Creative You: Using Your Personality Type to Thrive

by Otto Kroeger, David B. Goldstein

No matter what your passion is—business, technology, science, or plumbing—this practical guide will enable you to unleash your innate creative skills based on your unique personality type and succeed in everything you do.

Whether you can admit it to yourself or not, you are creative.

In today’s complex world, creativity is the key to finding and living your passion. Whatever that passion is— cooking, technology, writing, or even plumbing—Creative You reveals your own personal style of creativity to help you build an environment of innovation at work and home.

Discover your creative personality type with a simple quiz and detailed descriptions of the sixteen person­ality types. Plus, tools and techniques show you how to apply creativity to your everyday life. Drop excuses like I’m too old to start being creative and creativity is only for artists. Confidently use creativity to live your passion by using your natural style. Whether you are starting from scratch or enhancing an already developed skill, discover the creative you that you’ve been searching for.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Writing, Art, Professional Development, Personal Development

320 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2013

About the author

Otto Kroeger having become an internationally known organizational consultant, with his primary area of expertise being the implementation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) assessment, has now retired. As a renowned speaker, trainer and best selling author on the subject of psychological type he was in high demand for over three decades for his talent in bringing type theory to diverse personal and professional groups throughout the world. He is a Past-President of the Association of Psychological Type and a current member of NTL. He has co-authored four leading books on Type: Type Talk, Type Talk At Work, 16 Ways to Love Your Lover, and Personality Type and Religious Leadership (with Roy M. Oswald), and has conducted extensive research with the “unscored” items on the Form G MBTI® assessment.

Reviews

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a tool used by many to better understand themselves and how they perceive and interact with the world around them. Creative You goes the next step beyond understanding personality types and behaviors to focus on how that knowledge can be applied to creativity and how different kinds of people harness and manifest creativity. The premise is made that all personality types (meaning all people) have the capacity to be creative in their own ways. The book focuses on using the strengths of each person’s particular personality type to take on creative projects in the personal or professional realm. In the same vain as business guru Seth Godin, the authors claim that in order to be successful in work and parenting, innovation and creativity should be encouraged and shared. This book is a great read for those who are looking for their next project but feeling intimidated to start something new. This might be just the nudge many people need to take that next leap.

[Irina · Rating 2 out of 5]

То что я в плане книжек мазохистка, я это и до того знала. Ведь я прочитала Духлесс только лишь потому, что не могла бросить ее недочитанной. И это, кстати, соответствует моему типу личности. Ненавижу себя за это.
Я на примере этой дурацкой книжки, про типы личности, I mean, выяснила только одно - я про себя и так все прекрасно знаю, и откуда что берется я тоже знаю, и посторонние люди, чтобы они там себе ни думали, ничего нового мне про это не расскажут. А люди, которым нужно чтобы им про них же вот так вот все разжевывали, вызывают у меня некоторое недоумение.
До того, как я дошла до описание типов личности относительно кулинарии и юмора, я еще сомневалась в своем отношении к этой книги, я не занимаюсь ни живописью, ни музыкой, ни танцами и мне трудно об этом судить. Но про кулинарию и юмор я уж кое что понимаю. И то, что пишут авторы... Может быть это хорошо для американцев, но и только.
Там где просто, не стоит все усложнять и говорить что потрясающе сидящая на одном человеке одежда никогда в жизни не будет сидеть также потрясающе сидеть на другом человеке, даже если они носят один размер. В 95% случаев вообще-то будет. И вся книга построена на таких вот бессмысленных примерах.
Зато подборка чужих цитат хорошая.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Myers Briggs junkie, this book is a great tool for understanding why and how your personality clicks in your creative life - hobbies, career, personal life. It outlines how all people, not just artists, can be creative and describes how creativity looks in each personality type and category (NT, NF, SP, SJ).

I skimmed through the parts that were relevant to me and would recommend anyone read the 4-5 page section on her personality. Along with Please Understand Me II, this would make a great reference book.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is full of really great information. It uses the Meijer’s Briggs personalities to help explain creativity. The main idea of the book is that everyone is inherently creative and we all create in different ways based off of our personalities. If you focus your creativity on your personality and your passions it’ll work for you. some quotes I loved:

“Being creative isn’t about doing what’s worked for someone else; it’s doing what’s right for you. Your personality type lets you tailor ways to be creative that suit you best. Using your strengths allows you to contribute the most value as a team member, and knowing your weakness helps you gain balance by identifying partners that compliment you best.”

"Although we only have to be right once ot produce a great innovation, part of being creative involves accepting that sometimes we'll be wrong. Sometimes we get dressed and go out without knowing if it will rain. Expect the rain as part of your creative process. By seeking sheltered areas to try out ideas, failing comes at low costs. IN fact, failing teaches the lessons we need so, next time, we can boldly scale up what works."

"You can become creative just by changing the way you think of creativity. Give yourself permission to call yourself creative and do the things you love; if you consider yourself as creative, you will be. Discover yourself by honoring your passions. Seek new experiences, try diverse activities, travel, be willing to fail, surround yourself with varied material, associate with open-minded people, and trust them to collaborate."

[Stefanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Being creative isn't about doing what worked for someone else; it's about doing what's right for you." This is a great way to expand beyond the Meyers-Briggs overview and see how your personality excels at being creative. This book was great to highlight the creative skills I have... and knew about but didn't realize was unique... and the areas I need to be watchful of when creating. We are all creative and we are all different and the world needs our creativity in art and ideas. This book has given me more confidence to be creative... it's made me see how it is important for a full life.

[Gab · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really interesting take on the MBTI - how to use your personality type to bring out your creativity. For me the most relevant parts were looking at my type and how I should use it. But it's also useful if you work in a team, to see how to better work with others. The other thing I enjoyed was the very broad definition of creativity which makes the book useful to so many more people who don't think they are creative. This quote resonated with me : 'Instead of associating creativity with weirdness, unproductivity, and poverty, perhaps we should instead emulate the Indonesians on the island of Bali or the Australian Aborigines [sic], who consider every adult—and child—to be an artist at heart.'

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting application of Myers-Briggs Personality Test to how we approach creativity. It's a bit over-explanatory, but does a good job of letting the reader find themselves in varying styles of creativity. (We are not all "messy" artists!) Also has good pointers on how best to direct your creative efforts, the pitfalls to look out for in your personality, and how to make your strengths work for you.

[tony davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and Important Area

Creativity is extremely important in today's world where innovation is so powerful and important.

This book looks at the innovation process- creativity- as it plays out for different personality types.

I think most everyone will find something of value.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

How come I don't feel any more creative? It took a really long time to read this as I usually do for nonfiction. Must be that I don't have to know what comes next. This was rather dull. (Needs more creativity!)

[Colleen Mertens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explains how knowing your personality type can help you be more creative. It also explains all creative types based on your Myers Biggs personality type. You can learn how to see yourself as creative as well as how to encourage others in their creativity.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book ON the personality types but short on the creative part. Not what I was looking for.

[Jill Urie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, practical, inspiring.

[Walter T. Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I have read several books on the subject of types, but this one has taught me the most about myself.

[Jara · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME! ❤

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this book. It confirmed my own beliefs about why I am the way that I am. And why I do the things that I do.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book format seems unhelpful for comparing all the personality types. I got the most out of his tables where he compared the types in column/row layout.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are interested in MBTI and creativity, this book is a great find. Just like there are 16 different MBTI types, there are 16 different creative types.

For example, as an INFJ, I am an Inspirer. Inspirers are "contemplative visionaries whose creative style is driven by the possibilities they see in people."

(I also like that this book is published right here in Hillsboro, OR by Beyond Words.)

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had this book on my Kindle for years and recently read it, 20 mins mostly every day.

It’s MBTI but for creativity and …. everyone is creative, just in different ways.

An example - recently I was feeling very uninspired by cooking and then I remembered I’m a sensor and an extrovert, so I need to get out, interact with the world and explore things with my actual senses to be inspired. So I went to my big Checkers as a treat and just walking up and down the vegetable aisles - touching and feeling and smelling the veg - I was inspired again. I’ve been happily cooking (creating) again for the last week.

(This is also why I love prowling around my garden with my big camera after the rains)

One more - I listened to an interview with an American chef who I don’t know. She said she doesn’t like music in the kitchen because cooking is such a sensual experience for her - the sounds and feel of chopping and slicing, hearing the oil sizzle, etc. I completely relate.

If you have a passion for personality profiles (especially Myers Briggs), read this whole book - you will love it. If you don’t, then just read all the parts relating to your type and it will still be well worth it. There are sections on work, spiritual, kids, and of course, the differences between the pairings, and a deep dive into each of the 16 types.

I absolutely loved it and rated it 5🌟 it is available on Scribd if you have a membership.

[Jaymi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from netgalley.com.

I find the idea of personality types intriguing. Part-science and part-divination, these 16 types can give us insight into how we think and navigate our daily lives. As a writer, being on top of my creative game is important. Enter, Creative You by Otto Kroeger and David B. Goldstein. This book helps creatives understand aspects of their personalities and creatives focus their energy, gain information, make decisions, and implement projects.

Creative You has 3 parts: Part one introduces the building blocks for the MBTI personalities. There's even a quiz to quickly walk readers through uncovering their own personality. Part two delves deeply into each of the 16 personalities from strengths to weaknesses. This section also gives valuable information on boosting creativity. Finally, Part three contains various essays on how to further enhance your use of personality types in a working world. There are chapters on collaboration, how to match your creative outlet, and even some sections on helping to uncover children's creativity types.

What I liked: This book is jam packed with information. It's well organized and easy to dive right into how the MBTI can help creative people attain their goals and work with others. I never thought about breaking apart the 4-part codes into a two part sub-section that can can further teach me about how I operate. Part 3 pulled the personality types into the working world and shares tips and tricks on navigating various issues. The glossary of terms in the back was very helpful in distilling everything down to manageable chunks.

What I didn't like: With so much information, I felt like I had to keep a chart open at all times to refer back to. There's so many acronyms that one can get lost in them. Yes, the authors added names for each type, but I found they didn't refer to those much when discussing the interaction between each type. As I read through the book, I also got lost in learning about each personality types. I feel like I needed a few more subsections to help guide me along. I also wish they'd have given all the 2-type pairings a little bit more airtime, rather than the 4 stronger creative bits.

Bottom Line: Curious about that intersection between psychology and creativity? Want to know how the MBTI influences you on a creative level? Then this is the book for you. It's a great read and has lots of useful information.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read!!!

Okay, maybe starting a review with a cliché phrase is not the best idea, but I couldn't resist.

In my personal humble opinion, I have to admit, this book is very very well written. It is quickly paced, does not drag on about one simple concept for a hundred pages (ahem-ahem, Barbara Sher), and has many good points and useful information.

Although this book is concentrated around how your personality type deals with creativity, it is very useful in learning about the Myers-Briggs classification system in itself. This book should be read by everyone who wants to understand other people and their motives to behave as they do, and by anyone who just wants to expand their understanding of the world in general.

I knew about this system before, and I have been fascinated with it for years, but this book helped me broaden my horizons. I learned to understand other people a bit better, which is particularly useful for an INTP such as myself. I also learned how creativity can be different and how everyone uses it differently, which never really occurred to me before. If you think you are not creative - you're wrong! Read this book and feel better about yourself, because - trust me - you are underestimating yourself.

I personally never had a problem with creativity, because I am an artist, an actress, and sometimes even a writer. I read this book for the reason of learning more about the system, but I got so much more than that. You learn something every page, and you will definitely find something that applies to YOU and YOUR life. And if you are not satisfied with our product, we will give your money back (joking, I'm just on a roll today).

My point is: this book is worth every page, and if you are interested in psychology, creativity, sociology, or any combination of those, you will not regret picking this book up.

What I also enjoyed is that there are many, and I mean many, references to real people and historical figures. (I was very pleased to learn, for example, that I have the same MBTI type as Einstein).



So if you are still reading this review, please, go get the book. Read it. Make your life a little bit better :) I hope you enjoy it.

[Cara]

Interesting take on creativity and the specific form it takes based on your Myers-Briggs personality type. This makes a lot of sense to me. It was especially interesting to read the part about sensing vs. intuition right before going to a critique meeting and hearing feedback on a story I wrote. It was really obvious who the sensors in the room were! They did not get my story at all, whereas the intuitives could really dig it. Fun stuff.

Also, I used to think there was something wrong with me because I get so personally attached to everything I make (even food!), and it seems like everything I write or create is about me. But apparently that's just how it is for F types! It's ridiculous how much better that makes me feel.

I would like to finish reading this, but I'm out of renewals. Left off p. 179.

Notes:
p. xxiii "According to Gallup, 71 percent of us are "not engaged" or "actively disengaged" in our work, meaning that we're emotionally disconnected from our workplaces and are far less likely to be productive or creative--and it can become a vicious cycle. (2) Only one in four people feels that they are living up to their creative potential. (3)"

(2) Nikki Blacksmith and Jim Harter, "Majority of American Workers Not Engaged in Their Jobs," Gallup website: http://www.gallup.com/poll/150383/maj...

(3) Adobe, "State of Create Study" http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/press...

[Florence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goldstein and Kroeger's book goes on in length to describe personalities based on the Meyers-Briggs Assessment,used by businesses for many years. It helps to identify personality types and to recognize weaknesses and strengths. For example, are you an extravert or an introvert? But it goes much further than that. I found it is difficult to be quite that cut and dry; people cannot be slotted into these categories that easily. However, when you focus on your personality it does become somewhat clearer.
Ultimately this revelation can lead to identification of partners that suit you best. Candidates for employment may be best identified with this strategy as well.
We are all creative in some way. Few people really think about discovering their creative selves when they get busy with life. But they may feel like something is missing in their lives. Yes, those creative streaks that died in earlier years, be it art, writing, music, dance, etc. can and should be revived. Perhaps reading this book may help you to see yourself in a different light.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading Creative You hoping to get it to tell me "Your passion is gardening" or "Your life will be fulfilled by painting." Looking back I'm surprised I didn't realize I was expecting too much. But the book does something a lot better: it shows you how your personality drives why you do things. I'm still skeptical of the application of the MBTI, but it's still closer to true than randomly guessing. And if you're randomly guessing at what you would enjoy doing then you should definitely read this. Creative You gives a lot of food for thought to get you started on what you would enjoy doing and the particular part of it you can focus on that is the why of why it makes you happy.

[Ashley Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was your typical personality breakdown based on Myers-Briggs, except the whole thing was framed by how each type displays creativity. It was a fascinating read, even if the writing---like so many psychology books---left a little to be desired. I skipped around to the parts that were most relevant to me (like the iNtuitive I am!), but I'd still highly recommend this to anyone who's struggling with their creative process or who simply wants to know more about how they function as a creative.

[Rosebud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is based on the Myers Briggs personality types and how they affect your creativity. It also helped me understand how differently Jim and I make decisions that sometimes create miscommunication and frustration when trying to figure out where to eat, etc. Very funny! I also liked how the book suggested each personality type use their strengths and deal with the roadblocks that the particular personality type can cause when trying to complete projects.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

found parts of this book by Goldstein and Kroeger very helpful, for example, I liked the section on introverts. However, I found the classifications which are based on the Myer-Briggs system rather rigid, and much of the advice a bit too vague.

However, it is a book that requires study, so I will read it again when I have more time.

[Hope McCormick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confirmed/validated that I'm indeed an INFP. I know the MBTI gets a lot of criticism, but personally I find it useful. This book gave me some insights that helped clarify how I process information and make decisions. It also gave good tips on how to optimize strengths and work around weaknesses. Overall, not a bad read.

[False · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting for those who buy into the Meyer Briggs Personality Testing. The theories set forth on creativity (in all aspects of life) are principled on that test. If you don't believe in it, the book isn't of much use to you. I was glad they spent time discussing creativity in children (and also the workplace) and how to develop that aspect of the process.

[Corinne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry besides being 'all over the place' I just didn't like the theory behind this book. To me, it felt like a (very) forced framework on something that can't be neatly categorized and defined. Sorry, I'm not buying it and I'm not seeing how this is helpful to people. The best way to increase your creativity is to continue to see and do things in DIFFERENT ways.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read for people who are intrigued by MBTI and are creative. I have to admit I focused more on my own type and read the other types' info in a more cursory fashion. I don't think you miss much if you do. This book is more helpful for identifying your tendencies rather than dealing with your tendencies that might interfere with creativity.