dW5rbm93bg== ([info]maleficial) wrote in [info]intj,
@ 2009-07-10 14:11:00
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Entry tags:are you like this, careers, stereotypes

Is anyone else here in to art and performing? Perhaps I just seem to run in to the extremely stereotypical, and don't get me wrong as I love psychology and science and all those things us INTJ are "suppose" to involve themselves in or enjoy, but I find for me that I'm far too creative to hold myself to the boundaries in such a field. When I come across INTJ's, many of them are psychologists, doctors, scientists, mathematicians, and so on. Not many are painters, writers, actors, or designers.

So I am just curious, in all the land of Livejournal, how many of us fall in to the arts? I don't think that the arts are any less mentally stimulating than science. In fact I find that scientists or psychologists that are book bound scholars often have no idea what the hell they're doing and simply cannot apply the knowledge they've learned, they lack the creativity of an abstract and open mind.

Take for example, acting. What percentage of us would you figure are actors or enjoy acting? I find that simply piecing together the framework of a character whether a pre-made role or one self-made is just not good enough, not satisfying enough. I find I want to try on their personalities to discover even more about it. I find I'm a very passionate person when it comes to my interests but I show my passion in much less of an overly emotional way most of the time. It distresses me a little when I'm thought of as heartless and dispassionate because I don't often lie, and don't consistently go off the handle with emotions unless I'm feeling particularly flamboyant, find it necessary and appealing to do so, or am a little bit wasted. I'd have to say that no matter what area of interest an INTJ is in, I've never found any that lacks passion.

Also, how many of you seem to get people believing you're an extrovert because you simply talk to much? I find that this is very common with me, people will think I'm quite extroverted and end up knowing not a whole lot about me other than I have opinions and often quite loud ones.

That's all for now, I think. To introduce myself, my name is Michael. I enjoy change, flexibility, abstract thinking, music, acting, and creativity. I'm a performer and Event planner, and yes I am an INTJ.

Cheers to you all.


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[info]bronxelf_ag001
2009-07-10 06:37 pm UTC (link)
Not many are painters, writers, actors, or designers.


I am.

Professional designer.
Professional artist.
Degrees in interior/architectural design, restoration/historic preservation, music synthesis, and music production and engineering.


Also, how many of you seem to get people believing you're an extrovert because you simply talk to much?

That used to happen when I was younger (much) and my E/I was far more borderline. No one makes that mistake now.

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-10 06:44 pm UTC (link)
Fab. What sort of art are you invested in?

Do you find, or did you find, that people were a little bit shocked when they found out you were an INTJ (and they actually knew what the hell that was)?

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]bronxelf_ag001, 2009-07-10 06:54 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]maleficial, 2009-07-10 07:07 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]bronxelf_ag001, 2009-07-10 07:10 pm UTC

[info]vampireanneke
2009-07-10 06:40 pm UTC (link)
I'm a Web Programmer, but do alot of acting in my free time at Ren. Faire and Theater events, LARP, etc... It's more I'm not in an 'art' field because I am sensiable and know it won't pay the bills unless I'm magically skilled in the field, which I'm not.

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-10 06:49 pm UTC (link)
I always wanted to Larp but I tend to get inspired by the premade or existing people. As it may have become apparent, my current fixation is David Bowie (again). Though even so, when I was in to Anime and Manga I preferred going to conventions and acting as the character so I could just be if that makes any sense. A simple difference in interests I suppose.

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[info]katayla
2009-07-10 06:44 pm UTC (link)
I'm a writer (not published or anything, but someday!).

And I'm quiet in my personal life, but most of my online friends don't believe me when I tell them that, since I'm fairly vocal on LJ.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]maleficial
2009-07-10 06:53 pm UTC (link)
What genre(s) out of curiosity? I can't write for long periods of time. Not anything much more than a short story. I role-play more, usually over livejournal. I enjoy writing, though. And I don't read fiction because it seems less productive. Strange?

I find I'm a highly visual person.

I had that problem, but then I got in the Event Planning and it switched on me.

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(no subject) - [info]katayla, 2009-07-10 07:08 pm UTC

[info]corpsefairy
2009-07-10 06:51 pm UTC (link)
I am a professional costume designer.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

[info]maleficial
2009-07-10 06:55 pm UTC (link)
Incredible! How long, and what types? If you don't mind me asking. I'd like to see your work if you have any online. I can't sew to save my ass, as proven when I rip a hole in them and often end with calloused fingers.

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)
(no subject) - [info]corpsefairy, 2009-07-11 06:37 pm UTC

[info]rj_anderson
2009-07-10 06:53 pm UTC (link)
I'm an INTJ who is good at pretty much nothing but the arts, so you're definitely not alone. I was active in my high school drama club (and bagged a leading role in my last year), I sing and play piano in public on a semi-regular basis, I enjoy sketching and painting, and my debut novel was published this year with another book to follow in 2010.

However, I am spectacularly terrible at math and dodgy at science, so the life of an engineer (the classic INTJ occupation) would definitely not be for me!

And yes, I think many people who have met me in person would be surprised to hear I'm an introvert. I have no shyness about speaking in public (even in front of large crowds) and can easily take over conversations that interest me if I'm not careful to let others have their say. However, even though I enjoy and participate actively in some social occasions (like SF conventions or writers' festivals), I become physically exhausted afterward and often take a few days to recover my strength -- so I guess I'm what one of my friends calls "a sleeping introvert".

Nice to meet you!

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-10 07:02 pm UTC (link)
It's possible I should have mentioned that It's Bayfest, I'm here to see KISS, and I haven't been sober since Wednesday. I think I might be coming off a bit more loopy and bubbly than normal, but life's a funny thing like that.

Glad to meet a fellow performer and artist! Mathematics, man. I never finished highschool because of mathematics. I felt particularly boastful when I landed my job without highschool as it's the career I wanted to tap in to. Glad as hell to be away from it for a weekend though, Christ. If I couldn't find a job that required so much talking 24/7 in my life. I think acting takes less wasted breath than Event planning. Sometimes I question my intelligence. The questioning is cut short very quickly upon dealing with some of these people.

Nice to meet you as well!

Edited at 2009-07-10 07:02 pm UTC

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[info]brewingtrouble
2009-07-10 06:54 pm UTC (link)
I minored in theatre at college, and enjoy creating artworks and jewelry, and creative writing. I found theatre both helpful (to understand the way others operate) and therapeutic. Doing improv bothered me sometimes though... that was hard. I'm also generally very private about showing off my artwork. >_>

Even my VERY INTJ fiance enjoys cosplay and making costumes for sci fi and fantasy conventions.

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-10 07:04 pm UTC (link)
I love psychology, really. I really, really, really love psychology and especially abnormal psychology, but I think that I cannot for the life of me put myself under those restrictions. Not when I can live psychology, make sense?

Do you still indulge in theater?

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(no subject) - [info]brewingtrouble, 2009-07-10 07:10 pm UTC

[info]dark_schuldig
2009-07-10 07:55 pm UTC (link)
As far as I'm concerned, the arts are a science and science is an art. We would not advance in science without creative minds.

I am a musician (guitar, bass, piano, flute) and a dancer (modern, irish, various fusions) and perform in both fields. I am in control of what I do, I use formulas, I apply theories-- all things INTJs enjoy doing and are passionate about. I apply them in an artistic way. I like dancing because, while I am not a spontaneous person and almost all forms of dance I do have some kind of method to them, it is one of the few areas in my life where I can be spontaneous without a step-by-step plan. That may come from experience in that my body automatically knows what to do or the fact that I simply enjoy it.

Also, how many of you seem to get people believing you're an extrovert because you simply talk to much?
When I am knowledgeable in a subject or an experience, I may talk a lot. I was mistaken for an extrovert in my childhood and teen years. Now it is quite obvious I'm an introvert, even if I do start speaking a lot in something I'm knowledgeable about. I suppose the only way people may mistake me for an extrovert is in the scholarly setting. I participate in class often, ask a lot of questions, make a lot of observations.

My major is International Area Studies with the concentration of Literature, Culture, and the Arts.

There are many known INTJs who are/were very successful and famous in many art forms: Jane Austen, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Richard Gere, C. S. Lewis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Angela Lansbury, Erik Satie, Franz Kafka, Lewis Carroll, Stanley Kubrick

I think Sir Ian McKellen and Christian Bale may be INTJs too. They often play the roles of INTJ characters too.

On a related note, it seems very common for INTJs to be enneagram type 5 (along with many INTPs. Naturally, not all INT_s are 5s but they are common). If you have a wing, being a 5w4 would explain artistic inclinations in INTJs.

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-11 04:25 pm UTC (link)
As far as I'm concerned, the arts are a science and science is an art. We would not advance in science without creative minds.

Exactly.

My wing was a 6 by just a fraction, 4 came close behind.

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[info]nebulosity
2009-07-10 08:05 pm UTC (link)
I'm a super creative/artsy engineer. :P

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-11 04:12 pm UTC (link)
Make sculptures or something?

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(no subject) - [info]nebulosity, 2009-07-11 05:56 pm UTC

[info]arcadiansdream
2009-07-10 08:31 pm UTC (link)
I do nothing but the arts. Music (sing and play instruments), dance, live and radio DJing, metalwork, writing, spent many years acting and teaching with the local theatre.

The "Scientist" archetype is the approach, not the academia.

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-11 04:09 pm UTC (link)
The "Scientist" archetype is the approach, not the academia.

Yes, I'm aware. I have just found, personally, that the INTJ's I know are all mathematicians and scientists.

Edited at 2009-07-11 04:09 pm UTC

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(no subject) - [info]arcadiansdream, 2009-07-11 09:04 pm UTC

[info]la_veuve_chibi
2009-07-10 08:51 pm UTC (link)
I can't think of any kind of art that I'm not interested in. I play a few instruments, I dance (ballet and just for fun), I knit and sew, paint, do collages and other paper crafts. I wish I could act more, and I would love to do it for a living, but I don't have the stamina. My BA is in Drama and Communications, focusing in TV and lighting design for theatre. I totally love the techy parts of TV and theatre, and my main interests, career-wise, all seem to be a blend of art and science.

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-11 04:11 pm UTC (link)
Acting is hard to get in to if you haven't been doing it for your whole life, don't weigh less than onehundred pounds, and/or don't have the connections.

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[info]wulfmadchen
2009-07-10 08:57 pm UTC (link)
I do visual arts of many kinds, bookbinding, music, and costume.

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-11 04:07 pm UTC (link)
I am always always up for meeting people who do costume work.

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[info]niblik
2009-07-10 09:29 pm UTC (link)
I program because it pays me a lot.

At different times... I managed to hold first chair in band a long time ago. I am quite music oriented; but, I prefer mixing and editting (when I get around to those hobbies).

I've done sewing, woodworking, and other crafts.

My user icon is a drawing I did.

I currently enjoy taking photos of landscapes, animals, and flora. About 2 weeks ago, I spent 5 hours just wandering around trails taking pictures.

I've gone so far as to take weeks off to take pictures of mesas, deserts, and even Washington, DC.

My last favored set was done in February when I was visiting NYC for the weekend. I actually walked all the way around central park The picts of the buildings and the park were better than the day I spent being a "tourist" (did the Empire State Building & Statue of Liberty). That culminated in an incredible shot of one of the ponds in the park as it started snowing and began freezing over.

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[info]hoshika
2009-07-10 10:07 pm UTC (link)
I struggled with either going with an art career or a medicine career. After this last semester stressing out about Chemistry I decided to go with an art career. It's just..something I've always done since childhood, and I don't think I should stop now no matter how logical and stable a medicine career can offer.

It's funny how long I struggled with this decision. :X

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-11 04:06 pm UTC (link)
I struggled with finding my 'fit' if you will, too. Though I'm still young as most people would say, but I still did. I find the arts give me the freedom, change, and challenge that I need in life.

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[info]mellyjc
2009-07-10 11:52 pm UTC (link)
I publicly bellydanced yesterday. But it's a hobby, not a career.

Acting wouldn't surprise me. It fits introversion in hiding the self in public, as it were. And I think as a minority we do have some experience with it already so we could potentially be good at it.

While I am definitely an INTJ, I noticed recently I would characterize my behaviors of late falling more into the extraversion category. I don't expect people think I'm an extravert, though.

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-11 04:05 pm UTC (link)
I like that thought: hiding the self in public. That's exactly what it is.

Perhaps life just calls for more extraversion.

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(no subject) - [info]mellyjc, 2009-07-11 07:10 pm UTC

[info]toki_wartooth
2009-07-11 12:02 am UTC (link)
I'm an English major and an aspiring writer. I had an English teacher in high school that'd always say, "English is a science before it's an art." There are definitely methods, techniques, grammar, &c. behind writing, and only once one has mastered those can one turn them into an art.

I'm also getting into belly dancing next semester, but it's more of a for-fun class than anything else. If I really get into it at all, I want to learn to dance like Michael Jackson. Ahem.

I'm probably an xNTJ at this point anyway, so I'm not surprised if I seem quite extroverted. *Shrugs* I do talk too much, though, sometimes, haha.

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-11 04:04 pm UTC (link)
I do believe that art and science are far more similar than most people believe it to be.

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[info]newhavenite
2009-07-11 01:24 am UTC (link)
Interesting question! I've always assumed the majority of INTJs weren't right-brained. My spouse is (also) INTJ and is a psychologist... which seems to suit his analytical side, but he really enjoys the creative and odd social aspect of his job, too.
I used to play piano and considered going "pro" (whatever that entails). Practiced six hours a day for over ten years, then I started fixating on all the variables being limited in writing new music (so why bother writing) and playing current music became redundant, dull, and robot-like. I wish I could play as a hobby, but I don't see any use for it.
On the other hand, I love sociology and studying (groups of) people.

It would also be awesome to learn how to dance or act. :)

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[info]wetdryvac
2009-07-11 01:28 am UTC (link)
Edit: Edited for terrible spelling of own website.

I'm a tech writer and web developer/programming consultant for the money. For myself:

http://www.wetdryvac.net
http://nhillium.deviantart.com

I would guess in terms of thought processes, I spend more time on art than I do on most other stuff - but I'm a generalist, and pick up systems easily, so I have a lot of other stuff on the plate at any given point.

Edited at 2009-07-11 02:07 am UTC

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[info]primarycolors
2009-07-11 02:29 am UTC (link)
Professional animator, paid for 2D but skilled in 3D primarily.

Other skills include: clarinet, drawing, painting, glassblowing etc etc foundation of art stuff.

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[info]terminalcase42
2009-07-11 03:59 am UTC (link)
Professional actor, drama trainer, scriptwriter, director. Though what sits most naturally with my personality is probably directing or dramaturgy.

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[info]siderea
2009-07-11 09:52 am UTC (link)
*points to comm "music" and "performing arts" tags* You might also be interested in the big musician survey of doom.

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[info]maleficial
2009-07-11 04:03 pm UTC (link)
Thank you.

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[info]lo2s_project
2009-07-11 11:59 am UTC (link)
I started writing when I was five or six and despite my passion for Biology at school, I chose to study Creative Writing and English.
I was always fascinated with languages and discovered that the complexity of a language as a system makes analysing it more scientific than I would ever thought.
I don't think that an INTJ has to become a scientist. From my experience, we can enjoy doing just about anything as long as it entails using our skills and abilities and mastering them.
Performing and planning events definitely involves a lot of systematic work which we tend to excel in.

I am considered extremely introverted by people who generally have very limited interests and therefore we rarely have anything to talk about . Once I meet a person who is interested in variety of subjects, no matter how similar or different in comparison with me, I can converse with them for hours, and no one would say I was introverted:)

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[info]ms_danson
2009-07-11 01:34 pm UTC (link)
Educated as an Engineer (masters), working in IP (pays great and I like the work), and working towards being a writer. Quite a bit of my fiction and poetry is posted in my LJ and in my DW of the same name. I also paint (oils mostly), roleplay (GM my own worlds in table top games), and work on a variety of other projects as they strike my fancy (photos, armour, etc).

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[info]christirose
2009-07-12 01:35 am UTC (link)
As someone said above, the “scientist” is the approach, not the career. I’ve taken music and graphic design classes and I remember being the only one who liked music theory and color theory. It was nice having it all articulated and they gave me formulas to play with and contort and distort and whatever. But no one else seemed to like the subject. “It’s too much like math” was a common complaint and a lot of my classmates often preferred to go on how a set of notes or how a color palette feel to them.

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[info]lectrix_lecti
2009-07-13 07:21 am UTC (link)
I work in HR. I have a degree in literature, and studied linguistics and philosophy of language. I also have some half-assed IT education.

I used to draw and paint and I like paper crafts. I also used to play electric guitar, bass guitar (was in a few rock bands playing that), cello and a very little piano, and I've generally fiddled with any instrument I can get my paws on. I also did amateur theatre for a while, but while I enjoyed acting and was quite good at it I loathed the attention whores that tend to be naturally drawn to the stage (they usually can't act at all). Oh, and I got ballet lessons as a child, but I quit when it was time to get the really uncomfortable shoes on.

I'm unmistakeably hardcore I, but my friends and co-workers know that I can get my E on and talk quite a lot when I want.

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[info]lectrix_lecti
2009-07-13 07:23 am UTC (link)
Oh, and I had some sort of quasi-religious experience when I was 17 and it suddenly dawned on me that math and music and language were all tied very, very closely together.

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[info]malterre
2009-07-13 03:04 pm UTC (link)
I attended college for art and ended up doing IT work. Now I'm a language lab supervisor with heavy Audio-Visual duty loads.

I've done a comic book, run an annual event for 25 years, draw, and run a performance group as my business. I have three INTJs who do stage work for me.

So I am just curious, in all the land of Livejournal, how many of us fall in to the arts? quite a few obviously :)

Take for example, acting. What percentage of us would you figure are actors or enjoy acting?
I dislike acting but will do so to forward a goal, on-stage or off.

Also, how many of you seem to get people believing you're an extrovert because you simply talk to much?
I have an "extrovert" switch which, like you does best with academia or common interests. I really am like a social anthropologist and have a large collection of
"social responses" which can get me through most situations. I laughed quite hard at a point in the movie "Shrek" when the ogre (in so-called disguise)walks through saying
"Working hard or hardly working?" when he clearly doesn't belong there but the glib colloquialism gets him down the length of the room.
Art is a science :)

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