Self-Portrait

This is our first unit of our STEAM course called Systems and Models. In this class, we learned about different personality tests and what they mean for each person. We also got to research two different Psychologists to gain a better understanding for what they actually do. For our field experience, we visited the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation. There, we learned about how they test individuals and what their specific test does for people getting the results. For the AP, I really enjoyed that it was mainly about ourselves. I liked that we were able to be creative and choose how we wanted to represent ourselves. I hope you enjoy!

Love & Giving

11’’x17’’

Collage, Magazine

“Love & Giving”, is a self portrait that I expressed through a collage. This was the most effective way I could represent myself using art. The name fit in when I was going through magazines, trying to find images and words that really exemplifies my personality. Love & Giving happened to be one of them, and I thought it represented me perfectly. I am always trying to help others anyway I can. 

While creating this piece I really tried to create something that will make people think a bit. I didn’t just want to draw a picture of myself and explain; I wanted mine to be unique, because I am a unique person that can be hard to understand. I hope those viewing this, look at my art with a deeper meaning. Although, it is technically just pieces I cut out, overall they are each there for a reason. 

Throughout this unit, I have taken several different personality tests to help me better understand myself and how I am in certain environments and situations. Tony Robbins said, “Awareness is essential to success. If you don't understand why you're currently doing what you are doing, or behaving why you are, it’s hard to cultivate positive growth”. The majority of the tests taken were accurate as to how I am as a person. The Myers-Briggs test resonated with me the most. This test measures psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. My results for the Myers-Briggs test was Consul (ESFJ-T). This means I am extraverted, observant, feeling, judging and turbulent. I thought this described me pretty well depending on the setting I am in. After getting the results I was intrigued to find out more about what this all meant. According to Deborah Day, “People who share the Consul personality type are, for lack of a better word, popular - which makes sense, given that it is also a very common personality type making up twelve percent of the population”. The other personality test that really resonated with me was the DiSC stimulator test. This test was developed by William Moulton Marston and was designed for individuals who want to identify and maximize their strengths. Your results are chosen from the four different personality types, dominant, inspiring, supportive and cautious. For my test results, I was supportive and inspiring. According to DiSC I lean more on the supporting side though. 

After getting the results from these personality tests and quizzes, I felt like I better understood how I operate as a person. I was able to incorporate some news things I learned in this unit, to my collage. For example, all of the bright and vibrant colors represent being an extrovert. The words and phrases can be explained from the results of my DiSC test. It explained quite a bit for me that depending on the environment you are in, these results can change. According to the American Psychological Association, “Personality refers to individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving. The study of personality focuses on two broad areas: One is understanding individual differences in particular personality characteristics. The other is understanding how the various parts of a person come together as a whole”.