
I like heart conversations – conversations that ultimately lead to connection – even if they’re only 10-minute sojourns, even if we’ll never meet again.
But that’s a tall order for an introvert. So I’m always on the lookout for new ways to dive deep and quick into conversation. A fellow attendee at a Milwaukee Art Museum lecture suggested that we find a way to ask, “What do you collect?”
Here’s how it could go with you, the introvert, using fewer than 10 words as you study a painting at a gallery opening or admire a gold-rimmed tea cup set at a party:
"What do you collect?" Hmmm. What do I collect? Birds. Yes, birds.
"Birds?" Painted images of birds. Images in thread. Tin sculptures. Porcelain. Iron.
"What got you started?" My mom liked birds. She died a few months ago and it helps me stay connected with her.
BAM! A heart conversation begun. Ultimately, the person probably will ask you what you collect and a connection takes root.