An Artisan

"You're an Artisan! Artisans are adaptable, tactile, creative, and playful. As an artisan, you pride yourself on your grace, creativity and ability to learn new techniques or systems easily. You're a master improviser and you have a natural gut instinct that you can always trust. You live life a day at a time, and tend to avoid long term goals and planning. YOLO has always been your motto! At heart you're a true performer, with a deep need to channel your creativity and natural playfulness through a medium in which others can view and appreciate. This may make you a brilliant actor or painter, or maybe just the life of the party. Either way, you're unique and truly a breath of fresh air. Cher, Bob Dylan, Woody Allen, Madonna, and Donald Trump are all famous examples of Artisans. Are you more like Madonna or Donald Trump? Maybe Bob Dylan? Let us know!"

I took playbuzz's quick little personality test and came out as an Artisan. It's a pretty generic test because really there are 16 Keirsey personality types... not four. Still, personality tests are fun... at least I think they are. They help us understand each other... and make our differences less difficult and more meaningful. Our unique set of traits make up the gears that help this crazy hampster wheel of life going around. 

Recently my aunt shared an article on Facebook... and you know... one click lead to another. It was a fun website about different ways each of the 16 different personalities deal with certain situations. 
For example how to make a bad day better.

My Mom  - ESTJ: For someone to ask them what they can do to help. They probably know the answer.
Me- ESFP: Lots of human interaction and praise.

Or the definition of hell for each personality type.
My Mom - ESTJ – An incredibly impractical person is put in charge of all of your major life decisions. You have to do whatever they say and are powerless to argue or reason with them.
Me - ESFP – You are stuck in a room by yourself for the rest of eternity.

Or what to gift people... should the occasion become necessary:

My Mom- ESTJ -
Identify one: The most serious, deliberate person you know, who has a 10-year plan delineated in a trapper keeper and a daily budget kept down to the dime.
Famous examples: Martha Stewart, Ivanka Trump
Gift idea: A gift card or anything with a gift receipt. They already know what they want and your best attempts to give it aren’t going to ever match up to their extremely particular expectations. No offense, they like it better that way. If you want to go out on a limb, get them something useful for their ambitions, like an iPhone 5, an expensive pen, or an eReader for business trips.
Me - ENFP -
Identify one: In the nicest, most sincere way possible, they remind you of a black lab.
Famous examples: Hugh Hefner, Richard Branson
Gift idea: A ping pong table. Croquet lessons. Polo lessons. Racquetball lessons. They already know the other sports, but when in doubt, throw ‘em a ball.

Hmmm.... I've always been a terrible athlete but I've always enjoyed sports and as long as it means someone's doing it with me I'm sure I'd be happy.  ...but the gift idea fits my mom perfectly. It's okay. Just get the gift and the receipt... if the gift get's returned it's not something to be offended about. :)

As you probably know by now, I'm what they'd call an "ESFP"....as is my dad. My mom on the other hand is what they'd call an "ESTJ". Before we knew about the personality differences I always assumed that somebody was doing it wrong... I felt guilty if I wasn't helpful enough.... my mom always thought I was just a party-hound, always avoiding work. Understanding our differences makes it easier to compromise, meet in the middle and know that we cannot completely satisfy the other's needs and desires, but we can sure make an effort to help make the other's day.  

Anyways, it's an interesting subject matter. Know those whom you're around, who fill up this world with you... because even though I'm a little biased as an ESFP, really people are what matter most at the end of the day.