Why Do INFJs and INFPs Struggle So Much with Being Creative?

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INFJ and INFP personality types are two of the most creative personality types among all the 16 types. We love art, writing, color, beauty, and finding the deeper meaning behind everything. But one of the most often asked questions from the INFJ personality type and the INFP personality type is: “I know I’m creative, so why is it so hard for me to express it?” Struggles with creativity for INFJs and INFPs tend to take two forms. The first is that the actual creative process feels hard. There might be a lot of good ideas bubbling to the surface, but it’s difficult to get them down on the page. Or, the person feels like they are experiencing a creative drought, and have no good ideas at all. Either way, this makes the INFJ creative process and the INFP creative process feel very stop-and-go, like we’re hitting the gas and then slamming on the brakes. When we’re experiencing this frustration with stop-and-go energy in our creative process, we’re disconnected from flow, and we’re usually engaging in INFJ overthinking or INFP overthinking. Instead of writing and creativity being a playful, experimental place that serves as a refuge for us, it becomes something that feels really hard and not fun at all. The second way that INFJs and INFPs struggle with their own creativity is by experiencing a lot of fear. We might fear that it’s too late to start, or that we don’t have any natural creative talent, we don’t have the skills or training that we need, or that our ideas won’t work out or be successful. All of these struggles and fears make sense if you’re approaching creativity from a mainstream point of view, but INFJs and INFPs are not mainstream people. Mainstream perspectives and methods don’t work for us.

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[LaurenSapalaINFJ]

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[OldGuy]

For me, it's the need for perfection before even getting started. It is needing to have it completely thought out, first to last, stalls a lot of projects and brings negative reactions. Because, you know, if it isn't perfect you are going to be ridiculed.

[lifestoryguy]

As an INFP who has written four novels and several books of poetry, I have four basic steps to write something like a novel. Perhaps these might help one or two people.

1) I give myself permission to write the worst first draft possible just to get the novel down on paper.
2) I use tools like Grammarly to fix the typos and so on in the second draft.
3) I pay around £500-£600 to get the book copy edited by a professional.
4) I get a couple of people I trust to be my beta readers to read the book and then make any last-minute edits based on their comments and publish the book on Amazon.

I've travelled around my home country, Scotland, helping old people in care homes write their life stories and producing unique poems about their lives, and publishing their books on Amazon for their friends and family around the world to read. I'd say that having an audience you are writing for will inspire you to keep going. I mean, at one point I was producing three of these life story books a week for old people who were close to the end of their lives. Their situation motivated me to write these books as quickly as I could. Indeed, their friends and family would get in touch and let me know that, although those I worked with had passed on, the life story books I wrote helped their friends and family in their grieving process, which is probably as meaningful as it gets as a writer. I mean, we write to be read, to comfort people in their darkest hour, no?

[tusk]

I was given a test by a psychologist knowing I am Dyslexic, letting my use my red clear plastic over the words, and reading questions upside down. When results came in, I was told I am classified as an INFJ, going into the meaning of the acronym. Which did not mean all that much to me. I am good in art . Frustrating, because in the world of art, "REALISM' is NOT accepted in Art Galleries as being REAL art, but just being a good copyist .Robert Batemans work is never accepted either. Yet, go to art galleries, and art critics will give RAVE REIVIES of an Artists work of doing Animal Meat hanging from a hook in a Slaughter HOUSE. Or a stack of dirty dishes in a sink. or a portrait. But Wildlife is not accepted unless in the process of being killed, or Dead, and being prepared for a meal, with a pot, some onions, and carrots on the side. It is as it saying GOD"S Creation is nothing of Value, or of beauty. I have seen other peoples realism of nature, and they are very goo. My problem is I live Far below poverty., and no way can I afford to enter an art show, and pay for the costly entrance fee, plus the use of a boot, have my work Matted, and Framed. I use to do peoples pets but too many said they would pay for the painting when finished, but never had the money but still wanted the painting to be able to show someone, and may be they would help loan the money. However, trusting one HONESTY, was short lived., and they would not give back the painting, So, I continue to paint wildlife, on Flat boar canvas to save room. to store. But am told flat board canvas is Cheap Junk, I use Rust-Oleum, and sand in between coats. Then I am told because I use Acrylic, the painting are hardly worth anything, however I plan to go over some areas in OIL paint. It is not easy because in order to keep better friends I have to not let them know Why I can not go places, or join them for lunch I have to make up stores, , WHY do I do this, because I know if they knew I lived below poverty, they would not bother to talk to me. Tell me places they have visited, about a play they had seen or even places they had eating, , I know there are others, that would LOVE to sit and Gab, about getting plastered, or how they almost got busted by the police.. THEY may be NICE. but sorry I am not interested. in their. often limited "F" vocabulary. Therefore it can be very LONELY, and not having money to afford to do many things. It took me this long to save enough to have enough materials to paint, .and sketch. Years ago I had everything stolen, Years of sketches of wildlife and notes. many of my paintings I kept in a tote gone, and all my art supplies. I am 76, and so I have NO excuse. I try to set a goal to do at least 2paintgs and 1/2 a week, So far for June, I ran into problems, because i did not like it. . STOPPED, and went back to it, and almost finished 2 but behind 10 paintings. YOUR POD CAST seems to be more on Creative Writing.. I do not have time to fill my mind with negative thoughts. OTHERS tell me, why am I wasting my time on NATUE, when all one has to do is take a Photo, and get the same thing, Or that splatter, or pouring different color acrylic on a canvas is in. Yes some are pretty, a hit and miss. I am working on a pair of Cormorants, Double Crested. many have not a clue about that this bird comes to our Stated to breed. Ask people and most can not Name more than 10 birds, trees, wild plants, or animals., or even Recognize when they see a picture, yet they can and recognize 1, 000's of logos, I dress simple, that is easy to be in style. I pay lowest rent almost close to 800 a month. I have my Hot Water on Vacation, use just a Microwave, no stove or fridge, too costly. Winter, heat is set to about 50, mainly to keep the pipes from freezing. I like where I live, some what away for Crime and Noisy College students. that act and behave very Ghetto, minus the theft and shooting. As for your POD Cast I did not get much out of it, probably when I discovered the ART Aspect was mainly for WRITERS, and not the ART in use of materials. According to many pod casts relating to INFJ's not all that much as you made it seem to be. Almost to the point of being self destructive. AND you seem to say YOU KNOWN A lot of INFJ personalities. GUESS the INFJ is not as RARE, as it is said to be. Which might be true, Most pod cast speak of those that seem to be Stable, in the economic level, very Pretty, hair like they just stepped out of a salon., very well dressed, clear skin, have Friends, than those that are not wealthy. Which makes me wonder are INFJ's shut off's of other INFJ's just striving to stay a float, Sort of the same reason why I do not tell those I like, I am not on their level in the Economic living style.

[sharonfuszard]

Absolutely on point, brilliant content Lauren. Thank you from the bottom of my Infp heart!.

[aaronsmithjr.]

I’m an eternally creative INFJ………….if anyone has any questions for me, please ask! Codex writing, or Odyssey writing both are fun playdoe to my brain.

[glacey]

I wish you'd been on here a few years ago. I went through a stage of extreme anxiety and insomnia with my past and pain burning my brain feom the inside. I wanted to write it but tensed myself instead and kept it in and thought I needed medication.
Is this what happens when intuition (flow) is downloading? If so, I missed it and possibly would have a book in draft by now.