Sketching an idea for INTJ

Yesterday I updated my website, and reminded myself about 'Through a glass darkly' 1 & 4 which are up there on show. They started as an exploration of what happens colour and other things when the light is low. But in the context of my overarching theme, it describes how in travers are seen - as if through a distorting fog. 

This led me to thinking about how an INTJ might look decisive and definite ( perhaps back and white stripes going vertically?) but looking more closely one can see the cogs turning. But the detail of their actions are hidden from us mostly, by their complexity, and by the inwardness of this process. 

I started trying to draw this idea today, using sharpies for the cogs - bright colours and complexly different sizes and connections. They would have to have some more broad pattern in the final thing. 

Then I thought I would try putting layers of suitably blacked up tracing paper over to simulate the outer layer. This didn't work quite so well as triple or quadruple layers of tracing paper make it whiter, not blacker. 

I coloured some of the tracing paper with oil pastel, which gave a good impression of the table grain, but not very black, decisive etc. 

I tried lamp black artists watercolour on it, which was too dark to show anything, so diluted it serially till there was a range of black/greys in vertical stripes.

This was better, but still too grey. 

So the problem I have for next time is how to make the outer layer black and white striped and still see the cogs between, without the cogs being too visible in the white stripes and not enough in the black ones. 

I also think that for this one the fineness of texture is important. Smooth. So weaving in the usual sense is out. 

I'm thinking that the inside will be a scaffolding structure for the cogs, with a resonance with ribs and spine, perhaps, and entirely non-wearable. 

Link to my website 

Rethinking 'Take a break and notice'

On reflection, it's obvious that 'take a break and notice' means 'notice what is good about my world'. So here's a short list for today:

My husband is in the kitchen cooking

My daughter and I had a really good hug this morning

Finally settling on a style of clothing that suits me

I am a proper artist as I have something
in an exhibition!

OK, that was fun! I will definitely do more of that!

KEY 2: TAKE A BREAK AND NOTICE - and a schedule

Oxford Happiness Score 3.10

Noticing that this is the last of the ten keys that I got round to.
I thought it would just come naturally. Things that I have associated with it in my head are nature, counting your blessings, seeing the little things, and meditation. These obviously don't come naturally to me!

I also had another think about what kind of person I am, and how I can work with that, and this morning what I came up with was this - that my strength is the way I think about things, see patterns, see how things will turn out, and integrate stuff that other people don't think can be integrated. But how do you encourage the use of this talent? By spending an hour or more a day with as close to sensory deprivation as possible.

Well, I have known this for a while but haven't tried it. 
I've half tried it, plugging in headphones and meditating in a public place. 
That was relaxing, cleared my mind, but it wasn't the thing.

I've also noticed that this week I haven't been feeling quite so positive, and it is slowly dawning on me that this is because I haven't been prioritising these happiness keys in the way I was before. I have also not been working in the same direct way on my boundaries, with the result that lots of other things that other people need from me have started crowding in on me, and derailing me. Since I'm still not even up to 'normal' on the oxford happiness scale (which would be 4), I need to keep it up for longer. 

So today I made a timetable. The principles to it are:
- First thing I get up gently, write my journal, stretch, shower and do something towards grooming myself
- The morning will be spent working on one of my greater goals (this morning it was exploring the research into compassion and outcomes in health).
-  After a healthy lunch and vitamins with whoever's in the house, I will have 'nap time' for one and a half hours in my quiet dark warm bedroom. It is called nap time so that everyone knows not to disturb me.
- The rest of the afternoon is for practical arrangements of all kinds, and exercise. And planning what I will do and wear tomorrow. Today I used it for housework, making food, paying bills, and dyeing second hand clothes (and my hands unfortunately)
- After dinner is for being with the family, quietly noticing and reflecting, and doing sewing/ reading. Bed at 10.
- When I notice something that needs doing, I will leave it till my practical time, or write a note to sort out a way to resolve it later. 

It feels good to have sorted this out, and especially for doing the morning's work - a huge sense of achievement. This is the first time I've ever timetabled housework, and it gives me a lovely sense of release when it's NOT practical tasks time. 

Nap time turned into a nap but resulted in my having some excellent thoughts, including: 

It's great you are willing to spend 

as much time as you need 

with yourself.

I'm always trying to do that for my children, but have not at all been doing it for myself. This is the time to make it into a habit. 

Not sure this is what 'take a break and notice' is supposed to mean, but it's good for me.

KEY 1: LEARN SOMETHING NEW

So today I learned more about how to discover your purpose, through a minicourse by
Genuine Youniversity

I found it much more useful and interesting than I had initially, as this guy is not just talking about one way of working out what you're interested in, he's got a whole quiverful of tests, as well as putting a lot of thought into what your purpose is, what it looks like, and how it affects you as you develop it.

I particularly like that there's a whole page about how to have more fun. I know for sure that feeling a bit whimsical about it helped me no end in getting my The turnip god sees all exhibited. Having fun is not something that I do a lot of, and I certainly would enjoy having more, but part of the reason for it is that if you are doing something that takes your whole attention and feels timeless, then it will be a good idea of something that would contribute well to your purpose.

The tests seem like useful tools and I have done two of them so far. The first was about what your body is trying to tell you, which, it turns out, what that it's time to stop biting my tongue, as that gets in the way of me getting what I need! 

I immediately went and told someone that I prefer it when they don't leave white spirit and paint on the kitchen table during meals, and that was not welcome, which upset me greatly. I need to put some thinking time into the best way to get the response I am hoping for, without causing too much upset, or backing down myself.

The other was a more intellectual exercise which I got quite carried away with and seemed to be telling me something, but in fact I think I need to do the rest of them before I narrow down on my actual 'purpose'.

I'll do them now....

What my version of this exercise looks like 

Well, that was amazing. I've been pacing around excitedly saying 'OH, YES!' and 'Oh my GOODNESS!' because doing this one has done what I did not think could be done - it has made me know what I want! Wow. And it has made sense of the previous exercises as it strangely encapsulates all of them.

I immediately started laughing because I have so many things around me that tell me this is where I want to be going, it's kind of ridiculous that I didn't know it this way before. I've immediately taken a small but important step that I wouldn't have taken before this exercise.

It also told me a lot of other things in my life that a little attention could improve greatly.

Wow, I love this course.


Happiness Score today 3.31

KEY 8: USE YOUR STRENGTHS

So today I went to help set up a group exhibition of knitters and crocheters that I was accepted into.
I was so ecstatic on the way there (which was a long time because it was in Barking.)

And I'm writing this and thinking is this my strength? Is this the one and only thing that I bring to the world that is more important than any other? 

Of course it isn't like that - I have several. But this one is an expression of my central purpose, which is related to the way I see things from other peoples' point of view better than most. My textile art is about the difference between what people look like on the outside and how they feel on the inside. This piece is more whimsical than that, in fact, but is still a conceptual piece about how our inner Gods look smaller and less powerful and important over time. 

The other expression of this central purpose (which is directly related to my perspective strength), is my attitude to the NHS and what needs to change. I can see what needs to change but not really how yet. (Although I have a lot of examples of how not to do it!)

So using my strengths more, and doing what's best for everyone, I need to put it, and myself, out there more. 

So from now on if I have an opinion about something of this kind, I am going to say it. 
And this will mean doing some things outside my comfort zone (like the exhibition), and this is good in itself as it will grow me and my capacity to influence the world for the better.


Paul Buchanan can say it so much better than I can