Though the enneagram has a long history, at least 100 years old that we know of, it has gained popularity over the last decade thanks to social media. I’ve written about it before here and Here on my blog because it can be a way to help creatives gain clarity. Naysayers claim that it’s just another personality test, attempting to put us into a box, but it’s actually a very complex system that allows us to go deep within ourselves. In 12 step programs, we examine our defects of character, working with a Higher Power to help remove them. We hopefully evolve over time, working closer to this place of truth that exists within us, but we are often blinded by the fear of not being enough. The enneagram gives us insight into personalities and their tendencies which can help uncover hidden truths about ourselves and gives us the space to explore that with guidance.

There are 2 great challenges of the enneagram. One is figuring out one’s own type, the other is restraining ourselves from typing others. Of course, there are tests but they aren’t as effective because the way we understand our number is by our motivation. What I mean is that both a 2 and a 7 are always looking at the people around them and how they can make them feel better, but the motivation behind that behavior is different. An enneagram 2 has an inherent need to be useful, the fear being that they will ultimately be unwanted if people don’t find them useful. The motivation behind the enneagram 7 is to avoid pain, the fear being that if others are in pain, they will also be in pain. Do you see what I mean?

Typing is so hard, in fact, that I have spent years trying to truly figure out my number. I have a friend who mistyped herself as a 2 for years before discovering she is actually a 6.There are others I can name that have mistyped themselves, later discovering something different.

Pro tip: the most common type is a 6, so when in doubt, assume that is yours. Also, the rarest type is a 4, so if you think you are one, there is a good chance you aren’t. 

How does one go about finding your enneagram type?

I don’t know if there is a more efficient way than how I have learned, but I can only speak to experience so I will tell you what I have done over the years. First, I started reading a book on it. There are about a million so I will list some of my favorites below. Finding an easy to read, simply book is a great place to start. There are a couple of podcasts that have been helpful. Listening to those who talk about their own numbers and how they manifest through their behavior is helpful because we can learn how we identify with others through their numbers. Lastly, simply picking a number you think is right and then exploring it is the most helpful. Learning that number and seeing how it might be a reflection of you is how many of us have figured it out. We also have to have the freedom to change if we decide we were initially wrong.

I am an enneagram 7. The basic need is to be satisfied, the basic fear is to be in pain, the core sin is gluttony, and the fruit of the spirit is moderation, sobriety, self control. Kind of funny that I have a history of drug and alcohol addiction and sobriety has been the way towards freedom. Despite what it may seem like, not all alcoholics are 7s. That is a manifestation of the behavior, not the motivation, it just happens to have been the case for me.

How that has been a hinderance to my own creativity is that 7s are in the head triad, so our number one way of moving through the world is through logic and thought. The thought isn’t always useful or productive, but it’s definitely always there. The piece of ourselves that is repressed are our feelings. We typically try to process difficult things through logic vs feeling them in our bodies, because feelings can be painful.For me, my brain has been a huge hinderance in expressing myself creatively because I can’t connect with the divine flow that powers my own creativity without being in my body. Part of my growth as an artist has been to become more embodied, learning how to use the feelings I have as information vs fearing them and ultimately push them away through toxic positivity.

I recently returned from a women’s retreat, and I realize that part of my own self protection over the years has been emotional distance from those around me. The person that I am most open with is my husband, but even with him, I have had to learn to soften my edges and allow him to care for me. We’ve been married for 17 years and I am still having to work on being vulnerable with him, and with the friends around me. Yes, when I let people all the way in, I open myself up for hurt, but I also experience so much more gratitude and joy. In my youth, I was willing to take the trade off, focusing on keeping my emotions as neutral as possible, but in my 40s, I realize that life is so much sweeter when we can actually feel ourselves as an active participant. This growth has allowed me to take my art so much deeper.

In Conclusion,

 

I am not expert on the enneagram. There are so many others who are more qualified to teach it, but because I love learning about it, I think sharing my own experience with it and how it helps me grow towards a more creative person gives me some freedom to write about it. Maybe in the process of that, I can intrigue others to do the same. Below is a list of resources if this peaks your interest.

Books:

Richard Rohr  – This is one of my favorites as an introduction because it breaks down each number in a simple way

Riso and Hudson. – probably the most reliable source for enneagram

Beatrice Chestnut – her insight into the instincts and how they relate to the numbers helps one go much deeper, I would say this would be a good follow up after the 2 above

 

Podcasts:

Sometimes, the theory of the enneagram can feel overwhelming, and I have found that listening to people discuss the types, especially from a personal point of view, is the thing that helps me really understand the numbers. 

The Art of Growth – this website and podcast are my absolute favorites and if you are only going to use one source from everything I list, this is it.

Suzanne Stabile – she has a great podcast herself and has been on many podcast episodes, including we can do hard things