When I Grow Up

I find myself asking "What do I want to be when I grow up?" from time to time. Silly question for someone that has a law degree and 7 years of experience as an attorney (plus an MBA), right? As much as I tell myself that, I can't seem to shake the question. I find that I am always searching for what is right for me. I like my current job (though it is only part time), but I also want to explore myself and especially to see if I can do something creative with my life. Enter When I Grow Up Coach Michelle Ward. Michelle is a Creative Career Coach who I am working with over a span of about 3 months. We are about a month into the process and I am learning some things about myself and love Michelle's encouragement.

This week's homework had me looking at my personality type and what that means for career aptitudes. I have taken various versions of the Myers-Briggs type indicator tests over the years and always come up with one of two scores--either INFJ or INTJ. I think that I am pretty evenly matched between F (Feeling) and T (Thinking), so that is what explains the differences in scores. I looked through the differences between INFJ and INTJ today and relate a bit more closely to INFJ, so that's what I am calling myself. Ms. Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judge.

Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron looks at each unique personality type and discusses the strengths and weaknesses associated with that type as they relate to career success. Tieger and Barron also list indicators of career success for each type and popular occupations for the types. This was pretty interesting to read and I found myself identifying with each of the listed indicators of career success for my type. Some of the popular occupations for my type were also interesting and include: career counselor, teacher, sociologist, nun, artist, novelist, interior designer, mental health counselor, holistic health practitioner, human resources manager, environmental lawyer (at least one attorney job!), curator, coach, project manager, and human resources recruiter (there are many others).

I can't wait to explore this more thoroughly!

Creative blockage

I recently decided to focus on being creative and feeding that part of my life. I set up time to create, I started thinking about myself more as a "creative," I signed up for group Life Coaching with a creative life coach. And what happens? I can't seem to create much of anything. I feel like a complete fraud. The last few days I have this sinking feeling that I am not really creative and that i just **wish** that I were creative. I sit down in front on my computer to work on some designs that have been living in my head for awhile, and what happens? Not much...mostly just crap that some 1o-year old would make during craft time at summer camp. I started on a painting and was digging how it was coming along...then tonight I went over and ended up complete f*cking it up! I am going to have to start over from scratch. And this is not a "oh, you can fix it?" or "who's to say it is a mistake" sort of thing...it's a completely, totally, non-redeemable action. Ughhh! Maybe I should resign myself to the apparent fact that I not actually creative and clear out all of this stuff that clutter up my craft room.