[ISFP] - why is ISFP the artists??

greatexpectations · 2010-08-28

i'd like to know im very artistic, abstract and i have a complex mind. according to the test im a INFJ.. why are ISFPs artists? are you like me?

tskim

· #2 · Aug 28, 2010

my ISFPs very artistic in a way that he could make sense out of an object and shape it into something artistic or make sense out of an abstract picture. I personally think thats his Ni in use, giving the title 'artists' appropriate for ISFPs, just a guess. :crazy:

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haushinka

· #3 · Aug 28, 2010

Yeah, I've always thought that it was weird that ISFP is supposed to be the artist.
I'm not artistic.
To me that seems like more of an N function.

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Gwenspirit

· #4 · Aug 28, 2010

I am an ISFP (as close as I can tell), and very artistic.

I also have tested as an INFJ, ISFJ, and INFP.

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greatexpectations

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 28, 2010

haushinka said:
Yeah, I've always thought that it was weird that ISFP is supposed to be the artist.
I'm not artistic.
To me that seems like more of an N function.

interesting. could you expand your knowledge on the N function? to me it's like latin, i dont get it..hehe

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greatexpectations

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 28, 2010

Gwenspirit said:
I am an ISFP (as close as I can tell), and very artistic.

I also have tested as an INFJ, ISFJ, and INFP.

wow. so how did you get to your true personality?

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Gwenspirit

· #7 · Aug 29, 2010

greatexpectations said:
wow. so how did you get to your true personality?

Mostly from reading type descriptions and a book which explained in detail the differences between I/E, S/N, F/T, P/J.

A lot of introspection on what I naturally did as a kid, and what was adapted behavior later.

I am very close with S/N, but I think S has an edge.

I think any type has the potential to be artistic. Art is just expression, but we're all going to have a different approach.

For instance my art focuses on realism and the immersion of the senses, whereas an INFP might have a more whimsical style.

ISFP is very aesthetic about their surroundings, and INFP is more focused on the inner dreamworld.

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haushinka

· #8 · Aug 29, 2010

greatexpectations said:
interesting. could you expand your knowledge on the N function? to me it's like latin, i dont get it..hehe

Haha, I think it's hard to explain as well. Found this on the Internet!:

"Do you pay more attention to information that comes in through your five senses (Sensing), or do you pay more attention to the patterns and possibilities that you see in the information you receive (Intuition)?"

To me, that sounds like N's are creative. They pay attention to possibilities.

I'm interested in music, and find it easy to practically re-compose something I've heard. But I'm not good with creating and inventing entire new pieces of music. I'm not artistic like that. And I have no desire to do it. Not sure about why. If I were to do it I think I would do it in a very logical manner. Put all the things I like together and get something unique out of it.

I don't really know how to explain the N-function. Don't think I use it much.

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haushinka

· #9 · Aug 29, 2010

Gwenspirit said:
ISFP is very aesthetic about their surroundings, and INFP is more focused on the inner dreamworld.

But ISFP's are also very messy in their surroundings, as I understand it.
So I don't really see how your statement is true, either.
But of course, I too care about how things look around me. But who doesn't? I don't think I'm a genius in designing my home though. It feels like I do that out of logic.

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greatexpectations

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 29, 2010

Gwenspirit said:
Mostly from reading type descriptions and a book which explained in detail the differences between I/E, S/N, F/T, P/J.

A lot of introspection on what I naturally did as a kid, and what was adapted behavior later.

I am very close with S/N, but I think S has an edge.

I think any type has the potential to be artistic. Art is just expression, but we're all going to have a different approach.

For instance my art focuses on realism and the immersion of the senses, whereas an INFP might have a more whimsical style.

ISFP is very aesthetic about their surroundings, and INFP is more focused on the inner dreamworld.

ah thank you so much for your explination! it makes sense.
good luck with your art. realism is interesting, i can imagine that it must be focusing a lot on modernism.

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Gwenspirit

· #11 · Aug 29, 2010

My room is messy, but full of nice things to look at.

I prefer things organized (S) but I don't have enough "J" to clean regularly on a schedule, so it doesn't really get done.

I don't really stress about things... I can always move to another room of the house, or even better outside where things are beautiful and nature takes care of its own mess.
:laughing:

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greatexpectations

Discussion Starter · #12 · Aug 29, 2010

haushinka said:
Haha, I think it's hard to explain as well. Found this on the Internet!:

"Do you pay more attention to information that comes in through your five senses (Sensing), or do you pay more attention to the patterns and possibilities that you see in the information you receive (Intuition)?"

To me, that sounds like N's are creative. They pay attention to possibilities.

I'm interested in music, and find it easy to practically re-compose something I've heard. But I'm not good with creating and inventing entire new pieces of music. I'm not artistic like that. And I have no desire to do it. Not sure about why. If I were to do it I think I would do it in a very logical manner. Put all the things I like together and get something unique out of it.

I don't really know how to explain the N-function. Don't think I use it much.

i guess labelling with names is a bit narrow-minded since various of personalities can embrace the different titles...

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Gwenspirit

· #13 · Aug 29, 2010

greatexpectations said:
ah thank you so much for your explination! it makes sense.
good luck with your art. realism is interesting, i can imagine that it must be focusing a lot on modernism.

Not really modernism, I find a lot of modern art rather ugly and hard to understand, actually...

I guess by realism I meant 'realistic' in the sense of real, beautiful subjects, and detail that makes you feel as though the subject is real. I don't really use hidden meanings or symbols unless someone else gives me the idea first. Most things just stand for themselves and convey the sheer reaction of my senses. I am trying to get the viewer to see things as I do, through my eyes, and have the same reaction.

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greatexpectations

Discussion Starter · #14 · Aug 29, 2010

Gwenspirit said:
Not really modernism, I find a lot of modern art rather ugly and hard to understand, actually...

I guess by realism I meant 'realistic' in the sense of real, beautiful subjects, and detail that makes you feel as though the subject is real. I don't really use hidden meanings or symbols unless someone else gives me the idea first. Most things just stand for themselves and convey the sheer reaction of my senses. I am trying to get the viewer to see things as I do, through my eyes, and have the same reaction.

aha
hehe okay. can you name other artists that are like you? anyone super famous? monet seems to be a realistic artist, although his techniques were considdered useless at a time, nothing like "real" art

one artist i thought of who isn't like you at all is marc chagall, he was painting eyes in houses and he was symbolizing almost every object.

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Gwenspirit

· #15 · Aug 29, 2010 (Edited)

greatexpectations said:
aha
hehe okay. can you name other artists that are like you? anyone super famous?

Sure, here is a good example by Norman Rockwell:

Straightforward, photographic art, capturing the emotion of real things in motion. This was the style of my earliest childhood pictures. I got inspired by a scene and attempted to copy it precisely.
(Obviously I got better with age.)

In high school my German teacher introduced me to Franz Marc:

This painting is absolutely lovely to me. The stained glass effect acts as a 'woods' for the deer hiding within and the colors were chosen for male/female symbolism. (I had to be told this.) But the deer are rather detailed and recognizable as deer. I love this artist for his total visual effect. Could I produce something like this, too? Yes.

In my college years I discovered Ruth Thompson:

Yes, this is fantasy. But look how photographic the picture is, and how realistic the details are. I could paint something like this. I would base it on a human model and the look of a real building. If I were to paint a dragon I would study different scales from real animals and maybe make some of my own changes to the look. I would have to look at real armor, or at least other pictures of armor, to reproduce armor in my own work.

I love fairies, dragons, gryphons, elves and every other fantastical creature you can think of. But my fantasy is much more in touch with reality than the stereotypical "N". For example, I laugh when I see armor that looks totally impractical for fighting -- although I appreciate the beauty the artist was trying to get across!

I see possibilities, I can create like an "N", but I always see some sense of reality behind imaginary things. That's when it's really satisfying.

Also, my ideas don't naturally take on a life of their own inside my head. I really envy that about some people though.

I could be wrong, but this is why I think I'm primarily an "S" artist with good "N" development.

Now somebody get this ugly thing out of here; I don't get it at all:

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ray1981

· #16 · Aug 29, 2010

Why are ISFPs considered the artists? I don´t know about others but for me it is because I love to create but have little interest in conveying some kind of meaning in anything. It´s pretty much that simple.

I think ISFPs can be creative and be good at abstract art too. The painting in my avatar is an abstract that I did and doesn´t really look like anything but I like it, no hidden message behind it. I do a lot of unplanned stuff and like to see how they unfold. Most of my favorite paintings were done that way.

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Gwenspirit

· #17 · Aug 29, 2010 (Edited)

ray1981 said:
Why are ISFPs considered the artists? I don´t know about others but for me it is because I love to create but have little interest in conveying some kind of meaning in anything.

What he said...

I think it's less about individual style, and more about that approach.

I use a lot of sensory details in my art, and he creates directly from feeling and what ends up looking good, but in both cases it speaks for itself.

We both have a sense of aesthetics that comes through.

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xezene

· #18 · Aug 29, 2010

Their attention to detail can produce wonderful results.

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Functianalyst

· #19 · Aug 29, 2010 (Edited)

Gwenspirit said:
I am an ISFP (as close as I can tell), and very artistic.

I also have tested as an INFJ, ISFJ, and INFP.

Don't dismiss that first alternative too quickly, based on our discussions.:wink:

Back on point, keep in mind the titles of varied types do not necessarily resonate with how a type is. In fact im most cases they're misnomers. For example, I have found very few ISTPs who are mechanically inclined ergo the title "mechanic" is misleading. Besides there are varied ideas on what may be considered artistic. I think that a core value of all SP types is to be pragmatic and functional in whatever they do, therefore ISFPs may consider commercial art such as interior and fashion design, commercial layouts for a magazine, etc. where an INFP may inclined to fine art such as painting, writing poetry, etc. Just my thoughts.

Gwenspirit said:
My room is messy, but full of nice things to look at.

I prefer things organized (S) but I don't have enough "J" to clean regularly on a schedule, so it doesn't really get done.

I don't really stress about things... I can always move to another room of the house, or even better outside where things are beautiful and nature takes care of its own mess.
:laughing:

The myth that the J/P dichotomy being connected to cleanliness and orderliness is just that, a myth. J/P only can tell us whether we prefer our outer lives to be structured or open. Besides as I have always told INF or T types, they seem to put a great deal of emphasis on what is considered an inferior function when referring to their auxiliary function for doing things. There is no guarantee that we can and do develop our auxiliary functions, which in that case you have to depend on the one definite and most differentiated function (the dominant). If you look at it from that standpoint, Ps dominate with a judging function (Ti or Fi) and Js dominate with a perceiving function (Ni or Si). The Fe and Te (ergo J), and Se and Ne (ergo P) cannot assume greater power of the dominant function for introverting types.

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