The Achiever

“Through the Eyes of No One Else” is my representation of the Enneagram Three. From the start, I knew that I wanted to do my Three piece digitally because the efficiency and precision that Threes possess are reflected by this medium. The elements that I wanted to be reflected in the piece are color, line, and texture. Each color represents a type that Threes are connected to. Purple for Threes, blue for their wing Four, yellow for their connection to Six, and pink for their connection to Nines. I also wanted to use color because Threes are bright, and I knew that these colors would represent their vibrant nature well. I used the element of line with the face breaking the image in half to create contrast. I created texture with the words that are in various typefaces layered underneath the face.

I started by digitally drawing the face, and I had this idea of creating a contrast between the two identities that Threes often find themselves stuck between. The first is the idea of who Threes present themselves to be or who others view them as, and the second is the reality of who they really are. Threes are stereotypically known to mold their personality to fit in with whoever they are around. They are concerned with their image and how others view them. They ultimately want to be seen as successful, worthy, and valuable, and this desire is reflected in the words on the right side of the piece. All of these words are meant to show how Threes want to be seen, how others see them, or the efforts that they are putting in to be seen. The phrase that I feel represents this identity well is “but still not enough” because it shows Threes that their efforts to be seen for what they are will never fulfill them, and there is no way that they can be what everyone wants them to be. This brings us to the other identity that is represented in the piece which is who they are. The white blankness of the face is meant to show that Threes often get so caught up in performing for, catering to, and changing for others that they can lose sight of who they are. I used the words “who are you” at the top to emphasize the fact that what you are is not nearly as important as who you are, and I am hoping that my piece provides the necessary push for Threes to dive deeper into who they actually are instead of who they are striving to be.

Being seen for what you are leads to performance-based behaviors and surface-level relationships, but being seen for who you are leads to truly being known, valued, and loved. To be seen for who you are requires you to first see yourself, and this is why I chose the lyric “through the eyes of no one else” as the title of my piece. Learning how to find value in who you are helps you to understand that what you do does not make you valuable. To truly see yourself is the beginning of learning just how valuable you really are.