Week 2

I found this week introspective and insightful. It's reminded me of how important it is to revisit my internal landscape every once in a while, to reflect on traits I'd forgotten to look at, to celebrate what I've got, and to notice where I can put in some work.

Creative Types Test

Reflect on your dominant creative type and how the skills and characteristics of your creative type will help you excel in your chosen design field.

My dominant creative type is The Alchemist, I more or less agree with the type breakdown. Creative type aside, the description speaks more broadly to my general personality;

‘Your life is an endless quest for meaning and a journey of self-exploration’

‘[You] seek to understand the inner workings of all things’

‘Having touched your own depths, you understand that even darkness has its purpose’

In terms of how this way of thinking – of having a strong focus on examination and inquiry – will benefit me in interior design, I think the ability to parse what exists in front of me is an important first step in the creative process. Are things ‘working’ as they are and if not, why not? Is it that they don’t please the eye? Do they lack functionality? My inquiries might bring me closer to finding a design solution that doesn’t repeat the same mistake. If I was to reconstruct a room that ‘wasn’t working’, for example, I would make sure its revision had meaning, that it gained some value that it was previously missing.

Consider how your creative type might change or adapt as you progress in your career.

This may be my misinterpretation of The Alchemist type, but I feel as if one of its limitations is its heavy reliance on things existing in the first place in order to be analysed and improved. I would imagine, with practice, as I progress in my studies and career I may be able to generate and grow ideas from a more imaginative place (from scratch, essentially!) rather than using analysis as a launching point.

HIGH5 Test

Reflect on how these strengths can influence your academic journey and career. Consider how they align with tasks or roles in which you currently excel or those where you feel challenged.

1.      Problem Solver – this aligns with the above re. The Alchemist. I feel as if I’m constantly problem-solving in life, whether to my advantage or not.

2.      Believer – the test’s says I am driven by core values that cannot be compromised at the expense of success. I thought about this a fair bit while I considered studying interior design. If I follow certain design trends, I might be seen as more current, contemporary and ultimately a more successful designer but if they don’t match up with my core values then I’ll struggle to adopt them.

3.      Empathizer – this quality may help me with interpreting client briefs and understand client feedback.

4.      Thinker – Moving into the working world, it would be important for me to find the right creative team that engages in the right discussions, as well as a company whose ethos aligns with mine.

5.      Deliverer –  I could develop a reputation in my career as someone who is solid. In my daily life, I usually feel shame if I promised something I didn’t deliver. 

Decision-making Style

Consider which style resonates with you the most. Reflect on how your decision-making approach influences your study habits or career planning.

I am an analytical decision-maker. In my studies, this can be great for certain phases of projects like research and information gathering, but, unchecked, it can lead to serious cramming before deadlines.

Emotional Intelligence Test

Reflect on how these skills appear in your studies, friendships or career. Are there opportunities to enhance and fine-tune your EI for long-term success?

My score was 54/100 – ‘You are in the middle’. I don’t think I have ever thought of my EI before, or even comprehended the concept. Though I believe I am quite good at reading people, I suppose I, simultaneously, am not particularly good at ‘playing nice’ sometimes, being generous with both my opinions and in spirit. Taking this course, meeting new peers and contacts in the industry will be a good opportunity to fine tune my EI.