#dry-valleys

[infjdoodles]

Do your ideas flow out of you naturally, or do they require a lot of conscious effort? After the idea, is it easy to do the drawing? (I don't really know how it happens because I don't do creative work).

Depends on the day and my mood. When I'm feeling energetic and inspired ideas tumble out. When I'm anxious, depressed, or low energy I find I just have to force out an idea about something, about anything. The drawing is usually an emotive follow through on my mental state about the idea. A couple times I've done a drawing before an idea, but I don't like doing that. I often grab photo ref of my face or sit next to a mirror. I can work off the same reference photo and get very different results depending on my mood and what I'm looking to push.

[thisisnotharmless]

If you don't mind my asking, why have you been quiet recently? I know we don't have much/anything in common but somehow I really like your posts anyway!

No one good reason, really. Just life. I’m about to move across the country, and so I’ve been working overtime, packing/moving everything I own, and being visited by everyone I know on this side of the country. There just hasn’t been much time to be online. Also, my girlfriend’s computer died, so we’ve been sharing mine for the last couple months, which definitely impacts how much tumblring I’m able to do. I’m really starting to miss tumblr and the other things I used to do online though, and I’m hoping that I’ll get back in the swing once things settle down a little. It’s nice to know my absence has not gone unnoticed!

[thisisnotharmless]

Are you good at choosing gifts? I think it's something I excel at, provided I know the person well enough and care enough to try and please them, and I do think it's got to do with my type and that Ni helps me infer what they're going to like based on their interests, but haven't quite got yet. I was curious :)

Yeah, I’m boss at presents. I win Christmas every year (that I can afford to buy gifts.) While I’m not typically a gifter, when it’s a situation where exchanging gifts is expected (such as Christmas and birthdays) I’m pretty good at something that will both be useful to them and also represents something specific about our relationship. 

I think it’s the Ni/Te/Fi combination. Tertiary Fi builds very close, very intimate bonds with select people, dominant Ni sees complexities and thinks creatively, and supporting Te plans way in advance and picks out the good ideas and turns them into possible realities.

I think ENFJs would be really good at gifting too, because they’re pretty much the best at deeply understanding people, whereas ENFPs would come up with lots of perfect gift ideas, but rarely follow through. I’d wager INFPs are pretty good gifters too.

[thisisnotharmless]

Have you read anything by A. E. Housman?

That I can recall, I’ve only read “To an Athlete Dying Young.” He’s from an era of poetry I really dig though, and his style is pretty similar to other poets I love, so I should probably look into more of his work.

[thisisnotharmless]

Do you like Elvis Costello?

I dig him, but he’s not really someone I choose to listen to. Maybe because his music is so ubiquitous, I’ve just never felt the urge to opt in to listening to it, but I enjoy his music whenever I hear it.

[thisisnotharmless]

Are you giving anything up for Lent? Presumably you don't believe in the theology (I don't either) but I find it's a good excuse to make myself avoid doing things I shouldn't!

So I was raised Evangelical, and I went to a Baptist private school for eight years, and neither of those denominations practice Lent. And it’s not just that they do’t do it. It’s a Catholic tradition, and therefore it’s automatically evil and probably some form of idol worship. Not only did I never practice Lent, but I was actively discouraged from it as a matter of morality. Since I’ve left religion, I never felt any inclination to pick up a new religious practice. 

Plus, I sort of feel like Lent is a lot like New Years Resolutions (presuming you’re approaching it from a non-religious perspective) which I don’t do either. If I want to change something about my life, I can do that any day of the year. In fact, it would probably work about better to make the change when I’m motivated about it rather than procrastinating until Positive Life Changes Season. 

The truth is, I don’t really dig cultural traditions. I like personal ones made between friends/family/teammates/etc., but I don’t like doing things just because it’s the cultural expectation. Which is not any sort of judgement towards people who do find personal significance in cultural traditions, they’re just not for me.

[thisisnotharmless]

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you too!

[thisisnotharmless]

Have you seen any of the films made by Michael Haneke?

I have not. Is there one you would recommend?