• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

[Type 6] Type 6 sx and creativity

animenagai

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
1,569
MBTI Type
NeFi
Enneagram
4w3
I understand that 6's, the sx variants particularly can look a lot like a 4. They worship creativity, are often emotional, introspective and so on. My question for you guys is how this creativity is motivated by the holy idea of the 6 (trust and security). See, I understand why a 4 would want to be creative, because that creative process becomes an identity builder. What is this motivation like for a 6? Genuine question.
 

Speed Gavroche

Whisky Old & Women Young
Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Messages
5,152
MBTI Type
EsTP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
I understand that 6's, the sx variants particularly can look a lot like a 4. They worship creativity, are often emotional, introspective and so on. My question for you guys is how this creativity is motivated by the holy idea of the 6 (trust and security). See, I understand why a 4 would want to be creative, because that creative process becomes an identity builder. What is this motivation like for a 6? Genuine question.

Type 4 feel that there's an essential source of love that has been denied to them. They are usually engaged in creative process trying to find the "best" which is absent and where resides the hapiness that they don't feel. Their creativity is based on a deep appreciation for beauty, and an alternance of feelings from one extreme to another that they overidentify with. They feel elite and suffer from this.

Type 6 assume that love and protection are gained by vigilance and endurance. They commit to a creative ideal, create beauty in their environment to stabilize their anxiety. Their creativity is in strong part based on vivid imagination, and they over identify with mental projection and worst-case scenario.
 

guesswho

Active member
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
1,977
MBTI Type
ENTP
Why is it that when u ppl talk about type 6 you mention anxiety?

The process of creating shit is also fun and enjoyable, not necessarily an anxiety kill.

I think some people feel the NEED to create, once they've created something by accident, they'll just keep creating shit.

Because it's fun, and you get to show what's inside of you without actually saying it and explaining it to anyone. And you can show it in such way that it won't be understandable.

You will cypher you deepest thoughts and just project them onto something.
 

Speed Gavroche

Whisky Old & Women Young
Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Messages
5,152
MBTI Type
EsTP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Why is it that when u ppl talk about type 6 you mention anxiety?

The process of creating shit is also fun and enjoyable, not necessarily an anxiety kill.

I think some people feel the NEED to create, once they've created something by accident, they'll just keep creating shit.

Because it's fun, and you get to show what's inside of you without actually saying it and explaining it to anyone. And you can show it in such way that it won't be understandable.

You will cypher you deepest thoughts and just project them onto something.

:yes:

Though, I think anime wanted to know what the enneatype itself implied in term of differences, speaking about 4s and 6s in particulary.
 

animenagai

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
1,569
MBTI Type
NeFi
Enneagram
4w3
:yes:

Though, I think anime wanted to know what the enneatype itself implied in term of differences, speaking about 4s and 6s in particulary.

Pretty much. I'm not sure where [MENTION=10530]guesswho[/MENTION] is coming from, because really I didn't say anything about anxiety (security and trust are pretty neutral terms imo). Any type can be an artist and not all actions are type related. That's not what I'm trying to argue about, I think we're all on the same page on that one. However, there are some types who do like to be creative more than others, so much so that it becomes part of the identity. I'm trying to draw the link between the core idea of each enneatype and link it with creativity (creativity is not the be all end all for any of the types. It is a way other ideas are manifested).
 

guesswho

Active member
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
1,977
MBTI Type
ENTP
They commit to a creative ideal, create beauty in their environment to stabilize their anxiety.

I was referring to this.

Long story short I said:

They also do it because it's fun.

But I think I spoke like Victor in that post don't know what happened.
 

ChocolateMoose123

New member
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
5,278
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
I understand that 6's, the sx variants particularly can look a lot like a 4. They worship creativity, are often emotional, introspective and so on. My question for you guys is how this creativity is motivated by the holy idea of the 6 (trust and security). See, I understand why a 4 would want to be creative, because that creative process becomes an identity builder. What is this motivation like for a 6? Genuine question.

I don't think I'm creative in stereotypical ways. I do think I have streaks of ingenuity and that in itself is a type of creativity.
 

SilkRoad

Lay the coin on my tongue
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
3,932
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I think I'm 6w5 sp/sx - definitely not sx-first. But I'll just add my two cents. ;) In case it is helpful.

I love beauty, culture, creativity etc for many reasons, but the most "6" reason is probably that it's a "safe and secure" way for me to have "drama" and violent emotions and all this sort of thing in my life. I don't like drama in interpersonal relationships and really can't stand the way some people seem to chase after it (often oblivious to the fact that they are doing so.) The arts almost seem to me like a safe way to simultaneously defuse and experience this level of emotion and drama in a controlled environment. I love poetry, I both write and read it, and it occurred to me recently that it's like a metaphoric bomb disposal unit.

I probably have less of a creative drive than many sx-first. It is in me but often I'm just too lazy or not quite driven enough to seek it out. Sometimes there really is something I know is worthwhile working on (generally poetry these days, though I've written in a lot of different genres/areas). But overall I'm probably more of an experiencer than a creator when it comes to the arts (though sometimes I feel guilty for not trying harder to be creative, or like I'm missing something.)

I am a very sensitive and emotional person and I think that's partly why I feel like emotions/drama etc need to be "controlled" in a way. When they are out of control they wreak such terrible havoc in my life. The arts/creativity (whether my own or someone else's) give me safe access to this very important aspect of the human experience. That's why I'm such a culture vulture (and that can be anything from a Def Leppard concert to a poetry reading) and constantly seek it out. :)


EDIT: I seem to have neglected to mention that these things (in many/most cases) calm me down, or put me in a more happy/fun mood, or get me thinking about things I enjoy, rather than dark obsessive thoughts. All of which help a lot with a 6's issues.
 
Last edited:

animenagai

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
1,569
MBTI Type
NeFi
Enneagram
4w3
I love beauty, culture, creativity etc for many reasons, but the most "6" reason is probably that it's a "safe and secure" way for me to have "drama" and violent emotions and all this sort of thing in my life.

Holy. Shit. That's golden right there. Thanks, that was very insightful.
 

highlander

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Messages
26,562
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Some rambling thoughts....

I'd say SXs in general can have a pre-occupation with aesthetics and beauty (I use these words in a broad sense). So that may help to explain why an SX would appreciate creativity. A 6 SX, who tends to be scanning the environment for signs of risk or danger might focus on appreciating something of beauty even more than other types of SXs because it allows them to concentrate on that thing vs. these sources of danger that they might otherwise focus on. It is in a sense a distraction from those negative things.

I believe the introspection is related to getting in touch with their core and developing a sense of will, confidence and security which are desired. It's an effort to develop self reliance which is of extreme importance - to understand one's strengths and limitations. On the other hand, being overly critical of oneself, which is also part of this introspection on a daily basis, can impair one's confidence. So, there are those two sides of the coin. That doesn't necessarily explain the creativity part however.

If SX appreciates beauty and 6 wants to develop self-reliance then it doesn't seem unusual that a 6 would expend effort to appreciate or create things of beauty or aesthetic value. It helps them to feel more secure.

Here is a concrete example. I live in a pretty nice house. I helped to design and create this house - working with the builder to design the exterior as well as all components of the interior - coming up with a number of ideas to make it look more attractive as well as functional. I spent painstaking hours to ensure the right floor plan, select the right flooring material, fireplaces, lighting, fixtures, cabinets, ceiling materials, ventilation systems, and other unique design features. I loved doing it and it really turned out pretty well. It's a thing of beauty in my eyes from both an aesthetic and functional perspective. It's comforting for me to live in it because I was integrally involved in creating it. I'm attached to it and it provides me with security. I can look at it and appreciate it every day. As a 6 that worries about things going wrong, I got it paid off quite early which reduces potential risk. I created it and nobody can take it away without my permission. So, in this case, it wasn't about violent emotions or drama. It was enjoying the process of creation and the pride in that thing which was created which leads to a feeling of competence and the security of having this familiar thing which can be used every day.
 

PursuitOfHappiness

New member
Joined
May 4, 2014
Messages
14
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I feel like creative motivation for a 4 may be more focused on expression of something inside themselves in an effort to find significance for themselves, but a sx 6's creative motivation may be more based on a desire to attain connection with others. In this way, a 4's motivation for creativity is more inward focused, whereas a sx 6's motivation for creativity is more outward focused.

A case in point: I publicly read something that I wrote a poetry reading a week ago, and I got to hear someone else read poetry who I surmise is either 4w5 or 5w4...so I think there was a 4 in there some where :) Anyway, I realize now that my words were comparatively more unifying and based on common ground amongst the listeners, whereas the other person's poem was relatively divisive, haunting, and yet maybe truly brilliant...like maybe only a 4 can write.

Relatedly, I wonder if sx 6's are more likely to create art that is short-lived and connects the artist to a large energetic audience (Eddie Vedder in concert comes to mind) than say sculpt stones that may have less likelihood to bring together lots of energetic people at the same time. I wonder if the sculpture art is more often chosen by 4's that want to create something that will last and show some kind of historical significance.
 

Patrick

New member
Joined
Aug 13, 2008
Messages
129
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
5
Instinctual Variant
sx
When I first read about the enneagram (probably fifteen or twenty years ago), I mistyped myself as a Four. I could easily relate to the self-image of a brooding artist ready to burst with pent-up creativity. Over the years I've made a long mistyping journey through types Nine, One, and finally Six (which is still pretty new to me).

My main creative expression is via writing. I can't not write. If I'm not doing it in a forum like this, I'm doing it in a blog or a journal or somewhere else. Why do I do it? It's hard to say. If I knew, I might solve the enigma of myself and be finished, and then I wouldn't need to write anymore.

I can guess, though. I suspect it's part of a self-discovery process. The Fours I've met may also be going through that process, but they always seem to have some particular wound or inner mystery that they're compelled to build up emotion around; and insofar as they're creative, they'll express that in some artistic way. In their case, it seems to me it almost always comes out as something deeply personal; sometimes it's so unique that others may have a hard time relating to it even if they can easily appreciate the creativity behind it.

In my case, as a Six, I'm always aiming for self-certainty. I react with strong feelings to many things, and my own reaction intrigues me. So I write about it in hopes that I'll end up revealing to myself (and incidentally to others too) where I stand--which is part of who I am. Besides that, I'm a romantic; I feel a strong attraction to the object of my affection, and that's always a fitting subject for art or poetry or music (in my case, poetry is the most likely). Sixes have something of the desire to merge with another as Nines do, so the expression of love--the desire for a powerful romantic connection--might figure into Six-type creativity. (Fours, perhaps, would be more likely to express the longing sensations of unrequited love, or the bluesy gloom of a love gone bad.)

Often, though, especially as I've gotten older, I find myself turning my creativity to more prosaic kinds of self-expression: nonfiction, letters to friends, blog posts, and such. And often what I create begins as a reaction to something someone else (maybe a Four) has produced--something that moved me.

At times my creative muse speaks in the name of anxiety and/or loyalty: I'll respond to some political situation with vehemence, or I'll lavishly praise a noble spiritual cause. Perhaps Julia Ward Howe (writer/composer of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") was a Six. A rousing anthem is just the thing a Six might be moved to create. In fact, some of the songs that I find especially moving have that quality to them: e.g., folk-rock protest songs of the 1960s.

So, yeah--as another post above says, the creative expression of Sixes often ties in with social movements or things that involve groups of people (even the whole human race), whereas the creativity of Fours is typically much more individual (even to the point of be indecipherable by anyone else).

Just some rambling thoughts on this interesting subject.
 
Top