Creativity: Thinkers vs. Feelers

Gaze

Gaze

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INFPishy
How do thinkers vs. feelers approach creativity? Are the goals or interests the same? What makes a creative project fulfilling for a thinker vs. feeler? Could mention a few examples of your experience engaging in creative projects and how it felt to complete them?

FYI: I'm doing a workshop on creativity, and I want to plan activities which reflect different personality type concerns and interests.
 
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Questions to ask myself: either something has to motivate me or inspire me to create. Motivation could be monetary; it was in the past, but then it burned me out. No one could pay me enough to draw/paint for them now. So I leave myself with inspiration. At the moment, I have no inspiration b/c I feel I do not have my own space to create or enough solace to do so. There are too many distractions around me to be able to surround myself in a "hospitable" environment. My source of inspiration is feeling: either of love or of desire to please/show another love ... b/c I view my artwork as an extension of myself.

What makes a creative project fulfilling? If my work was for someone else, it was to provide them with joy or happiness with my work. I don't think I'm ever fully fulfilled with the piece of work itself, rather than the effect it has on people. Almost every time I have drawn or painted, when I reach the end ... there comes the question of "what is the end?" Something can always be improved or changed, or perhaps I forgot something. I'll mull that over for a couple of days before I have to just say ... STOP IT, IT'S DONE. I am a perfectionist, so I tend to over-obsess about the details.

Which leads me to the next thing ... learning to work with watercolor paint. It's incredibly unforgiving, you have to get it right nearly the first time or you risk over saturating your paper (and tearing it, ruining it), among other reasons. I've enjoyed learning watercolor, because I have had to learn that my art in this media can never achieve "realism." It's incredibly freeing, as I've had to step outside myself and all the skills I have ever known.


Specific examples:

Commissioned pet portraits. I would set an internal deadline depending on the size of the portrait. My satisfaction came from the customer enjoying the art. I had always said there was no obligation to purchase if they did not like it, b/c it was always another piece of work to put in my portfolio ... but I never had that issue.

I did an acrylic painting of my dog flying an airplane and a watercolor of an abandoned old car in the woods to submit to an exhibit. Why? I always said I wanted to enter into an exhibit b/c it's something I never did. I had no expectations ... so I was surprised when I received 3rd place with my watercolor. Overall was a very fun experience. I would love to join an art guild locally soon.
 
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Gist said:
How do thinkers vs. feelers approach creativity? Are the goals or interests the same? What makes a creative project fulfilling for a thinker vs. feeler? Could mention a few examples of your experience engaging in creative projects and how it felt to complete them?

FYI: I'm doing a workshop on creativity, and I want to plan activities which reflect different personality type concerns and interests.
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I could think about these questions for months and my answers would probably still not encompass everything within this subject. This is just off the top of my head. Hope it helps.

1) How do thinkers vs. feelers approach creativity?

I've had to think my way through creative projects before. This is mostly when I'm creating with a specific intention in mind. Not my favorite way to create. Feeling my way through a creative project is much more fun, less rules, more spontaneity, more surprises and more frustrations. In other words, I prefer to feel my way through most creative endeavors.

2) Are the goals or interests the same?

Not for me. When I create through the thought process, my goals and interests are on the finished project. Whereas when I create from a feeling perspective, the goals or interests may not even exist. The main event is the process and joy of creating.

3) What makes a creative project fulfilling for a thinker vs. feeler?

When I've thought my way through a creative project, sales and other people enjoying my work are fulfilling. When I've felt my way through a creative project, it's my own personal growth and enjoyment that fulfills me.
 
I need inspiration before I create. Something that stimulates my introverted intuition with just enough ambiguity that it goes crazy on all possible interpretations. But enough clarity that my curiosity isnt drowned out by too many possibilities. Usually, a muse is related to human nature in some capacity! I hope this answers your question.
 
INFP here. When I tackle a creative project, it definitely comes from inspiration of some sort. I get this mental picture of it in my head, and then I begin to uncover it through whatever medium I'm working on, though I mainly sculpt. When truly inspired, it's almost as if I am just a conduit rather than a creator. In those situations, I am like a mad woman, working on it tirelessly till its completion. When it's finished, I usually have a very feely moment that brings me to tears, like giving birth to something. Of course most of the time I'm so pessimistic about it's outcome and feel like I failed the vision that had inspired me to do it in the first place, but I am extremely fulfilled in that I finished it, brought it to life.

My INTJ husband approaches any project, whether that be creative or otherwise, in a very methodical way. Like he has it all mapped out first and never deviates from his plan of attack. It's not a rush for him to complete as it is mine, but he'll work on it daily till it is finished. When it is, he often expresses relief, as in a "Thank goodness that's over with!" fashion, even if it was for his own enjoyment. He also expresses that he is fulfilled, or rather, satisfied when whatever it is has some sort of purpose. Mine usually serve no purpose at all, sometimes decorative, but it's more of a need for me to get it out from my head and into the real world. His... it must have a practical use or else it is meaningless.

Examples would be a sculpture of a human form I completed, that is now in storage because it creeps my kids out.. :p VS a bookshelf he made with his own bare hands. Not because he really felt the need to work with his hands and feel the wood beneath his fingertips, but because he had a box of books. He had power tools in the garage. Why buy one when he can make one? :p

Hope this helped!
 
I'll answer this by sharing how I contrast as an INFJ with my INTJ friend. Since we both share introverted intuition I am commenting our thinker-feeler differences since our Ni is very similar.

1. How do thinkers vs. feelers approach creativity?

Me: I need to feel emotionally invested and inspired to start. That means what I am working on has to have a meaning that fits my values. If this criteria is met then creativity tends to just flow.

INTJ friend: He just seems to need a goal with a deadline. The project needs to have some practical utility- especially one that moves him closer to his own goals.

2. Are the goals or interests the same?

Me: my goals tend to revolve around creating things that will have a positive impact on others or inspire them. I also like to enjoy the act of being creative for its own sake while doing that.

INTJ friend: his goals are more aligned with how what he creates will fit in with where he wants to go in life (e.g. If asked to be creative on a work project that is for other people, he'd view the goal in terms of how a great outcome will be good for his portfolio.) Another goal is self mastery.

3. What makes a creative project fulfilling for a thinker vs. feeler?

Answered above.

4. mention a few examples of your experience engaging in creative projects and how it felt to complete them?

I like to make cards for people that are artistically intricate. I love the process of matching the artistic expression to the person's personality and what makes them unique. When finished I get the most satisfaction out of giving it to them and knowing they felt appreciated by seeing their own interests in the card.

Example two: I love writing songs and recording them. On completion it feels amazing to realise they started out as nothing.
 
I think I was most creative when I felt unstable and unhappy. I wrote short stories and poetry as a means to cope. It allowed me to take control of destructive negative energy and transform it into something positive. I haven't written in a very long time. Now I am mostly creative with craft endeavors and things to make my home beautiful. So I guess since I don't need to remodel myself internally at this time, I'm transforming my surroundings. I'm motivated to be creative by my emotions. And I use creativity to create feelings of comfort and well-being. I once dated an INTJ who was a musician and he wanted to collaborate and use my writing for song lyrics. I found the suggestion kinda horrifying. I can't really speak for a thinker's creative process.
 
For me creating something that fills a need or solves an issue is a big deal. I have to care about the issue or need (or the person (s) who have it though) to be motivated.
 
acd said:
I think I was most creative when I felt unstable and unhappy. I wrote short stories and poetry as a means to cope. It allowed me to take control of destructive negative energy and transform it into something positive. I haven't written in a very long time. Now I am mostly creative with craft endeavors and things to make my home beautiful. So I guess since I don't need to remodel myself internally at this time, I'm transforming my surroundings. I'm motivated to be creative by my emotions. And I use creativity to create feelings of comfort and well-being. I once dated an INTJ who was a musician and he wanted to collaborate and use my writing for song lyrics. I found the suggestion kinda horrifying. I can't really speak for a thinker's creative process.
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Same for me. My need to do something creative is tied to feelings and emotions at the time. It's spontaneous and I usually engage in it because I'm trying to change my mood or reflect some need to be cheered up or feel better in some way. So, yeah, emotional ties seem to be key for feelers.

Thanks everyone for the responses. It was really helpful :)
 
I don’t know if I can classify myself or my creativity into thinking or feeling since it is a component of both. I like planning out and maximizing my utility in my creative endeavors. It isn’t just about the creation of something; it is also the reward of doing something as efficiently as possible. For example, when I am creating a massive Fallout Power Armor Cosplay. I could afford to go all out and buy the most ridiculously expensive supplies that may be easier to work with and take less time but what is the fun in that?

That’s too easy and not a challenge. Instead, I set a tight but realistic budget and then try to get to the desired result while staying within that budget. The results are just as visually appealing as the more expensive route and I get my creative stimuli but I also get satisfaction from being economic about the whole pursuit. I also get the satisfaction of problem solving and the reward of overcoming whatever challenge I set upon myself. The creativity is not just in the end result that everyone sees but in the entire process. I have to be creative in my acquiring of supplies, I have to see how each component could be created by something that others might not think of, I have to be creative with my budget and sometimes splurge on more important pieces while going cheaper on other less important pieces that have no place in the functionality.

Another art project I did recently. I purchased an old wooden table from a thrift store for $20, sanded it down and re-stained it($15), printed off a GOT map for $30 and purchased $120 of resin (Lots leftover for other projects) and made a sweet coffee table. I have had people ask if I could make them one and offered to pay me a lot more than what it costs to make it but I would rather not. I enjoyed the challenge though of seeing the potential of the junk table and helping it get there.

I will be honest though, I sometimes take more satisfaction in the starting of project versus finishing it. Once I finish something, it quickly ends up either in the trash or in storage and then I move onto the next project. There are not many things I do repeatedly.
 
I'm weird because I've never consciously tried to be creative before. Usually I just resign myself to the fact that the thoughts I have are most likely to be shared by at least one other person in our seven billion people planet. But sometimes when I'm entrapped by emotion, I suddenly become incredibly creative.

I can write anything: poems, stories, magazine exposés. But as I write in this state of emotion, I feel that I really have no control of the material I produce. It just all flows out of my pen.

I've never been able to explain it to anyone. Or to myself.
 
Both types definitely can be creative (...or not).

I think the primary difference is that Feelers are prone to be based on ...more personal core. Feelings, thoughts, emotions, inspiration.
Then they find ways to express them.

Thinkers based their creativity on an external standard, therefore they can be more detached, but at the same time harder to be intimate.
They need to find the framework to do whatever it is they are doing-- THEN they may imbue personal values onto it.
 
Whenever I take tests online if I am right or left brained I almost always get 50/50 right and left.
I find that my left brain will interfere with my creativity sometimes by wanting to be a perfectionist about things.
But for the most part they seem to compliment the shared division.
 
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