A lot of people think of artists as a group with many, if not most, personality traits in common. I thought the same thing for a long time and was disappointed when I couldn't seem to connect on deeper levels with other artists. When I was young, I thought I was different because I was an "artist." Once I discovered my rare INFP personality type score, though, I realized I'm not like most other artists either. On the Myers-Briggs personality index scale, I score very highly as an INFP. That means I am introverted and intuitive. By far, most of the people in the world are extroverted.
The world seems to be made for extroverts. If you're an introvert and you ask for advice, you're probably going to be given information that works for extroverts but may not work for you. For example, I recently read an article in a magazine about how to market artwork. The author specialized in advising artists how to make more money with their work. The trouble was that he advised them to make the kind of art that people want to buy rather than the kind the artists really wanted to make. I'm sure many artists could make art based on what might sell, but I can't. My creative well runs dry when the reason I'm making the art is just to sell it. Don't get me wrong, I think money is a good thing and I love to sell my work! However, I can't let my desire for money guide how I make my art.
Because I am who I am, I work from my feelings. I create my art and do all the things I do based on how I feel about my ideals and values. I draw because I love to draw and think that more art in the world makes it a better place. I write and illustrate drawing lessons because I love to teach. I love to teach because I believe sharing knowledge improves the whole world. I measure the success of my life by the level of my happiness and when I work from my feelings and intuition, I'm most successful.
