classic right brainer, ENFP, Orange girl

That's me (see title of this blog).  I LOVE the psychology behind personality type testing.  I'd done lots of them throughout school; in psychology class, aptitude course and even in a hair dressing course I took (many, many moons ago). I remember being very interested in the outcome, but because I hadn't had all the history I have now, I didn't know as well then as I do now how it all is SO accurate.  

In trying to discover why my son was having so much difficulty in school in grade two, I came across a book, Right Brained Children in a Left Brained World.  What I found was that not only was my son particularly right brained, but so am I.  I owe a lot to that book, firstly because it allowed me to see my son as NOT the problem (the school certainly didn't condone his creativity, even squelched it) and that he's gifted and has much potential, and secondly ditto for me.  

This is when I dove back into art after an 8 year lapse.

A year or so ago quite a few members of our community took the Colours course. I heard about it thru one of those people as she pointed a finger at me announcing "Orange!!". I was intrigued. I asked if I could have a crash course on teaching Colours so that I might help the people I worked with in Costa Rica (an attempt to set up a not-for-profit to community garden) to organize themselves and see how each member could positively affect the project.  I was given that crash-course and bought a number of work books.  The intent was to deliver a one-time course to the Costa Rica group.  Alas, that portion of the project fell through and I was left with excess work books.  These, over time, have been used with friends and people who've helped me in other ways.  So, I've become quite accustomed to thinking of people in terms of Orange, Blue, Gold and Green.  Appropriate for an artist, eh?

Now, I have retaken the Meyers-Briggs tests that I remember taking in all those classes of yesteryear. I'm pegged at an ENFP.  Extrovert, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving.  The profile can be seen here

I laugh out loud each time I read it.  Sometimes I'm very afraid for those who live with me day in and day out.  Sometimes I rejoice that there are others in the world like me (really, I didn't know).  Sometimes I find that mirror not flattering at all, wishing I had another skin I could put on.  And, sometimes I snuggle up close to myself and enjoy the warm glow of knowing that it's OK to be me.

I'm not done with those self discoveries. Nor am I done with looking at those around me.  I've had my husband and daughter do the test and will be asking my sons to do the same.  I like the idea of them knowing who they are and what the rest of us are like.  It's permission to accept another for who they are.