INTJ

After taking the personality type test in class the other day, I found out that I am an INTJ type personality. I-introverted, N-intuitive, T-thinking, J-judging. INTJ's are problem solvers. They have a natural curiosity for "why things are" or how things work. We tend to be perfectionists, in the sense that we have a capacity for improving on anything that takes our interest. Another trait which I found interesting is that INTJ's know what and how much they know, but also know what they don't know.

For the most part, I found the articles' descriptions of INTJ's to be pretty close to me. The afore mentioned characteristics fit me very well. I've found myself being interested in the process of things. I feel a need to know the "hows" and "whys". I do tend to be introverted, and I've known that for a long time. One trait that I hold in common with INTJ's is that when prompted, we will unload a plethora of information for you, but otherwise we'll be rather reserved. This has been a weakness for me during critiques. I'm able to analyze a piece to a degree that I feel comfortable with, but then rarely will share unless called on. With regard to my art, I feel a need to have something representational in the piece. For the most part, all my work is very representational. I think where my personality type fits in is trying to figure out a system or set of rules which would apply to my various cartoons/illustrations/caricatures. By that I mean to find out what makes an illustration successful, or more or less successful than other options. Which medium best portrays the message? What point do I want to exaggerate, etc. Everything can be broken down into a series of steps that, with any luck, turns into a finished drawing/painting. I've noticed that I tend to break down painting, for instance, into several mechanical steps of paint mixing, rules to find local colors, application and mark making, and so on.

I couldn't say with any certainty that being an INTJ influences much of my subject matter. Only in that I find humor to be a challenging genre to work in. Being able to take a somewhat abstract thought and portray it with pop culture icons, politicians, and others, is just one more puzzle to be solved.