Creativity

[interjerator]

How creative is the INTJ personality?

Are creative endeavors a part of the INTJ personality.

The reason I ask is that I feel I was mismatched (for the most) in business. Now I write, and I find it so much more satisfying.

[Zilal]

I don't know, but I personally am compulsively creative... I can't not create. If I go too long without making something new I literally get a physical urge in my body like the urge to drink when you're thirsty. I like writing, photography, game design etc. but if I'm "starved" for creating I tend to draw on whatever's around or, oddly, write satire about whatever I'm doing. Articles resembling those in the Onion, about geology class or my job or whatever.

[Trivani]

Sometimes I feel like I get overloaded with my intense frustrations with dealing with people and I will escape by being an INTP temporarily. One example is while I worked in tech support in a call center with calls coming in non-stop for 7 1/2 hours of my shift. I decided to tear pages out of the TV guides that we were given, roll them up and tape them to make logs, then tape those together to build a model house and a detached garage. It had a thatched roof and the floor sat evenly on the table (it didn't wabble). The detached garage had a door that slid up to the top like an automated garage door opener would.

On the other hand, my art class in college was one of my lowest grades.

[searcheagle]

How creative is the INTJ personality?

Are creative endeavors a part of the INTJ personality.

The reason I ask is that I feel I was mismatched (for the most) in business. Now I write, and I find it so much more satisfying.

First off, I don't like the way you are defining "creative", where creative only applies to writing or drawing.

Merriam-Websters defines creative as:

"1: marked by the ability or power to create : given to creating <the creative impulse>2: having the quality of something created rather than imitated : imaginative <the creative arts>3: managed so as to get around legal or conventional limits <creative financing>; also : deceptively arranged so as to conceal or defraud <creative accounting>
— cre·a·tive·ly adverb
— cre·a·tive·ness noun"

I am not a creative person if you are to look solely at writing and drawing. I hate art and never draw for the sake of drawing. I do write thoughts out in a journal as an outlet.

Yet, inspite of that I do consider myself a creative person. I enjoy the challenges associated with creative solving in problems. Many writeup on INTJ will call us "system builders." System building is a creative exercise. My long term goal is to design business systems.

I have also sketched out designs for fictious designs vehicles, another creative exercise.

So, in answer to you question, I would say: Yes, INTJs are creative but more in their problem solving and building of real world system than in making art.

[Friend]

In my intro, you will see that I studied technical and scientific illustration. I also write and sing. I am a lot like Zilal regarding the physical urge.

This is the one aspect of the profile that puzzles me because I am very artistically creative as well as otherwise creative while being obviously intj; however, I haven't read as much as I'd like about it because I'm busy with other things right now- but it's on my list.

I have to create; I must be making something of something all the time, and sadly, since I don't have enough of an outlet with visual arts (my primary creative outlet), my family bears the brunt of my urges by becoming part of my experiments and projects... :shy:

[interjerator]

First off, I don't like the way you are defining "creative", where creative only applies to writing or drawing.

1- I never defined creative a only applying to writing and drawing.

2- I believe a great deal of creativity emanates from science and engineering, i.e. those people who created space travel.

3- I agree with your statement "INTJs are creative but more in their problem solving and building of real world system than in making art" to an extent. I think it probably goes beyond the "real world system."





interjerator added to this post, 2 minutes and 4 seconds later...

I have to create; I must be making something of something all the time, and sadly, since I don't have enough of an outlet with visual arts (my primary creative outlet), my family bears the brunt of my urges by becoming part of my experiments and projects... :shy:

Like you, I constantly think of new ideas.

Experiments.......hmmm! :)

[BlackHawk]

I am not a creative person if you are to look solely at writing and drawing. I hate art and never draw for the sake of drawing. . . .

Yet, inspite of that I do consider myself a creative person. I enjoy the challenges associated with creative solving in problems. Many writeup on INTJ will call us "system builders." System building is a creative exercise. My long term goal is to design business systems.


Ditto, except for writing. I very much enjoy creative writing.

INTJs are very creative in many different ways. Usually system building will be a common expression of creativity among INTJs. Other outlets such as writing and drawing will likely be present, but on a more person to person basis.

[Doppelbock]

I don't know, but I personally am compulsively creative... I can't not create. If I go too long without making something new I literally get a physical urge in my body like the urge to drink when you're thirsty. I like writing, photography, game design etc. but if I'm "starved" for creating I tend to draw on whatever's around or, oddly, write satire about whatever I'm doing. Articles resembling those in the Onion, about geology class or my job or whatever.

Holy crap, you just described me.

[searcheagle]

First off, I don't like the way you are defining "creative", where creative only applies to writing or drawing.

1- I never defined creative a only applying to writing and drawing.

2- I believe a great deal of creativity emanates from science and engineering, i.e. those people who created space travel.

3- I agree with your statement "INTJs are creative but more in their problem solving and building of real world system than in making art" to an extent. I think it probably goes beyond the "real world system."


1. I know you didn't specifically define "creativity" in your post. However, the way you used the word "creativity" insinuated that was the only creativity was exposed. It was also appeared to say that creativity was not found in business.

This is what your post say:
Creativity
How creative is the INTJ personality?

Are creative endeavors a part of the INTJ personality.

The reason I ask is that I feel I was mismatched (for the most) in business. Now I write, and I find it so much more satisfying.

Sorry, about the rant. The limited definition of creativity is one of my pet peeves.

[blue tie]

When I describe myself to others, I tell them I am absolutely NOT creative. I never just come up with things out of the ether. The example I like to use is if someone hired me to do a painting (metaphorically), and just handed me a blank canvas, I would be stumped for days. The anxiety would just overwhelm me.

In a different scenario, if someone gave me a rectangular canvas and said, using only the colors yellow and red, paint me something that goes with my living room and reminds me of my dog, I would go to town. I love creativity within constraints.

[Tokey41]

Speaking only from personal experience I think it's a huge part of my personality. I chose a field in which i'm allowed to be completely creative in different ways (psychological research), I would say I need to be creative to be happy in life... be it in school, work, or solving simple every day problems.

Creativity can come in many forms, like finding a more efficient (even if odd) way of doing something in a business setting. It is however, mostly linked to arts and such but i'm sure many INTJ's will tell you thats just ridiculous.

[Nausved]

Creating and understanding are my two main driving forces; all other driving forces (e.g., desire for happiness) ultimately serve those two. I find myself staying up at night wondering what is must be like to not by driven by those desires. How does an individual make it from day to day without them?

I can't possibly tell you whether creating or understanding is more important to me. They're so intertwined. One seems pointless, even impossible, without the other.

[interjerator]

1. I know you didn't specifically define "creativity" in your post. However, the way you used the word "creativity" insinuated that was the only creativity was exposed. It was also appeared to say that creativity was not found in business.

This is what your post say:


Sorry, about the rant. The limited definition of creativity is one of my pet peeves.

You read into it what you wanted; I never defined "creativity." I left it to your creative imagination. Also, I didn't say it wasn't found in business. Since I was in sales and marketing for a great length of time, I know business is extremely creative.

There is a difference between being in business and being in a creative art. Creative arts include writing, painting, directing... and a whole bunch more. Writing is just one creative art. It happens to be the creative art I am involved with at this point.

Ranting is good.

[deepFlow]

I long to be creative, but I no longer seem to be able to be creative in practice. I did a number of creative things in my youth, writing stories, drawing pictures, playing music, etc, but as I moved into adulthood that inner freedom just sort of ground to a halt.

I'm pretty generally clogged creatively. Part of the problem is just getting out of the starting gate in any one direction. Before I even pick up the tool involved, I've already thought it all to death and come up with millions of reasons why my creations would suck, the process would suck, and I don't really want to do that anyway.... But then later I come back around to that medium, and pine away again, ad infinitum.

...I think I have deep psychological obstacles to surmount. (Not enough just-trying, too much thinking.... and too much whining.)

[errrzarrr]

I am sure I am very creative. I often have wonderful ideas suddenly.

[Daniel]

I constantly consciously or subconsciously analyze my environment from many different perspectives, shape, psychology, science, future. As a result I generate a lot of detailed information about the world I live in. Naturally it allows me to constantly make connections between various information pieces. This is how I generate Ideas. This is my type of creativity. I have this constant flow of ideas and the urge to write them down. These ideas are born in most inconvenient places, like in a bus, where I don‘t have anything to write the idea down on. I have the compulsive need to write the idea, before it disappears into subconscious. My text books and exercise books are all written over with idea bursts. It’s interesting, that when I‘m writing I‘m totally controlled by my subconscious. My hand just goes automatic and I feel like I‘m disconnected from this world, I don‘t control my thoughts.
I don‘t really imagine where in life this type of creativity could be best applied...?

[lordrrr]

I am creative as I am imaginative. Everything is possible once put into my hands. I can figure out how to get things done in the best way possible, and most often this is the most efficient way possible, thus it is not the traditional way. I also am just able to create and think up some of the most original things.

[eternaltriangle]

Sorry, about the rant. The limited definition of creativity is one of my pet peeves.

Yes! I had this friend who once said something to the effect of "I like making arts and crafts, whereas you like history and politics, so you are not very creative." That really pissed me off...

[ElstonGunn]

My creativity also disappears when the limited definition is used. Artistically, I'm not creative. I draw maybe four or five pictures a year, and they're always just pencil drawings of an album cover or a photo I found. I also play a lot of music, but I can't write a song to save my life. I've written a little, but I don't think I've ever finished a whole story. So with art and music, I don't do any of the actual creating. I'm just a glorified transcriptionist. And with writing, I get stuck and crap out halfway (or a quarter of the way) through.

But if you use the actual definition, I do a little better. I can sometimes come up with creative solutions to problems, and things like that. I wouldn't say that I'm Mr Ingenuity or anything, but like a lot of INTJs (and Ns in general), I can think creatively, and I get a kick out of doing it.

[Uytuun]

I constantly consciously or subconsciously analyze my environment from many different perspectives, shape, psychology, science, future. As a result I generate a lot of detailed information about the world I live in. Naturally it allows me to constantly make connections between various information pieces. This is how I generate Ideas. This is my type of creativity. I have this constant flow of ideas and the urge to write them down. These ideas are born in most inconvenient places, like in a bus, where I don‘t have anything to write the idea down on. I have the compulsive need to write the idea, before it disappears into subconscious. My text books and exercise books are all written over with idea bursts. It’s interesting, that when I‘m writing I‘m totally controlled by my subconscious. My hand just goes automatic and I feel like I‘m disconnected from this world, I don‘t control my thoughts.

Yes, that seems to be it for me as well...but I'm not sure insightful = creative.