[INFP] INFP: Do you guys get creative impulses often?

[musicnerd93]

I want to ask this to other INFP's because I notice it a lot in myself, that I will be sitting in class or at home pulling weeds, when I suddenly get a really, really, really, really, REALLY great creative idea!

Does this ever happen to you guys? You get great, innovative ideas while just doing everyday, mundane activities? Or does anyone else notice that while they are TRYING to come up with a creative idea, they get nothing, but one sneaks up on them when they least expect it?

Or is this just me?

 

[Eckhart]

Give some example for "creative" impulse. I am never sure I fit into that, but that will depend on what is "creative" I guess.

 

[musicnerd93]

Just anything that is creative in your opinion. Like, maybe, say, you want to write something or draw a picture, but you can't think of anything while your thinking about it. And then you suddenly get a good idea to write or draw something. Or you know, anything else that you feel is creative.

 

[CrystalViolet]

An example would be the beginnings of a really good plot line for a story or movie while ironing shirts (or folding up washing from the dryer). Day dreaming while doing mundane tasks = Freedom for the mind to wonder

 

[Stanton Moore]

I used to have more than I knew what to do with.

 

[Eckhart]

Haha, well, that's actually what I meant, creative in more artistic way. I am neither drawing, painting or writing any stories. I did write (sometimes original I heard) stories when I was a child (maybe up to 6th or 7th school grade). But I don't anymore.

If we define creativity more freely, I have such "impulses" in other areas maybe. When there is some random problem which I (and others) have no idea how to overcome at first I will get often an idea suddenly out of nowhere to solve those things in an untypical approach, which will often work (not necessarily as efficient as the typical solution, but it works) but not always. Can be typical everyday situations, but also some things like mathematics or so. Just ideas to do things in a way that other people maybe would not think of.

I can also find often (seemingly absurd) analogies which I pick up from nowhere, spontaneously.

Maybe there is more, but I am still struggling whether that fits to "creativity".

 

[Rebe]

You get great, innovative ideas while just doing everyday, mundane activities? Or does anyone else notice that while they are TRYING to come up with a creative idea, they get nothing, but one sneaks up on them when they least expect it?

Yes, yes, I used to get great ideas in my math classes, in the shower, and in the middle of trying to fall asleep.

 

[letsplaytwister]

Yeah, definitely for me! My best creative ideas come when I least expect them.

 

[OrangeAppled]

Yes....especially late at night. I've taken to keeping a notebook in my nightstand so I can scribble stuff down should an idea come to me in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, I find these flashes less frequent than when I was younger. I think adult stress has taken its toll, as does having to be creative on command as a graphic designer.

 

[Cloudblue]

Yea, I do...its unsual because I can get a lot of creative impulses when am in a pit of despair, I wonder if am emo sometimes...

 

[runvardh]

The inky blackness stirs not my frozen soul; only the hope of light inspires...

Hopefully some century I'll be out of the tangles.

 

[Phoenix_400]

Not so much with writing and the like. I get irresistible urges to tinker or make things fairly often. I'm a double threat, raised in hick town and ex-military. I can come up with incredibly unorthodox solutions to technical problems with the liberal use of duct tape, paracord, and zipties.

Ex: Wanted a cellphone holder to use when working around the house that would allow instant access to my touch screen (iphone) and headphones so I could jam out to my music/switch songs easily. Grabbed my pliers and a wire coat-hanger out of my closet and bent one up into a perfect cradle then attached paracord to it so I could tie it to my belt. Completely random, out of nowhere idea. Bit rough around the edges, but it works perfectly. My friends can't help crackin' up when they see it though.

 

[Seymour]

I wouldn't say I get creative impulses often, exactly. I do get inspired to go on programming or reading/exploration jags, though. For a few weeks I'll be consumed with one particular topic or idea. While I enjoy them, I'm just as glad to to go back to normal and rest up again.

 

[infpBlog]

I find my creative ideas don't come out of the blue, but they get connected out of the blue. I don't think anyone can create in a vacuum. Writers read. Artists visit museums.

However, I make connections to between unrelated items to come up with something unique. That's my creativity. And that usually happens when I'm doing something unrelated to my writing.

 

[sleuthiness]

I had a nice dream in which a big, burly guy had one boot on one side of my chest while he vigorously used a boxcutter to shred up the open side. That'd be creative writing, I guess.

 

[soft]

I agree. Whenever I try to be creative it seems like I can't come up with anything. But when I'm just doing something like eating a bowl of froot loops I'll have a cool idea (happened today haha). But I almost never actually write these ideas down or anything..

 

[One Day]

I came up with an entire sitcom in my head while riding the bus. Then I realized no one watches sitcoms anymore.

 

[disregard]

The most creative I get is when I write about the way I feel. Love.. happiness.. despair.. feelings like that inspire the creativity.

 

[niki]

double-edged sword

I want to ask this to other INFP's because I notice it a lot in myself, that I will be sitting in class or at home pulling weeds, when I suddenly get a really, really, really, really, REALLY great creative idea!

Does this ever happen to you guys? You get great, innovative ideas while just doing everyday, mundane activities? Or does anyone else notice that while they are TRYING to come up with a creative idea, they get nothing, but one sneaks up on them when they least expect it?

Or is this just me?

yes!
you described this perfectly.

often at the least expected moments, I can get super creative musical ideas, or even great story/novel, or non-fiction ideas, or any other great ideas!
even in my sleep (ie: dream), I can seemingly come up with this HUGE live-orchestral, or jazz/big-band whole compositions ideas!!

but alas,

what I hate is of how the REALITY of trying to execute/realizing it slowly one-by-one is often such a pain-in-the-ass for me (I hate details so much).
I hate it, because I feel the ideas that's in my head is often too perfect, or too excrutiatingly slow and takes-time to be executed in real-life.
and as an ADD person myself, I often just lose interest in working-out/finishing the damn details,
and often would just move on the next NEW ideas, or sudden surge of inspirations.

at first, I am really quite surprised, and glad, that I can come up with those 'crazy' even out-of-the-world ideas, as testified by many of my friends, who seems to be so envious of me,
but what these people don't know is how really PAINFUL this could be, when you have like these literally 1,000 ideas that are always only half-finished, which, in this Real-world, half-finished is simply = NOT finished!

I hate this,
especially at my current age, where it seems to other normal people (ie: especially in my family) that I'm just doing nothing good and keep putting-off my life!
(I have shared this in complete story, in a separate topic of mine here, in case you're interested to read it).

to the OP: do you often get this same exact 'double-edged sword' problem too?
and how did you manage to work around it/pull it through?
would love to know!

thanks.

 

[Iriohm]

I want to ask this to other INFP's because I notice it a lot in myself, that I will be sitting in class or at home pulling weeds, when I suddenly get a really, really, really, really, REALLY great creative idea!

Does this ever happen to you guys? You get great, innovative ideas while just doing everyday, mundane activities? Or does anyone else notice that while they are TRYING to come up with a creative idea, they get nothing, but one sneaks up on them when they least expect it?

Or is this just me?

The short answer is "Yes", and the long answer is Etiam, which is Latin for "Yes". If for no other reason than fulfilling my weekly TypeCentral rounds, I will answer by saying that INFPs are, in some systems, literally described as the Dreamers of Type...onia. Typonia. That's a place, probably.

Henceforth, it would follow that INFPs are creative as well. On a more personal note, I too have noticed great ideas that pop up out of nowhere, but that refuse to be seen when I look for them. In other words, if not INFPs in general, definitely me, at least.