Typology and Creative and Artistic Hobbies and Skills

[Frosty]

I was wondering- what do you all think about type and creative endeavors/artistry. While artistic skill and interest has been long associated with NFs and ISFPs... Well... stereotypes suck.

So Im wondering, do any of you dabble in anything creative? Whether that is drawing, painting, writing, sewing, crafting, or anything else- do any of you do it? Would you consider yourself good at it? Why do you do it? How did you start- did you feel pulled towards it? (I read somewhere that if you wanted to know what a person was naturally good at you should consider what they naturally gravitated towards as a child- that children tend to hyperfocus on things they are interested in- was this the case for anyone who considers themselves talented)

Im just interested in general. All skill levels. Whether its a hobby, a passion, whatever- what sort of creative things do you like to do? (You can answer my other questions if you wish- but my aim in this thread is... a loose one... mostly just curiosity- see where this goes)

So. I guess to make this simple- what is your type? What are your creative interests? Do you think your typology influences your art? Ect ect.

 

[Merced]

ESTJ. I do a little bit of everything except dance. (Glad this thread was made because I have a big thing planned too.)

In terms of visual art, I briefly went to a performing arts school. I mainly consider myself a pencil cartoonist, but I'm skilled with watercolor, charcoal, acrylic, and pastels. Up until high school, my life dream was to be an animator of some kind. I've taken a photography class or two as well, but aside from always having a 3x3 grid on my phone camera, my interest in photography is more to cover my bases academically than it is out of genuine appreciation.

Musically, I think I'm pretty well rounded too. I can sing pretty well, but I also know how to play many instruments (at varying degrees of quality, I should add). Piano, guitar, bass, cello, violin, viola, trumpet, clarinet, and most percussions. Favorite instrument is trumpet, if that's relevant.

I'd say I'm pretty good at writing as well. I'm better at narrative writing than I am academic writing (and within that, argumentative writing is my thing, research writing is a drag). I prefer dialogue driven prose over poetry, but I'm not shy about that either. I used to do a bunch of song writing, but I fell off of it. I should get back into that. Adding to this, I also use to do a lot of plays and musicals.

I guess my relationship with Ne is why I'm a jack of all trades but a master or none? I can't think of how to tie it to my MBTI, really.

 

[Lord Lavender]

As a ESFJ I love doing "creative" things and in fact I cant stick to one thing as I love to hop and diversity as I don't see any point in lingering on one island or contient when there's lots out there. I love writing (Been too lazy so far but that will change soon I tell myself he he he he). I love painting and drawing and Id also love to get into clay molding and animation I love doing creepy and whimsical works of art. Hmmm I don't think my type effects my creative drives too much I suppose Si likes the sensory side of things like the colors and shapes and my Ne likes the idea generation and what ifs from art.


I was wondering does anyone think functional axis effect art as I personally think Ne/Si is more whimsical and soft while Ni/Se is more visceral and symbolic. Fe/Ti might be more technical and impersonal while Te/Fi I think would be more personal.

 

[xXxXx_wEltschmErz_xXxXx]

I like art, especially drawing. I've been very drawn to drawing since I was little. Looking at MBTI letters, I think traits/ behaviour associated with I and P have mattered to me personally, and those are the letters I best identify with. More time spent alone meant more drawing, passive role in social settings had a similar effect, I'm relatively spontaneous in what I do I guess. I would probably still be interested if that weren't the case, but I think it has had some sort of relevance.

I like shaping things with my hands. I play an instrument and sing in the shower but that's not my hmm strongest area. I like writing too.
I'd like to make comics in the future, hopefully proffessionally. Making short ones now for practice. I'm often too lazy to start, it's a lot of work.

 

[highlander]

The forum is a creative outlet for me. I enjoy enhancing the feature and functions as well as making it look nice . I am a creative person but not artsy really. Like I am good at building an awesome house for example but I can't paint a picture . I do know one person who is a professional artist that is an INTJ . She's quite good.

 

[Snow as White]

I love art. I've done many types at different points. My main issue is as soon as I think I have learned it, then I want to move on... I am not really interested in the patience required to achieve true mastery by hammering in hour after fruitless hour to eventually make a tree.

So I've done: ceramics (wheel and hand), metal sculptre, painting (oil, acrylic, watercolor), drawing (charcoal, pastels, colored pencils), writing (poetry, prose), sewing, and I'm probably forgetting something.

I think there can be an aspect of typology interwoven... but ultimately it doesn't matter what type you are, you can totally be creative. Being ISFP or NF doesn't automatically stamp your mind with the creativity gift and bug. I have an ISFP friend who likes creative attempts at things but she ultimately doesn't care that much. My bf is INFJ and he will indulge in something creative because he wants to share that portion of my life with me, but outside of that he doesn't have the need or compulsion to do creative things himself.

 

[Luminous]

I guess my relationship with Ne is why I'm a jack of all trades but a master or none?

This is what made me sure of having a lot of Ne. lol

INFP. Over the course of the years, I've been fairly good at and/or enthusiastic about:

• writing poetry (which I don't do often anymore because it was too much a source of reinforcing and encouraging negative feeling [maybe reflective of a Fi-Si loop?]-however I would like to do more of it now with a concentration on not wallowing around in it),
• drawing (though I do wish I was better at drawing right out of my head...I mean, I have to be looking at whatever it is I'm drawing for it to come out well),
• photography (which I love, love so much that sometimes when I go on an outing and there's a perfect photo and there's no way for me to take it, it makes me quite sad or irritable), and
• knitting/crocheting (which I got into out of boredom, but it's fun, can be a good social activity, and can also engage some technical skills).

I would like to get into some other forms, like painting, sculpting, ceramics, maybe glass blowing...

 

[Riva]

Woah I was thinking of starting a thread on the same subject titled 'what's your creative outlet' after going thought the following self discovery:-

it's a reminder that I can't paint. Gosh I am jealous of people who can paint especially people who claimed to have learnt it.

I am a member of a toastmasters club which focuses on public speaking. I enjoy writing and delivering speeches and mine are almost always quite funny. But maybe that not enough. Maybe I need something more. Either expand on it or do something completely different.

 

[senza tema]

I haven't done anything conspicuously artistic for a long time. I learned Indian classical dance when I was a child and was apparently good at it but I did it only because my mom made me. I didn't dislike it but I can't say I LIKED it either. I've never had much aptitude for the visual arts. I could never make my hands execute what my mind saw. I used to like to sing but my voice changed completely after a bout of measles-related complications so I became too self-conscious to perform anymore. I used to write in high school but stopped when I decided I wasn't good enough. I worked part-time as a graphic designer in college and enjoyed that a lot ... it was one of my favorite jobs but I never really contemplated making a career out of it. It was just a fun way to make some money while I was in school. These days, I do crochet/needlework on occasion but it's usually pretty goal-oriented—like my grandma was cold so I decided to make her a cute hood and was happy with how it turned out, but when I was done, I was done.

I think I might enjoy sewing/making my own clothes but I'm daunted by the wastefulness of the learning curve. Same with pottery. I've thought about taking up photography but the equipment is expensive so I'm going to hold off until I can afford it.

 

[Cellmold]

I would argue I'm not a naturally creative person although I have, in awe of those who can create with what appears to be such brilliant ease (although I recognise the sheer investment of time and effort that this actually requires), attempted to enter into creative realms on several occasions.

I learned to play the clarinet (badly) at around the age of 7-8, but unfortunately gave up in my teens when I felt my progress was too slow and the lessons were too expensive, although I still own the clarinet. I am in thrall to how others can create works of art through music, regardless of genre, the way it can move oneself and the transportation of perception, not to mention it's seemingly inherent mathematical expression of universal presentation. My poor attempts in this area might be down to finding mathematics very challenging (although I do not use that as an excuse not to bother learning or practicing maths itself).

I was also introduced, at the very early age of 4, to the world of tabletop miniature games. Now here was a hobby I have indulged in on and off for most of my life with varying degrees of success. Eventually I did make more effort to commit to and finish armies for the games I was playing. There is a blog here that details some of my stuff and shows a degree of progress over time: The Stuff I'm painting...or have painted:

Trust me, painting these really was a labour of love and toil. Still, as far as I have come, there is always so much more to discover and when compared to even some of the people at my local club, my progress seems rather paltry. However I lean more towards that being something to aim for rather than something to be discouraged from, as with my clarinet.

The other area I think any creativity I have been gifted with shines, is with language. While I am not great at narrative story writing, I do enjoy poetry and also enjoy writing as just a general practice. I particularly enjoy writing some of the longer posts I've put on here, as it allows me to find out, through a combination of prior assumptions, gathered information & the flowing engagement in the act of writing, what I really think.

It's fascinating just how true the axiom from Jung is that "People don't have ideas, ideas have people".

And it's amazing just how often, through that written engagement, my initial starting point changes and builds into something far beyond what had first driven me to start writing it.