I just released my book The INFJ Writer on Amazon and the big question I keep getting is, “Is it just for INFJs?”
The short answer is no.
The long answer is that The INFJ Writer may be of help to you if you are:
Highly Sensitive (HSP)
Introverted
Artistic
INFP, ENFP, or ENFJ
Idealist temperament
A struggling writer
Interested in personal growth and development
The INFJ personality type and the INFP personality type are two of the most intuitive personalities on the spectrum, and they are also the two types most likely to be creative writers. However, it can be particularly difficult for both INFJ and INFP writers to access their intuition while writing. This is unfortunate, because once an INFJ or INFP writer can begin tapping into their intuition while writing, they will almost always experience greater creative flow and a better experience writing.
The reason most INFJs and INFPs have problems using their intuition while writing—which is such a strong, natural skill for us—is because intuition is not valued in our culture. We live in a society that is heavily skewed toward the rational, logical side of life. Anything that comes across as intuitive, emotional, or vulnerable is feared in our culture, and usually denigrated. Of course, the intuitive side of life is also strongly connected to feminine energy, which is another thing that is feared and ridiculed in our society.
This means that most INFJ and INFP people grow up in a situation where our intuitive gifts are not valued, and they are definitely not encouraged. Instead, we are taught to ignore or suppress our intuition, and to discount our natural creative style, and our intuitive gifts. So, we end up as adults who feel cut off from our own creativity, who struggle with writing, and who have no idea how to use our natural intuitive talent to thrive.
I talk more about this in the video below:
I’m teaching an online class this May called Finding Your Writing Magic, all about the link between intuition and writing, and how to learn key intuitive tools that will help you tap into your greatest creative potential.
If this sounds like exactly what you need right now, be sure to sign up for my newsletter HERE to get all the updates about the class. You can contact me with any questions here. And please don’t hold back on the questions! I’m really excited about this new class and I would love to answer any questions that might come up for you.
I’ll see you soon with the next video in this series, all about how to tell the difference between the voice of fear and the voice of intuition!
Lauren Sapala is the author of The INFJ Writer and The INFJ Revolution. You can get a free copy of her book on creative marketing for writers by signing up for her newsletter HERE.
I get emails from INFJ writers and INFP writers all the time asking for recommendations for helpful books, supportive communities, and inspirational sources to help them along on their creative journey. I thought it might be a good idea to put all of my recommendations in one place and in one easy-to-peruse list so all you INF creatives out there can bookmark it and come back to it whenever you need it.
So, without further ado, here is my “best of” list for anyone of the INFJ or INFP personality type who’s looking for healing and/or creative help.
Although INFJ and INFP writers are both intuitive, and also emotionally sensitive and highly creative, they tend to approach the creative process of writing differently. Both types experience high sensitivity to any sort of criticism—whether it’s constructive or not—and both also often write slowly. Both INFJ and INFP writers also do the best if they allow themselves to use their intuition to feel their way through the story, instead of their thinking skills to rationally decide on how things should be done.
But it’s there that the similarities end. Because even though INFJ and INFP writers both experience the most healing and strength in their writing process when they give themselves permission to use their intuition to channel their creativity, there are core differences between the two types and their separate writing processes that can’t be ignored.
I’ve worked as a writing coach with INFJ and INFP writers for over seven years now, and I continue to see the same blocks over and over. Every time a writer comes to me with issues around feeling like they can’t get started, they can’t stick with one thing, they can’t follow through with something until the end, we peel back the layers and I always find the same myths about writing and creating—the exact same limiting beliefs—over and over again.
There’s a whole list of these damaging myths that run rampant through the mind of a struggling INFJ or INFP writer, but there is one I hear about more than any other. This myth is so insidious, and it undermines our creative efforts so effectively, because, on the surface, it sounds so reasonable. It seems so sensible and logical that it’s really, really hard for the INFJ or INFP writer to call bullshit on it. And as you read it here, you may even find yourself agreeing with it: