Last week I was invited to be on a panel discussion at Women@BCG’s Future Leaders’ Table in Mumbai. About hundred or so women had gathered for this Friday evening networking event. Prosecco was flowing freely, women were enthusiastically working the room and the cool breeze outdoors was a refreshing change from the usually stuffy indoor venues. The atmosphere at CinCin in BKC was truly electric which is why I decided to open my part in the panel discussion by asking the audience if they were familiar with The Vampire Test.
The Vampire Test. Sounds scary. It’s not. It’s a useful test for identifying those people, places and things that are sucking you dry. That’s what Vampires do, don’t they? They suck you dry.
I came across the concept of The Vampire Test in Show Your Work by Austin Kleon who calls himself “a writer who draws.” He is the authour of the best selling trilogy: Steal Like An Artist, Show Your Work and Keep Going. I highly recommend all three for creative professionals wanting inspiration, motivation and tools for enhancing creativity.
Kleon shares the story of how Brancusi, an artist who says his work was ripped off by Picasso, did not like spending time with Picasso unlike others who were mesmerised by his company. Brancusi observed that Picasso fed off the energy he sucked from the people he spent time with and harnessed it for his work. His friends, on the other hand, were left exhausted and drained.
Kleon reminds us that we should be careful of letting Vampires into our lives because they can drain our energy which can be detrimental to our creativity.
The Vampire Test is applicable to many areas of your life that may be in danger of being toxic - jobs, hobbies, places, people to name just a few.
How does it work?
Quite simply, it’s asking yourself if you feel energized or exhausted by the thing that is being put to the test.
Walk into an event. Take the test after 10-15 minutes of soaking in the vibe. Not feeling energized? Find a way to leave as soon as you can.
Reflect on your close relationships. When you spend time with a loved one, how do you feel? If you feel yourself drained each time, it’s time to reduce interactions or find a way to lose this person in your life.
Reflect on your job. You may have good days and bad ones. Net net, is your job exciting you and giving you energy to execute your ideas or is it a hard schlep to get through the day each day with exhaustion every night? Do these on your relationship with your boss as well. What is The Vampire Test telling you?
You get the idea. I love the test because it gives you a simple way to shut out the influences that may be blocking your creativity.
Over to you now:
Which areas in your life require being put through The Vampire Test?
What are your energy givers and your energy depletors?
How can you be more conscious of bringing more energy into your life and taking care to drain the toxic influences from time to time?
"Whatever excites you, go do it. Whatever drains you, stop doing it."
-DEREK SILVERS