Painting the Bigger Picture
- Miriam
- Sep 3, 2016
- 3 min read
What would you say if I told you being a successful artist has a lot to do with personality?
Would you believe me?
Well, it does!
Now, you might respond with the fact that artists have all different kinds of personailties so how could that be true?
Let me explain.
If, for example, my husband Bert wanted to be an artist for his career, it would have a very different outcome based on his personality type. He is reserved, cautious, calculating, security-oriented, and stable. He loves correctness and shies away from confrontations.
These characteristics applied to being an artist would result in him feeling the need for each piece of work to be flawless before ever being viewed by the public; it would result in great stress when it comes to finances because it's really not a steady income. And if he were to sell, he would have to work hard against his natural tendencies to be reserved and compliant to then become bold and out-spoken with potential buyers or gallery representatives. He would spend more time thinking about what to make rather than just sitting down and getting to business. All these attributes together really wouldn't benefit him as an artist at all!
I'm not saying these types can't be artists, but it proves to be more difficult for some than others. We all have a different purpose for our lives.
My husband Bert, however, makes for an exceptional arborist (working with trees)! He is calm and calculating with each predicament of each tree, he follows through with precision, and is a great team member! And his job provides stability and financial security. Much more fitting for his personality!
Myself on the other hand, I am extroverted, emotional, inspiring, influential, and care-free. I love organizing but could care less about routines. I am bold and a risk taker.
This puts me in a very different spot on the spectrum than Bert! I could never do what he does because I would not like doing the same thing every day, or with great precision! As an artist I am able to let loose, organize my own days, and express myself freely! Because I am so people-oriented, communication skills come fairly naturally and I'm able to make the right connections with people using my bold personality. This fits my personality like a glove!
Okay now that you know more about me (and my husband), I can show you the bigger picture!
I'm good at what I do because of my personality. Bert is good at what he does because of his personality. YOU are good at what YOU do because of YOUR personality!
It's a good thing we're not all the same because we wouldn't get anywhere in life! We all work together to create the bigger picture.
And what is the bigger picture?
Well, for Christians such as myself, it is bringing glory to God. How is it that everything just happens to work together to create something better without someone in control? It would be chaos otherwise, with no purpose.
Bert and I are only starting to learn how to use the strengths of our personalities (and God-given gifts) to better serve others together. It's awesome! (And will be never-ending!)
The point is, we need arborists. We need astronauts. We need garbage collectors and cashiers and plumbers. And of course, we need artists!
This is because we are all small dots on a Seurat* painting, even unaware of what the bigger picture is until it is complete!
*George Seurat was an artist who developed the Pointillism Technique, branching from Impressionism in 1886. His paintings were composed of literally thousands of dots to create one picture.
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