Spontaneous, innovative, and imaginative, the prodigious Artisan is not only the most creative role but the most eccentric. Viewing life as just one big canvas for their creative offspring, Artisans can slip into delusional worlds that bear little resemblance to reality. For this reason, Artisans must stay grounded in the world and avoid this natural penchant for being a bit scattered. With five inputs to manage, the Artisan's focus in the world can be omni-directional, like an oscillating fan that sends a flow of air in many directions, never diverting its attention for too long in one spot. This has led more grounded roles to say about the Artisan: "Is anybody home?" But the sometimes airy, decentralized demeanor of this fluid role should not so easily be dismissed. Artisans are very clever people who frequently use their talents to excel in the fields of mathematics, engineering, computer programming, fine arts, literature, or quantum physics. In fact, in the school of Philosophy, it was an Artisan who invented the idea of democracy.
Artisans often possess an inventive, make-the-most-of-what's-available style of creativity that allows them to create remarkable things out of a limited amount of resources. If they metaphorically can't get a table out of their resources, they'll be quite happy to get a chair, or perhaps a small toy. Artisans also have an innate curiosity for how things are put together, from the tallest skyscraper to the sub-atomic particle. And if they aren't applying their expressive abilities in the sciences or the arts, Artisans can be equally content as master carpenters, auto mechanics, or in one of the other technical fields. In the arena of sports, it is also not surprising to discover many great baseball players are Artisans; the geometric principles of the game seems to fascinate them.
On an introspective level, Artisans are often prone to moodiness, and if pushed to the edge, can be the craziest of all the roles. In a depressed state, an Artisan in the doldrums can join a gathering of people and be like an ominous cloud that blocks the sun, leaving everyone affected by the shadow. Conversely, a joyous Artisan can almost instantly change a roomful of sour dispositions with the magical quality of a rose that blooms in the snow, altering the ambiance of the room with enthusiasm and good cheer. Artisans literally influence the ambient area around them, and it seems their creative energy is not only contained to their inner worlds, but to the outer one as well.
Physically, Artisans are often described as "cute" and typically have soft-round faces. In his book, "The Journey of Your Soul," author Shepherd Hoodwin describes Artisan females as "adorable or beautiful in a Marilyn Monroe kind of way", and males are described as the stereotypical "pretty boy," rather than the more "rough hewn" male often associated with the role of the Warrior. Of course, not all Artisans will be beautiful or even cute, but many of the fashion models currently enjoying wide spread popularity are indeed Artisans.
An Ordinal role, the Artisan is generally not comfortable in large groups of people, gravitating to the intimacy of the one-on-one connection.
Artisans greatly value their alone time, especially when their creative juices flow and a new and exciting project is at hand. Artisans love their projects, and these creative excursions can actually keep them healthy, according to Michael. A bored, frustrated, or blocked Artisan will always find ways to be creative, even if it means creating a colorful disease.
Day to day living is often a bore for the Artisan, who delights in being a connoisseur of anything novel in life, leaving the monotonous grind of the 9-5 workplace to other roles that crave the responsibility and inherent demands of such an existence. So fiercely innovative and ahead of their time that they find themselves in stark contrast with the rest of society, Artisans can feel out of touch with the world and simply drop out of circulation. Even for Artisans who contribute and adhere to more productive lifestyles, there's often a random sense of order in the way they focus on projects, and their world is usually littered with a confusing array of unfinished projects, sometimes literally strewn everywhere. Of course, where the Artisan might see this system as logical and ordered, other roles are often baffled by this seemingly unordered approach to life.
Whether as artists, writers, actors, craftsman, engineers, composers, surgeons, carpenters, or philosophers, Artisans can make almost anything a canvas for their creative explorations, and in their own unique and inventive way, their expression and creativity makes the world a more colorful place.
Recognizing an Artisan
Key point: CREATIVITY.
Artisan eyes are soft, childlike and a little dreamy -- the eyes appearing beautifully liquid, as if freshly filled with ink. With a gaze both radiant and in another world, the far-off look of the Artisan can seem as if they are viewing things from beyond the horizon.
An expressive role, Artisans are naturally playful but also prone to bouts of moodiness and introspection-- and this can manifest in their appearance.
Artisans are sometimes known for their puppy-dog eyes, and female Artisans may express an allure of refinement and quiet radiance. Since artisans are highly adaptive creatures, their chosen occupation may affect their overall look, be it as engineers or scientists, artists or actors, or professional athletes on a baseball diamond or tennis court. Regardless of their make-believe, their eyes will always gleam with an expressive light that's never cold, hard or fierce.
Artisan faces are typically round and softly textured and usually slow to wrinkle. The secondary influences of essence twin and casting do effect the look of the Artisan, but even an Artisan/King still has a muted, slightly unfocused look that lacks solidity. Artisans are natural daydreamers and despite their intellectual gifts, there is often a scattered look in their eyes, the product of a wandering yet inventive mind.
For more about artisan eyes, see the
role photos page.
Important Points
Artisans feel a primal urge to create something, ANYTHING. Their creations can range from handicrafts to a piece of poetry to a scientific theorem. While artisans thrive in the fine arts, their creative juice can be directed at anything.
Artisans seek originality in their creations. They are not satisfied with just improving on something, they want to create something entirely new.
Artisans are allergic to set schedules and anything routine. They do not thrive in cubicles and need spontaneity.
Artisans may be haphazard in their creative output and litter their workplace with a slew of unfinished projects.
Unlike sages that feed off attention and standing ovations, artisans are more interested in receiving appreciation for the merit of their work rather than accolades for themselves.
Along with scholars, artisans are often intellectually focused and deep thinkers -- although elucidating their ideas in plain English can be a challenge.
The Artisan usually follows the latest fashion trends, becoming a moving canvas of sartorial expression. This, however, may lessen at the old soul stage.
