Why I Don't Have Many Friends 

In this video I'll share the process of working on a mixed media painting in watercolour and pencil in my sketchbook while I chat to you about why I don't have many friends. This is just me being very honest about myself, my circumstances and my life, in the hope that it resonates with some of you, and that you'll perhaps feel less alone. Are you an introvert too? Do you have a large friendship group, just a couple of close friends, or no friends at all? Do you ever feel lonely and how do you cope? Sending so much love to you all.

I am an introvert as well. At 57 years old I know who I am and what I need to survive in this world: a big part of the day alone, my pets, calming music, lots of sleep, walks outside, drawing, painting and photography, and most importantly people who understand me and support me. I wasted years of my life trying to “fit in” and even drank too much to relax at parties and events. Now, at this time in my life, I’ve created my world to fit me, not the other way around. I’m happy for you for accepting yourself and being honest with others. We need more people like you to “come out” as introverts because we are pretty amazing people! Also you have the most calming and beautiful voice!

I’m definitely an introvert! Going on 70, I’ve realized that we introverts have handled the pandemic much better than extroverts. I love watching you create your art❣️

I’m 74 and I have no use for large groups of superficial friends who talk about meaningless things that don’t interest me in the least. I have spent my life with one to now a handful of people I wish to spend time with. Mostly I, like you, enjoy my alone time most of all. Good for you for being forthcoming about it.

Despite being an introvert with hardly any friends, this brings enormous comfort to me and seeing the comments from everyone makes me feel warmth that I had been convinced I wasn’t capable of feeling.

Reading a lot of the comments here, all that I could say has already been said. I have been accused of being selfish and self centred for not wanting to socialise, made to feel that I'm odd but I'm obviously not. So a big thumbs up Natasha, and may your online, social network continue to flourish. Thank you.

I was forced to be an extrovert my whole life. 5 years ago, I started become the real me. I am just an introvert, it's that simple. I am very creative, and it takes a lot of energy. I spend time reading, exploring, visiting places and recording my travels. Most of the things I do, like any art, sewing, photography, are very singular hobbies. When I was in school, I preferred to stay in at recess and help the teacher or go to the library but I was forced to go and socialize. I am now in my late 40's and I can be social when needed but I have a lot of down time, to recharge. I'm also a weirdo, as I don't know anything that is pop culture or current. I prefer old movies, museums, libraries, animals, being outside and moving around a lot. I can't do surface level friendships. I do not collect social media friends. I only have FB because I need it for 1 group for college, otherwise I would be done with it. I moved from Corporate healthcare to working in my passion field. It changed the pressure to be attached to the phone all the time. I'm not a drinker, party, going out with friends kind of person, never have been. I don't do drama, I am not looking to be the center of the party, I don't like fake friends or people. You are not lacking. You are you. Social media is not a true picture but people pretend it is. I refuse to live to work, I refuse to post everything about my life, every picture and selfie, that if it's not posted, I'm not worthy or doing anything. I move in silence and it's wonderful. Last night, I went to bed at 8:45, sometimes it's midnight. As you get older, you know what you like and not really bother with impressing others or worry about their opinions.

I’m an introvert! Im 61. Have very few close friends. In fact I had two “best” friends, now only one. I’m empathic, too, which means being in large groups for a long period of time is many times very difficult. I can go to a fair or a shopping mall, and I, too, am social and like being with people for short periods. I’ve been betrayed as well. I do enjoy being alone and quiet (well, quiet except for having RU-vid videos on!).

Such a lovely video. I had to drink to get through a social event. I don’t put myself through that anymore. I am a loner and I completely enjoy myself without all the complications of friends and family.

I definitely need lots of time alone. When I was a young woman, I had lots of people in my life and was very active socially. Looking back, I can see that I was doing what I thought was expected. As I've gotten older, I realized that being around people for prolonged periods of time exhausted me and I'd experience burn out. I love the people in my inner circle. My husband and my children are also pretty introverted and we've taken the time to explain to our extended family what that means for us and how we are able to interact for small amounts of time with a small group of people. I too only enjoy meaningful one on one conversation. I can't stand small talk or gossip. It can get a little boring being alone and sometimes i do feel like company but the cost of being around others is too much for me. I don't hate people but I'm aware that the way I am makes me look very antisocial. I'm awkward in social situations too so feel self conscious. I have one good friend and a few good family members that I enjoy spending time with but it adds up to only a handful of brief occasions a year. I do love being alone but I'm rarely lonely tbh. I married my best friend and my now grown sons and grandchildren provide us plenty of stimulation and company. The one thing I wish I had was a creative friend or two. People who love art as much as I do. Thanks for starting this conversation. I enjoy your quiet channel. Rachelle, Australia xo

Yes I’m exactly the same way! So much of what you’ve said resonates with me! Thank you for doing this! ❤️

What a beautiful, tender video. Thanks for sharing so much of yourself with us 🦄

I LOVE this video.. I’m exactly the same way and I can totally relate. I’m an expat from the US living in Quebec and I have acquaintances but no more super close friends. The only people I spend time with outside my husband and daughter (who is 6) are other family and the parents of my daughters friends. I’m an artist by hobby so I prefer spending the time I have off not with other people but that is my time for myself where I can paint. It’s nice to know I’m not alone and I was feeling guilty about this for a while. Your perspective soothed my soul (and I can’t wait to see more details about your new palette.. beautiful!)

I have tears running down my cheeks because everything you say resonates with me. I am not on social media with anything else than my art, because I don't want to compare my life with the internet. I learned that it was toxic for me and made me feel sad and even more different than I already did. I too have a very limited group of friends that I see one at a time. And I still to this day, often feel that I do not fit in. Not that I in any way feel better than others....but just that I am different. But people never believe me when I say that I am an introvert, because I often make people laugh or tend to others needs. But I am. Very much so. And i do feel alone sometimes. But remember that there is a big difference between feeling lonely and felling alone. But my art helps me a lot. I think you are right, that with age (I am 40) it gets harder to make friends. But all we really need is a few good ones. Right? :) You are the best, Natasha!!!

I'm standing awkwardly in the corner with you. You largely summarized a large part of my life and, I venture to say, many who likely follow you as artists. As you say, it's a lonely passion, unless you have others who are content to work beside you in quiet companionship. I think this is why I enjoy channels like this so much. I can listen to them while I do my own work while also feeling some sort of a kinship. I'm rambling now, but all that to say, thanks for sharing this as I think it will help others who have not learned yet how to navigate being introverts themselves. There's nothing wrong with not being a social butterfly, we're all different.

I’m exactly the same. I love being alone and only have three friends! I could not manage any more lol! X

Thank you for this video, it is rare to see someone this honest online. I am probably world’s most extreme introvert, I just can’t stand being around anyone for any amount of time. People, noises and music really irritates me, but also I am so shy that I can’t talk to people like in my university classes I can barely talk to my professors, and I never ever talk to my classmates. I have no friends at all, and I am very happy this way. People find it strange, but I don’t really care. I have never felt the need for human interaction and I absolutely loved lockdown and was devastated when it ended 😂! I have never been able to relate to people my age, and I guess its because I am not interested in small talk or “normal” interests at all. I love fountain pens, watercolors, painting and many other forms of creative art but I have never met anyone IRL who was interested in that. It seems a lot of young people now are only interested in drinking and s*x, neither of which I participate in at all. So I have nothing in common with these people. I have never been to a party or a nightclub. My parents took me out to a bar with live music and I asked them when we could leave every 10 minutes because I just couldn’t stand loud music and flashing lights. I also don’t like modern music as most of it seems to be dirty rap words and no talent, and I don’t like most modern TV shows, especially ones that “girls are supposed to like” as they all seem to be about drinking, dr*gs and s*x. The feelings I get after trying to watch such a show is disgust and disappointment as most of the characters seem to be so miserable. Also I really hate almost very celebrity. So I have nothing to talk about with other young people (unfortunately no one wants to discuss the shading and sheening properties of fountain pen ink with me 😣). Anyways, to summarize I’d rather be home chilling with my cats! I spend all my free time drawing with my favorite cat by my side, and I would pick this over any activity with any person! Sorry for the long comment, I never write RU-vid comments, but just couldn’t resist commenting here.

Yes, I can totally relate to this. When I was younger I was described as "shy", painfully shy. I am better about this today. While I can tolerate crowds it is exhausting. My work as a medical coder is solitary and my hobbies of art, philately and fountain pens are also solitary activities and I can count my closet friends on one hand. It is all okay I think. Thx for sharing.

You’ve basically described me in a nutshell! Thank you for posting this, I don’t feel so much of a loner now! I have been hurt by ‘best friendships’ throughout my life and I’ve learnt that I’m happier with much fewer, trusted people in my close circle. As far as social media goes, I avoid Facebook like the plague and much prefer to belong to our little community here and on Patreon. I know that I feel happy and safe here among like-minded people. Thank you for being so honest in this video, it’s been very comforting to watch. Much love, Jo x

All of this, 100% yes, totally me too. ☺️ and I have never had art friends at all until I started interacting with the RU-vid artist world. Thank you for sharing, I think a lot of us arty types are similar and feel like we are all weird lol

You are SO normal! Sometimes it’s not even because we’re introverts. Studies show as we age, our friend circle gets smaller, but our quality of friends increases. This is especially true when you don’t have children to force you to befriend other parents (as is my case). This is a great video, but know everything you express is relatable and healthy. Sending love from afar and kudos for being in sync and authentic.

I love the grace and courage in this video. I'm a social introvert who enjoys being with groups of people I know for a while, which is useful as a book coach and workshop leader, but I can only be social for a brief period of time before I have to seek out solitude and silence. Otherwise, I get impatient and short-tempered. I need stretches of quiet time to be creative, primarily as a writer but also with watercolors. And yes, I have a few close friends. Lots of people who know me (or think they do) but a few creative "sisters".

Fellow introvert here, very much the same as you (although I did quite enjoy a party in my 20s, now the thought makes me shudder!) Small group of friends but very happy in my own company. I think social media does make it a lot easier, as you feel like you're getting social contact but without having to leave home or actually see anyone!!

I'm an introvert that is challenged everyday by this busy and dynamic world we live in. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. Everything you said resonated with me. I also spend a lot of time alone in my studio, and enjoy only deep conversations and meaningful friends. One of the good things of ageing really is the freedom to choose only things or people you like, and to be able to say no to everything that is exhausting and meaningless to you.

Definitely resonate with your thoughts 💕. Total introvert… though oddly enough, my mom tells me that I used to be extroverted as a little kid before the age of 7, when some trauma happened, but I can’t remember that time at all. I just remember feeling strange and alone. As a kid and teen, I was totally unable to relate to anyone my own age, often finding myself getting along better with my grandma’s friends than anyone else lol. I would have been totally lost without her… she was my person 🥰. She understood me, always. Going to body-mind-spirit expos and reading spiritual books together with her was when I felt most authentic, aside from when I was singing or drawing. I think a lot of creatives are a lane unto themselves - which I love! There’s so much beauty in unique perspectives 🌟 Like you, it took me many years to learn to speak up for myself, stop trying to be someone I’m not for the sake of feeling “normal” and just be honest about what I like. My idea of being social is going to have tea with a friend or going to a cafe and reading or doing my own thing among other people, or sometimes going to listen to live music in a low key setting. I’m an empath, so the energy of the place and people greatly affect me so I’m very careful with what I choose to immerse myself in. Like you, I also had some toxic friends that I’ve had to let go over the past several years and it’s caused me to have trust issues. I have 3 friends and all live far away. I’ve often thought I would like to find a friend that I resonate with that lives near me, but I’m also just trying to be content with what is… if it’s meant to be, it will be. Appreciate this conversation and your art in this video is lovely! 💖💖💖

Oh my goodness, this video was a breath of fresh air. Thank you for being so honest. I would consider myself to be an introvert. I work in retail and am surrounded by people several hours a day but I absolutely hate it. I don't really have any close friends. I have one person I've known since I was 16 (I'm almost 52) and we text occasionally but no one I would say I could talk to. I have definitely become more introverted as I've aged and am generally happy in my own company...though I must admit it would be nice to have a close friend to chat to sometimes.

Natasha, I am in the same boat that you are in. I am an introvert, and I prefer being alone most of the time. I have a small handful of close friends, and one best friend who I will spend time with mono et mono. Occasionally, we will have a small group of friends over, and they all understand that I am an introvert, my husband is an extrovert, and I will eventually go off somewhere quiet (usually my studio) because I will get over whelmed. And I mean that I do get overwhelmed. When I was a girl in my twenties, I would go out to the pub or a bar and I would sit and people watch. I didn't interact much, I would just sit and watch. I am sure you understand this. Thank you for telling us watchers about yourself. It is good to see that your art allows you to reach out to others so we can see what you do. I love your channel. I love you art, and the way you present it. Cheers.

Thank you sharing Natasha. I'm 100% with you and just like yourself. Ever since I realize how introverted I truly am, many years ago, and learned who I truly am as an introverted man, I limited my friendships and social life. I have just one really good friend. Living a single life with the bare minimum of social interaction has lowered my stress levels to almost zero and my quality of life has become heavenly. I always leave a small gap in the social door just in case a true friend wants to walk in. Being a single man, introverted and self dependant has given me the value of inner peace. My art gives me the solitude I love and the one friend gives me just enough interaction to feel included. Thank you again for sharing. You are not alone. X

I'm glad that you're learning to accept you being an introvert and that you're sharing this experience online😀

I absolutely love this Vlog Natasha!! I am the same and completely understand the comments so far. I think people are a little confused by me, because I am anything but shy, quite confident actually and I know myself well and my limitations and needs. I don't care to socialize in groups... but give me a thoughtful one-on-one conversation with almost anyone, any day of the week!! and loads of time to do my art. Yet, I love solo travelling because it's easy to meet interesting people... curious right? btw, I am 65 years old and an introvert (which I figured out 20 years ago during a serious bout of depression). Bless you Natasha for 'coming out' in such a gentle manner... you are blessing for my heart.

Im so glad you're bringing a light to this topic. We live in a world dominated by extroverts and are always seen as the odd ones out, or having something wrong with us, when there's nothing wrong at all, we're just different. I am an introvert with even fewer friends than you and am completely contented with that. Thank you for speaking about this.

I wonder how many artists are this way. I know I am

Thank you so much for sharing your story. As an introvert I can totally relate. ❤

thank you for this video... now i know that im not alone of having a very few friends. There is a downside of having a few friends tho... when those friends is starting to leave you or doesn't talk to you anymore and it'll leave you having 1 or 2 friends or possibly no one... this is hard because especially as an introvert, its difficult to make new friends...

Once an elderly woman said to me that you can know many people during your life but true friends you can count on one hand.

I spend most of my 20s making a big group of friends and being out every weekend. With years I realized that I was very afraid to be on my own and that having friends gave some sort of social validation… now im on my mid 30s, and I’ve cut most of my friendships either because of time or because of me having zero patience with attitudes and behaviors that now I see are triggering and toxic. What I’ve learned is that you can feel very lonely surrounded by many people and you can feel supported and loved on your own. I have friends and I love them but I love to say that I am my own best friend.

As an introvert myself, and my partner an extrovert, I would feel guilty not wanting to "go out" everyday as he wanted to do. He would get upset and it even caused a few breakups but he always came back. Now I am more secure with myself to just say No and NOT feel guilty. It is perfectly normal and healthy. He has come to accept me just the way I am and we both respect each other for it. Thank you so much for validating our existence and jut reinforcing the fact that yes, we are all normal in our own right! Beautiful artwork as usual!! (I am LOVING the A. Gallo paints!) ❤️

I would say I’m an extroverted introvert. When I’m in a social setting I’m affable and talkative with everyone. I dislike quiet in social situations, but oddly prefer quiet and solitude in anything else. I have a close group of 7 friends I’ve known since my childhood. We are a friend group cumulatively, and We’ve stayed close in all ebbs and flows of life. How “close” we are and who we lean on independently within that group can change depending on our own personal current experiences, but there’s no envy and very very little infighting. I don’t feel the need for more friends, and I no longer actively seek friendships. And while we have active communication over text chain, we don’t see each other more than once every month or so. The time that I have to myself is precious, though/ and I feel that I need that solitude and quiet to keep my spirit thriving. But I couldn’t live without my friends and the value they bring to my life. We often joke that come senior citizen time we will pool our money, buy a property and live together like The Golden Girls.

I can relate so much to this. I also have major trust issues because of how people have betrayed me, hurt me, abandoned me, etc. It does make it extremely difficult to have real friendships even though I really want to sometimes. But it’s also hard to not only find someone you can trust, but someone who understands your need for space sometimes.

You certainly have found your people! How brave of you to make this video and how vindicating to see how many people, including myself, you have made feel good about themselves. 57, full time artist, extremely socially challenged :) The older I get, the more I cherish peace and quiet and the company of animals over people. Love your painting too :)

I totally agree with you about small talk. I would much rather have deep, meaningful conversations more than surface level interaction. I too have very few friends, and most of them live very far away. Having an online community helps not to feel totally lonely, but I still need personal interaction once in a while to feel whole. Being an introvert doesn't mean you always need to be alone. It's just a different way of seeing life! I love hanging out with other introverts because they totally get it :)

You are not alone. You could be describing me. Thank you for this post, elizabeth

What a relief to listen to you tell your story. I always knew there were more people like me but it helps to hear it said out loud. Beautiful artwork.

Oh I can relate to so much of your commentary! I always thought I was weird because I preferred quiet and spending time alone. I never have felt at ease in a large group of people, and the more loud and obnoxious behavior there was, the more I couldn’t wait to escape the situation. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and reminding us we are not alone 😊 and your artwork is lovely ❤️

Thank you for this gentle and loving video. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with images, comparisons, and superficial messages, it is encouraging to hear from others that they long for deep, meaningful relationships and life experiences. I am very much an introvert and relate to all you shared. Thank you! I wish you many blessings.

Spot on! I feel the same way and there is wonderful confidence and strength in knowing who you are. I'm 50 and it was so nice to come across your video. It is pleasant to know that there are others like me out in the world. Your watercolors are beautiful and I enjoyed this video very much. Thank you for posting!😊💚

What an unexpected treat this video was! Thank you Natasha.

I’m grand going out dancing or to concerts as long as I don’t have to interact with anyone. Or at least I used to be, before the pandemic. I guess even as introverts, we’re all a bit different. Thanks for making this video. It’s nice to find a comment section full of fellow introverts 😊

This talk was so helpful. I only came to these realizations later in life and had much to struggle through as I worked in careers that were very far from my need to be an artist and my need to spend time alone. I will book- mark this video to keep to play for others or to listen again and learn to better articulate my lifestyle needs that so those that seem not to be able to fathom my nature might better understand. I have even less friends than you as I too have difficulty with small talk and my interest not average it seems. (I had better luck once I switched to a field that was related to psychiatry and psychology as I met deeper thinkers in my coworkers, But I only realized I was an artist ( although I always fantasized that I could have the time to be one but had thought it was not possible) about a year before the pandemic and am working as a caregiver in a part of the city that is isolated so I have no friends at all currently, just acquaintances and the patients I care for. I have only recently had time to again focus on my art and have much to do as far as building my social media but I hope to gain some friendships with other artist. I may very well consider your patreon as It sounds to be a special group of people ( like you)

I love your honesty. You are so genuine. Thank you.

I appreciated this video so much. Ive definitely felt like there’s something “wrong” with me in the past. Fortunately, now that I’m older I’ve learned to embrace who I am and what I need. It is always nice to know that there are plenty of other people out there like you (they’re all just hanging out at their own houses by themselves as well).

Love this authentic video💕. I am also an INFJ. Learning my personality type along with the unconditional acceptance and love I receive from knowing Jesus has made me very at peace with the way that I am wired and created. I believe as an artist being an introvert and enjoying alone time is a huge advantage for me. Along with preferring more time alone than being social, I am hyper sensitive to my surroundings (people, places, nature, etc) which I have found helps me interpret and express what I am sensing, seeing, feeling through my art. I feel like a conduit quit often, hope that made sense. I just want to say, do not try to change how you were created, you are beautiful just the way you are and very much loved. I am so happy that I found your channel and would love to be your online friend😁

I used to have a lot of friends. I make friends very easily even though I am an introvert. It helps having a career in the arts because you meet many like yourself. However, Covid really made me aware of how draining it could be (plus I have a significant heart issues so catching Covid would be bad news). And I've also had some bad past relationships that were very one sided or with very competitive types. I've moved back to my home city and even though I have a lot of friends here I rarely go out of my way to see anyone anymore. I have a few close friends, one especially that we generally do some form of pep texting each day. I like my own company too. I also spent years without a significant other so I was used to it and travelling alone. Now I'm better at saying no or just not getting into a situation in the first place that makes me uncomfortable and feeling like I have to be polite and go through the motions. Now it's mostly myself or myself and my husband.

Thank you for sharing Natasha. I am an introvert as well, an artist and love being alone and creating. It’s a process accepting who you really are and having a small circle of friends who understand each other. And your painting is beautiful! Wishing you all the best!

I can relate to a lot of what you said. I've always described myself and been described as shy, but I know now that I'm introverted and I'm really enjoying embracing and understanding what that means and what I therefore need. Knowing the situations I will feel comfortable in and why, is liberating. And hearing more and more people like you talk openly about it is so helpful. Watching you create that beautiful artwork was also lovely. Thank you 💕

That's odd! It seemed that you were the voice in my head my entire life. Thank you for your transparency. You popped up today from the algorithm and I am so thankful as I love to dabble in watercolor, among other things. I enjoy people and hanging with my family, but I feel a true sense of peace when I am alone, creating. Hopefully one day, my full time job will be as an artist. I have one friend, which I am thankful for. By the way, I love the color of your nail polish. Your art is such a great discovery on YT.

Thank you for being so honest. It really helps others accept themselves.

Oh my gosh, thank you SO much for sharing about this! I so completely relate!

Thanks for making this video. I’ve struggled with a lot of the situations you describe and hearing someone like you calmly explain that it’s okay to be this type of person has really helped me get some perspective. Feeling confident in your own skin can be turning down a night out just as much as accepting one.

It's like you describe my life. At 50 I'm becoming more and more of an introvert as I always know I was. in my younger years, this was not the case at all, but I always like "me time" more. Thank you for this video!

What a brilliant video. Thank you for giving a voice to the experience of others. In big groups, I'm very introverted but amongst my friends and family, I'm much more of an extrovert. I never feel I fit in in groups but amongst friends, I feel I can be silly and playful and strange because they accept me as I am. I prefer deeper conversations and hate surface level conversations. I prefer quiet and nature and contemplation and observation to the noise of groups. I feel like im neither an introvert nor an extrovert but a blend of the 2. And as I get older I'm much more comfortable with that and feel less and less need to 'fit in'.

Thanks so much for sharing this! I'm definitely the same way, and I'm so happy that I now focus on being myself instead of chasing and failing to find that big group of friends that for a while seemed mandatory to have 😊

Thank you for sharing, it really helps knowing someone else has the same social situation as me and a lot of what you said matches how I feel too 🧡.

Amazing and brave video to put out there. Personally, as a people pleaser from childhood, I love my own company and that is where I am the most ath peace and my truest self. But I also really love being with people. I guess it’s got something to do with the people pleasing element, because while I prefer being alone I do enjoy the company of others because it does give me a rush of energy. However it does drain me. I think it’s a combination of both introvert and extrovert I guess. I’m so happy for you that you found your harmonious friendship number and I’m sorry for any hardships in past friendships that you’ve had.They can scar you very deeply for a very long time

I just love you and this is one reason why. You are just so real, so calming, watching your art process just makes me happy-it makes me want to paint! You were (ironically) one of my first “Art friends” because you were one of the first YT artists running on my iPad while I painted in the pandemic. Thank you! To your Q: I’m an extrovert, but I also have three best friends (two of whom live distant), and an introvert husband who is the ultimate best friend. I love learning about introversion as part of loving and living with an introvert. If you haven’t read the book Quiet, you might really love it! It helped me understand him much more thoroughly. ❤️🤗👍

I just saw this today. I appreciated this so much! I crave my time alone and also have few treasured friends that I have very close friendships. I am happy that someone else shares my joy of blossoming during that alone time and appreciating how it helps me grow as a person and an artist (newbie) in the last few months. Thanks so much for sharing this part of yourself!

Yay for voicing what many of us needed to say without the ability to find the words to do so. I'm also INFJ, mid 30s and feeling every bit of what you do. My online friends are a great blessing that I value so much too. This is the first vid of yours that I've seen, and I'm in Australia! New subscriber for sure, so thanks and looking forward to your future offerings 😊🌟

You are wonderful as you are. Acceptance of one's self is important in life. You have a peace of mind when you know who you are. I too, have few friends now in my life. I learned early on you must identify people in two categories: those that contribute to your spirit and those that contaminate. Friends that are with you the longest are so dear. I love your art! Your spirit.

100% relate! I think a lot of it stems from my childhood where we were not allowed to have friends to come round to play, and our parents not having any friends either. I was a child with a very outgoing and boisterous personality, and I don't think my parents knew how to deal with it after having a very quiet and insular set of twins before me. As a result, I was told to be quiet ALL the time, so I basically grew up with a personality that I wasn't born with. It's affected me in many ways that I only really discovered 40+ years later. Since getting older, and moving away from my very small group of trusted friends, I have made no new friends in a new country. I did try hard for the first few years after moving here to make some connections but none of it stuck. Partly due to culture differences, having no kids, small town living, etc. It was worse than dating and such hard work. I have much better connections with people online, but probably if faced with having to meet up in person I'd make up an excuse and back out of it just to avoid the experience and stress of it all. I used to go through very deep bouts of depression from loneliness during my 20's through mid 30's, but now I am used to it and it doesn't bother me anymore. I probably annoy my husband by talking too much some days, but he puts up with it. ;) I didn't find Covid lockdowns a problem since I had prepared all my life for it. Hah!

This was so nice to hear. There are many of us out there! I’m currently delving into my music and art as never before and letting go of the occasional “maybe something is wrong” thoughts. I’ve found a couple of other channels that illustrate people living similar lives. I think it might be a gift. Thanks again for sharing (and your lovely art episodes!)

Thanks Natasha. I love your honesty and authenticity. Your work is lovely too! 😘 Hope you are feeling better now.

I already adore you, but this video just further enhanced my opinion of you. Thank you for speaking up for all of us introverts. In the past I have tried to "conform" and all I ever accomplished was making myself miserable. I'm learning its ok to march to the beat of my own drum but am still often filled with self-doubt and left thinking "whats wrong with me"? Despite being an introvert, I do like people and enjoy the company of some and many people seem to really like me....and yet I really don't have friends either and really don't know why. But to be fair I often decline invitations because I get social anxiety but truthfully I also decline because I very much enjoy my own company. I have the most fun with me. I like me most of the time. I get along with me. But I do also think that makes me odd and sometimes resent myself for it because I think I must be missing out on something. I don't know...I'm rambling but throughout your whole video I found myself nodding my head and saying "me too". So thank you for so eloquently sharing what its like to be "us". I wouldn't want you to change a thing about yourself...you're gorgeous, intelligent, thoughtful, wildly talented, and your videos always make me feel really special. The way you present and share your work feels incredibly intimate in a way that always makes me feel lucky to been a witness to it. You somehow make me feel important as if you are trusting me with something very rare and special. Yes, you have a gift. But the way you share your gift transforms you into the gift for the rest of us. Thank you for being Natasha Newton. We need more Natasha Newton's in this world.

Thanks for making this! It’s definitely relatable. I have one close friend that I’ve had for almost twenty years. We support each other with everything. I do often wish I had more friends, but as you mentioned, I can’t just walk up to them and ask if they want to play lol The fact that I’m pretty sensitive to sound and sudden loud noises makes going to places to meet people very difficult. I do my best, and I generally rely on my job to give that bit of social interaction that I need. Any other time, I’ll be found alone, working on my hobbies or listening to music

Thank you for sharing and helping me (and clearly many others) not feel so alone!

This really resonated with me, thank you for sharing!

Wow, you are describing very much of how *I* am❗️ I don’t get *why* the majority of people feel the need to constantly ‘chase’ action. I think ‘we’ are just deeper-minded people & that makes you more solid & calm(?). Who knows, it’s just comforting to hear there are others like *me* ❣️

As a neurodiverse introverted immigrant I am proud of having one good friend (we live in different countries though). Anyways I prefer animals. I don't ever feel need to spend time in an environment with other people around. It drains my very little energy completely.

I relate to this so much. Thank you for sharing!

Natasha, I am new to your channel, but everything you said here resonates with me. I will say, however, that age is not what brings confidence, even at an advanced age, I find it difficult to be my authentic self, but after listening to you, I look forward to finding out who my authentic self is. Thank you!

I can totally relate to everything you’ve said in this video! I’m the same, I have to have my own company and my own space, I have social anxiety general anxiety and I am incredibly uncomfortable and upset in busy, loud places. I think that’s part of the reason I love art so much because it’s my own private quiet time

I would not worry about lacking the social life, when time alone is what you actually love. You sound like my twin that I never met

Thank you so much for this video, this has made me realise that this is me. I love my own company, my hobbies are all art/craft related & I love to have my own space, be it a chair by the window to read, the garden to listen to audiobooks or a desk for art/colouring.

I love your openness in this video and I can absolutely relate to it. In my teens and twenties I thought I was extroverted because I was under the belief that everyone was and I was supposed to be that way. I have since come to understand myself more. I am definitely introverted and need alone time to recharge. I try to take several alone trips throughout the year as that is my time to recharge and it really gets my creativity moving. I have a small circle of friends - some that know each other and some who don't. I cannot tell you the last time I felt lonely. There is a difference between being alone and feeling lonely. Thank you for sharing and, as always, thank you for sharing your art!

Thank you for sharing this. As an introvert myself I felt/feel as an outsider quite often. It helps to know that there are others out there like that. That this is normal too in a world that seems to be made for extroverts

I completely understand. I’m an introvert with just a few close friends. I force myself to be extroverted at work and am often exhausted by the effort at the end of the day. Art helps. Things like your videos also help. It’s like having a no pressure friend…you check in, see how they’re doing, leave a comment if you want…thanks so much for the videos!

I just found your channel. I am an introvert and have had experiences like you where it's left me with trust issues. I have a couple close friends that I spend my time with and a few that I see on special occasions and holidays. I spend a lot of my time by myself and people have a hard time understanding that it's something I truly enjoy and need to restore myself. I'm really glad I found your channel and thank you for sharing!

I think not having too many is the better way for me because people are rough sometimes! Art is my best friend(my dogs too)I’ve been accused of being a hermit as I also can’t stand more than 2 in a conversation at once!.I’m so glad you’re talking about this because some people call it lonely or empty but for me ( like you) I really exactly the very same way in my need and desire for company and mingling and for this reason I also don’t really socialize or trust a lot of people unless they make it impossible for me to not trust them! My very best friend passed 3 mos ago and it was and rough as there aren’t too many I knew and loved as much as her! I think as artists we don’t have a huge hole inside to fill inside as the creativity and pleasure fills all those holes and don’t leave a lot of room for others. I could go on and on and I’m right there 100%🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Thank you so much for sharing with us!!!! I would probably be considered an extrovert by my friends however…I am somewhat of a hobbit…I live in the environment of my church family…and have many lovely friends ,but like you…only a handful that I am close to. For me, the perfect get together would be a Very small and quiet one with lots of laughing . I hope I have not totally confused you…lol…love and smiles in Jesus🥰 P.S. I have introverted friends….and Tho they do not speak as much as others do, when they DO speak…I listen because I know they have thought about whatever they are about to share…in short…my opinion is that many introverts are deep thinkers.

Thank you for sharing. I’m an introvert and can totally relate. Now that I’m older, I find that I’m more honest and don’t care to please other people any more. But I have always been the type of person that doesn’t mind going somewhere alone. I have a demanding job that requires me to care and give a lot to others and I find myself drained at the end of each day. Art helps keep me grounded. I have one close friend and a friend from high school who lives far but we message often. I really don’t love going out to clubs or anything like that. Many years ago I remember going with a group of women that I knew to Las Vegas and we were in a club and I thought to myself, “why am I here?” Lol 😂 it was awful. I wouldn’t say that I’m lonely, though I spend a lot of time alone. I’m very distrustful of others and find many people to be very self-serving and selfish. I honestly enjoy being alone now and not having to deal with other people’s drama. I have no desire to find a romantic partner anymore. I don’t want to have to deal with caring for anyone else. It sounds awful, I know. But I prefer to live in peace.

Your comments resonated with me so deeply it was almost as if I were listening to myself!

You struck a near perfect point with me. Thank you for your gentle power of awareness ❤

Loved this Natasha, really resonated with me. I migrated some 30 yrs ago and left a couple of close friends in the UK who I still miss. Haven’t been able to make close friends here partly due to me really. I miss having relevant history with my day to day interactions and like you sometimes feel inadequate when seeing what people are up to on social media. This video was really well thought out and thought provoking and it was brave of you to open up about your experiences. Take care😘Max in Australia.

I grew up in the 90's, where we were allowed to just be kids without all the BS... but it was also a time where " clicks " or " groups of kids " were categorized and lumped into a label of who they were... IE- jocks, geeks, popular, stoners, etc etc. Now iam not saying this to brag, but I had a pretty large circle of friends in High school, and we were the most popular group in my high school. My girlfriend at that time ( my high school sweetheart) was from or rival school and she was literally the most popular girl at her high school. We were together for 8 years and had extremely large groups of friends together, and we socialized with everyone. I was literally friends with everyone... I got along with everyone, I never judged anyone. That's why I was so popular, but also because I was well known in my area. I was actually sponsored for skateboarding by the end of tenth grade. I won many skateboarding competitions and I skateboarded with pro skateboarders BAM morjera, Kerry getts, Ricky Iola and Clyde singleton. They were all " celebrities " in Philadelphia and the northeast area. BAM actually became Hollywood famous with the show jackass. I knew BAM before he was on that show tho... not while he was. But anyways, long story short... I ended up in a horrible car accident where I almost was not here anymore. I broke both lags, ribs, arm, collar bone, wrist and I had 4 fractures in my skull... which would completely end my skateboarding career very very early. I had to be air lifted by helicopter to a hospital, where I was struggling to survive. After 2 long years I would be " healed " and I still had a very very large circle of friends. When we would go out to clubs or bars, we would have atleast 10 cars with 35 or more people that would kinda just take over the places we went. Tons and tons of photos plastered all over MySpace... yeah OG myspace 😆 🤣 That lasted through our 20's and we would all eventually end up getting houses, getting married, having kids, or have our careers, etc etc..... you know, growing up lol. I had become a chemist for Dow chemical company, and I would be there for 14 years. I was extremely fortunate to be successful and to make very good money. I had a kid and ended up following my dreams and opened up my own Art studio and Bindery. Not only wad I good at skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding and was popular... but i always excelled beyond exceptional at art. I would draw and paint through my whole life, i won almost every art contest i entered throughout school and high school. I still have my handful of best friends that I grew up with from that " popular group " in high school, but we don't see each other that much because we all have been successful and are very busy with carees and our families. Now that iam a bit older, I just sink all my time into my art, bookbinding, and my son. Iam very close with my family and that's about it. Life has a funny way of working out, but as everyone gets older and more mature... you learn your true purposes. Some are forever lost and roaming around, which is very unfortunate. but we all learn what's really important in everyone's own unique life. I am extremely fortunate to have the life that i had/have.. I do beyond well and have everything I ever wanted. now my art and my family are what iam focused on, my legacy instead of " popularity " and a raging social life. I care more about my family than ever... I have weeded out the bad and toxic people in my life... including my ex wife lol. All in all, we all find our own way and our group of friends get smaller and smaller. Life is a gift that must not be wasted, and art is a gift for all life to enjoy. Sorry that I rambled, but I wanted to share just a tiny bit of me... because you were so kind to share with us Natasha. Thank you for your vids... they do make alot of people happy, and you bring joy to people's day... whether you realize that or not. Thank you 😊

Wonderful video! I really love the combination of chating and drawing (in real life as well), so this was very soothing.

This is me exactly. Very helpful to hear you talk about it.

Thank you very much for sharing this video. I felt so healed this morning listening to you. I am exactly, exactly the same. I have three best friends: one from middle school, one from university and my husband. I see my husband every day, of course, but I don’t see the other two very often. (And one of these two passed away last year from accident.) But I am so happy to have them in my life. I like people and I am a curious person but I need to be in a small happy world of my own to protect my soul.

I'm the same, Natasha. I definitely want a more meaningful relationship as well. I tend to be a deeper thinker and internalize quite a bit. I'm also an emotional magnet (highly sensitive person). So I have to pace myself or else I will become drained. People do energize me but as the older I'm getting with five kids, I have more anxiety and bouts of depression. I've been weeding out many toxic people and seek a symbiotic relationship.

This video resonates so much (particularly after relocating), thank you for making it! Really glad I found your channel.

It was lovely to hear your thoughts and feelings - thank you for sharing. I am also an introvert and really related to your comments - quite inspiring.

A couple years back a work friend shared this book with me. "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking" by Susan Cain. OMG! Maybe there isn't something wrong with me. This book validated who I have been my whole like, and it's ok to be like me and there are others like me. I first heard the author on a TED talk. I highly recommend the book and the TED talk if you are an introvert searching for your place in this extroverted world.