I was watching a video on Myers-Briggs Personality Types today and learned that my type has an artistic side. Well duh! The speaker mentioned INFJ‘s often draw, paint or play an instrument. This left me feeling a bit perplexed.
I’ve never felt a desire to draw or paint. Yes, I took piano lessons for a while but it just wasn’t for me. So how is it that I’m a ‘creative‘?
I don’t see myself as a creative person. It goes back to when I was a child. Being creative was looked at as having some sort of terminal disease. Being an artist was an unacceptable career choice.
Today, yet again, I thought, “Where is your creativity? All you do is spread topsoil, dig holes, and spread mulch. Who can’t do that?”
Luckily, I caught myself before it spiraled out of control.
I don’t think I’ll ever find a way to communicate what I do effectively. There’s more to it than digging and mulching.
Designing, installing and maintaining landscapes is my form of self-expression.
I look at a space and figure out how to make it look best.
I’ve spent a lifetime learning about plants and observing how plants perform in landscapes. I’ll never stop learning.
Part of the design process, for me, is to stare at a space and let my mind wander, almost subconsciously, and see what pops into it. My Myers-Briggs Type’s dominant function is intuition.
Before I learned my personality type I talked about how a design vision appears almost immediately when I walk onto a property. I’m not kidding when I say that. I see the big picture and then work down to the details.
Am I an artist? Yes, yes I am.
The landscape is my canvas, my tools are the brushes, and plants are the colors.
Once again, I’d like to say, “Hi! My name is John and I’m an artist.”
For what it’s worth, they say INFJ types can be good writers too. However, it’s very draining.
Comments
6 responses to “It’s All About Self-Expression – INFJ Personality Type”
John you are creative. If nothing else just by the fact that you produce this blog and make videos. I think my wife is probably a mixture of some, but not all, personality types. Probably dominated by that of debater. This possibly suggests that my personality type is that of “patsy”. 🙂
Good point Rod. I have yet to figure out what the difference is between someone truly being ‘creative’ and watching a few HGTV episodes and redoing their entire landscape. I sense both parties get a similar amount of satisfaction from the process. My wife is a great debater too!
You make me think of spring planting but we have a way to go. Thanks
Not sure what part of the country you live in George but here in CT we’re going to be in the single digits tonight. Brrr. I’m looking forward to spring too!
Yes you are an artist, John, I believe that whole heartedly with lots of exclamation points! And I love your explanation as the yard being your canvas, the brush your tools and the plants your paint. I remember once asking a landscaper “What is your vision?” And his comment was “Vision?” I threw up my hands and talked to his client. Artists work with all different mediums and you, thank God, have found yours. You are also an artist at teaching, I have learned so much from your videos. Don’t ever sell yourself short, I am so happy I discovered your sight! Kay
Thanks for the kind words Kay. I’m old enough to know better but it’s hard to outgrow what you were told when you were young. I also have a hard time with clients not seeing how much effort it took to get where I am in my field. The key is finding people who appreciate what I have to offer.
Are you strictly a designer? I thought you were doing design, planting and maintenance work.