karinah, for instance, expresses herself through playing ukelele and writing science fiction and fantasy stories. Since her school did not have additional creative classes, she started a group called Coffee Shop where students meet and share their creative works. Karinah’s teacher then suggested Karinah participate in Girls Write Now, where Karinah socialized with other writers. Cain argues that, when introverts decide to share their creative works, it “can be spectacular,” citing J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as an example.

Cain, too, is a writer, and she kept a diary when she was younger, which she believes helped her become an “honest writer.” She suggests that personal writing is not limited to diaries, referencing Maggie who uses her phone and Jared who free-writes on his computer. Matthew, a student who didn’t care for writing, found a blogging assignment much easier when he was allowed to get creative with the setting, adjusting the background to feature a video game he enjoyed. He also found that the blog gave him a chance to collect his thoughts and formulate a response, which he struggled to do in class.