Why INFJs Get Serious Creative Block
Known for their creativity and imagination, it’s hard to believe that the ever-continuous loop of INFJ expressive innovation comes to a halt. Whether it’s in their professional writings, in their artistic hobbies, at their workplace or simply coming up with easier ways to do things, it’s not rare for the INFJ to draw a blank.. But which circumstances make this creative block even more prominent?
They’ve Mastered a Creative Skill
Once an INFJ feels as if they’ve mastered a hobby or skill, the enjoyment and creativity they once had towards the endeavor can actually be replaced with dread. While some personality types find comfort in mastery, INFJs see complete comprehension as a dead-end road.
One where they walk away with a new skill, however, something that they probably won’t see themselves creatively contributing to for a long period of time. An example of this would be a trade where they can learn the skill, but once they’ve mastered the ins-and-outs of what it requires, then it becomes mundane.
In fact, when choosing hobbies, this personality type tends to be drawn to the less lucrative, and more ever-expanding ventures. The ones that require them to build skill after skill, and even once they’ve hit a master-level, there's still lessons and new levels to acquire.
An example of this would be an instrument, where once they’ve learned the basics, then come new songs, new tempos and playing with new people. The open-ended concept of these types of hobbies allows the INFJ’s creativity to not only spark, but to continuously be fueled by potential new achievements
Feeling Discouraged
For the normally imaginative INFJ personality type, creativity flows in and out on a supply and demand basis. This means that when they find themselves in a spot in life where their creativity is required, INFJs tend to flourish.
However, when the INFJ is feeling rather discouraged in life or within a specific creative endeavor, creativity becomes obsolete. With perfectionistic tendencies, and the habit of coming down on themselves a little harder than most people, feelings of discouragement aren’t uncommon.
Despite their usual ability to pick themselves up and dust themselves off when shot down with criticisms or failure, the underlying sense of disappointment within themselves can become so loud that the required creativity to move forward is silenced.
Even if this ambitious type comes into a new hobby, or position overflowing with creative intention, the slightest feeling of not being good enough can ruin it for them before they’ve even gotten started.
The most ironic aspect of this creative-block is that most of the time, it’s not like they necessarily ‘want’ to give up, but rather, they end up losing the initial creative spark that encouraged them to be there in the first place.
There’s a Lack of Alternative Options
With an insatiable thirst for the more complex meaning behind things, INFJs are prone to digging deeper and thinking outside of the box. In fact, it’s these mental tendencies combined with their introverted intuition, that are responsible for their intrinsic creativity.
However, when it comes to thinking of alternative methods or even entirely new ways of doing things, there needs to be a sense of depth for the INFJ to feed off of. There needs to be alternative routes to take in order for the INFJ to put the proper pieces together to uncover it.
Through their extroverted feeling and sensing functions, INFJs pick up on the slightest of details to form these alternate routes within their intuition, subconsciously.
However, when they turn to their intuition for alternative solutions and there's nothing but blankness, it could simply mean that there wasn’t enough substance for them to sort through. This is why repetitive, mindless activities lose the interest of this personality type in very little time.
When their minds aren’t able to expand into creativity, they become mentally stifled. Unable to utilize the same quick and creative solution-making they and others are used to.
They’re Stuck in the Same Old Routines
Speaking of mindless activities, once the INFJ finds themselves stuck in the same old routine, day in and day out, an INFJ’s creativity becomes less and less active.. Now, this is not to say that this personality type isn’t normally quite keen on keeping somewhat of a schedule.
However, once their routines become overly mundane, things can begin to feel stale to the point of draining them from their normally overly-creative minds. While they can subside this feeling of stagnancy through creative thoughts and may even resort to alternatively changing things up for a short while, the INFJ won’t last long in these conditions.
In order for creativity to be utilized to their full potential, the INFJ must have some incoming flow of information, inspiration or issues for them to mentally work out in their minds. In this analysis period is where their introverted intuition comes up with the creativity they’re known for.
Lack of Concentration
Opposite to how mundanity can quiet the INFJ’s creative measures, being too busy can actually end up having the same effect. In most cases, the first place an INFJ’s concentration tends to go is within their own minds.
With endless imaginative scenarios and mental processing, this introverted intuitive type much rather spend their down time sorting through their thoughts.
However, when life comes to the point where reality becomes overly demanding and they’re not given the much-needed down time they require, creativity goes out the window. To put it simply, these natural skills and tendencies don’t come on demand.
They can’t be both totally immersed within their surroundings and simultaneously think up imaginative solutions or show their artistic abilities. This makes it difficult for the INFJ to specifically show their skills to other people, as they want to concentrate on their talent, but they also want to observe how others are observing them.
In other words, when it comes to concentration, INFJ’s have to be extremely selective and picky. And so, when their workplace or home life requires all of them and it comes time to let loose and express their creativity, things can become awfully confusing.
They’ve Lost Motivation to Find Solutions
Mastery isn’t the only thing that steals this imaginative personality type’s interest. In fact, when it comes to relationships and friendships in particular, the INFJ is known for making every possible effort to patch up the connection before letting it go entirely. One of the best efforts they make is through their creative observations.
For the level of wrong-doings the INFJ is known to forgive, they must maintain a level of creativity in order to think up their best solutions. For example, if they feel like they and their partner have lost their spark, before even believing in that finding, they will creativity come up with numerous actions to take.
Whether it’s a unique date idea to respark the connection, or a more approach of writing each other an old-school hand-written letter, the INFJ won’t stop until they’re back at a comfortable closeness to their partner.
However, if they’re over the connection, these creative solutions just won’t be available for them to choose from. The same remains true when their intuitive senses are saving them from potential future downfalls.
Lack of Direction in Life
When it comes to life choices that fit their morals and self-expectation, INFJs have had to get seriously creative. Whether it’s living an alternative lifestyle, or having to explain that lifestyle to others. This personality type has had to get used to thinking outside the box no matter which direction they take..
However, this creativeness is directly rooted in the vision they hold for their future. When this direction becomes blurred or non-existent, taking the necessary steps forward can become even more confusing. Without the creative-expressiveness they’re used to when planning their future-projections, the INFJ - who is normally known for their psychic abilities - becomes even more lost than before.
Once they realize they’ve lost sight of their future, not only is there a sense of panic to find direction, but it’s combined with the difficulty of processing without that sense of underlying sense of creativity. Like we said, these imaginative solutions don’t come on an on-demand-basis, so when they try to pull solutions out of their magic hat they realize it’s not as magic as they were hoping.