Hi hello—
I’ve been using the Enneagram personality system to develop deeper characters and arcs in my spooky, silly stories for years. But also, to establish growth paths, a character arc if you will, for myself.
If you’re unfamiliar with Enneagram Type 9s, their basic fear is separation, and their basic desire is peace. So, from this, a behavior that is common among 9s is avoiding conflict in favor of peace and not risking disconnection from an established relationship or situation. How this manifests in my mind is a form of imposter syndrome. Just waiting for the day someone will recognize me as the fake person I am, the lie that I lead. Which… doesn’t even exist, ha. Objectively, I know I’m a person that exists and participates in society just like any other person. But still the fear exists that I’m actually not a human and one day someone is going to figure it out and cast me out of that relationship/society/life.
Another common behavior of 9s is merging with others to maintain peace, which I do often. I become whoever someone needs me to be, to a generalized degree. I can’t become overly extroverted, but I may showcase a brighter/louder personality if I’m trying to provide a particular experience for someone else. And its on impulse. An automatic response.
So, a giant area of growth is asserting my true Self into the world. Recognizing my Self in reality. To find my true Self, over time I’ve committed my time and energy to my creative pursuits. Writing, blogging, vlogging, coding little games. Solitary, but mind-expanding activities. I still feel guilty for needing that alone time most days, but it has lessened majorly since my twenties. When producing spooky adventures or silly situations for my characters, I learn something new about myself along the way. A new strategy in asserting my needs in social situations. A way to set boundaries during a difficult conflict. How to approach conflict at all. But also how to accept peace and harmony without falling into procrastination and dissociation.
I hope to help people through writing characters who overcome their unhealthy, fear-based habits and behaviors and learn to accept their strengths and purpose. Just as I am slowly doing. One spooky, silly, romantic, adventurous story at a time.
Talk soon,
Brittany
