The varied hobbies of the ISFP personality type show their sense of aesthetics and inclination towards art and culture. ISFPs also love to explore nature. They enjoy close family ties and enjoy family celebrations and outings.

Being an introvert, they enjoy their ‘me time’ by doing things that they really love. Such pastimes may include adventure sports like skating and skiing, or doing gardening or painting that reveals their creative side as well.

They find satisfaction in doing activities that are innovative and help them manifest their innate love for art and all forms of aesthetics.


Hobbies of the ISFP personality type

The MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) divides human personalities into sixteen different types.

In the middle of the 20th century, the mother and daughter duo of Myers and Briggs developed this personality testing method. According to this test, the human personality can be classified on the basis of four cognitive functions. These functions were:

  1. Energy: Extraversion or Introversion
  2. Information: Sensing or Intuition
  3. Decisions: Thinking or Feeling
  4. Lifestyle: Judging or Perceiving

The term ISFP stands for Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving. Individuals with this particular Myers-Briggs personality type generally like to keep to themselves. 

To sum up their character in brief, they are shy and do not like unnecessary social interactions. 

They are also very kind-hearted and have a helpful, altruistic nature. They are sensitive, non-judgmental, and believe in actions rather than words. They prefer to live in the present moment and not have long term plans for anything.

Like the other Myers-Briggs personality types, ISFPs also find enjoyment in certain specific tasks or activities. In this article, we will discuss what these tasks and activities are. Thus, we hope to provide you with more information about some common hobbies for ISFPs.

The dominant function for the ISFP personality type is “introverted feeling”. This dominant function serves as the primary aspect of their personality. 

This means that they give more importance to a sensory experience rather than analyzing that situation objectively. So, one can assume that common hobbies for ISFP individuals follow this trend.

Keep reading to find out what are some common hobbies for people with the ISFP personality type.

1. Gardening

ISFPs love spending time in the company of nature. They have a strong sense of aesthetics and natural beauty. They also love seeing tangible results in whatever work they do. Gardening can provide the opportunity to satisfy all these needs of an ISFP.

Through gardening, an ISFP individual can get attached to the plants he or she grows. According to many studies, gardening is also therapeutic and can ease away the stress from our daily lives.

ISFPs are also shy and introverted. They like to keep to themselves. Gardening is such an activity which they can do alone, and do not need to depend on anyone else for company or help. 

Considering this aspect as well, one can conclude that gardening will be an incredible hobby for an ISFP person.

2. Crafting

All ISFPs have an innate creative side. For some of them, this side may come out in the form of craft projects.

ISFPs are naturally gifted artists. They can utilize this artistic appeal of their profile if they turn to crafting as a hobby. 

Craft projects can be as simple as designing a flower vase or a mug. So, one does not need any high level of skill, nor expensive materials to get started. 

ISFP people are also good observers and give a high degree of attention to small details. They are quite meticulous workers. Because of this reason, their craftwork is almost absolutely perfect.

Exceptionally talented individuals can also sell their craftwork as an alternate source of income. Small DIY (do-it-yourself) objects like earrings or other jewelries, or a flower vase or coffee mug can fetch some decent amount of money.

3. Painting

Painting is another avenue where ISFPs can use their natural artistic talent. Some people may choose to paint with oil paints. Some others may be more comfortable with watercolors, or crayons, or color pencils. 

Whatever the medium of painting, it is highly likely that a drawing painted by an ISFP is aesthetically pleasing to all viewers. 

ISFPs love colorful and vivid imagery. As a matter of fact, ISFPs perform better at their workplace if their work environment is aesthetically pleasing and brightly colored. 

So, it’s natural that their paintings also have a lot of colors, as opposed to being black and white sketches. Because of their love of nature, ISFPs enjoy painting about landscapes or natural sceneries.

You have probably heard about the famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and seen her incredible artworks. Did you know that Frida Kahlo was an ISFP? Many ISFPs, who consider painting as a hobby, look up to Frida as an inspiration.

4. Dress designing

This is somewhat similar to painting, but in a different medium. ISFPs can design colorful T-shirts either using computer programs, or by directly painting on T-shirts using poster colors. Many can also sell their works either online or by spreading the word through their friend circles.

5. Listening to music

To be honest, almost every person in the world enjoys listening to music. The choice of the genre of music or the artist of choice may vary from person to person. ISFPs find this more enjoyable because of their keen attention to detail. 

While listening to a particular song or composition, ISFPs, in their mind, can break down the layers of the song. 

If they want, they can focus on just one particular instrument playing throughout the song while ignoring the others. Thus, they can deep dive into any song and have a deeper understanding of it.

6. Singing

Some ISFPs can take their love of music a step further by actively singing. If they are naturally talented enough, singing can become a serious hobby which they may show by singing in friendly or family get-togethers. 

Exceptionally talented ISFP individuals can also turn singing into a profession, just like fellow ISFPs Michael Jackson, Bob Dylan, and Rihanna.

7. Making and composing music

Some ISFPs, instead of singing, can also choose to play an instrument like the guitar or drums. Or they can sing and play at the same time, like Bob Dylan did.

ISFPs are extremely passionate people. For them, musical compositions can be a way to exhibit this passion. Through their music, they can develop intimate connections with people in a way they cannot achieve through normal conversations of daily life.

8. Board games

Board gaming can be another good pastime for an ISFP. Because of their observant nature and analytical mind, ISFPs often excel at board games like Monopoly or Scrabble.

ISFP individuals are normally shy and introverted. For this reason, they do not want to go to parties or social gatherings. 

Even if they do, they normally stay by themselves in a corner and do not interact with anyone. 

Playing board games can be a great way for them to overcome this inhibition. They tend to become so intrigued in the games that they tend to forget the fact that they are playing with strangers or less-known people, not their close friends.

9. Card games

Similar to the case of board games, ISFPs also find card games to be quite appealing. As compared to board games, one advantage of cards is that there are several card games like patience or solitaire, or “Napoleon at St Helena” that an ISFP can play alone. These activities not only appeal to the ISFP’s analytical mind but also to their introverted side.

10. Reading

Reading can be a great hobby for introverts in general. ISFPs generally love reading fiction, especially crime thrillers or adventure stories. These kinds of stories appeal to their adventure-seeking side.

11. Adventure sports

It is no secret that ISFPs often have an adventurous side. They love to get the thrill of adrenaline. For this reason, adventure sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, mountain biking, paragliding, and the like can appeal to ISFPs. 

The other advantage of these sports is that they are not team sports. So, ISFPs can enjoy these activities on their own without requiring them to interact with other people.

12. Cooking and baking

Many ISFPs are food lovers. These people can consider cooking or baking as relevant hobbies. ISFPs have an experimental side to them. They can explore this through cooking or baking, by trying out new recipes.

13. Photography

ISFPs can harness their artistic and aesthetic sides at the same time through photography. Their love for nature and their good observation skills can ensure that they click good photos of the world around them. 

Photography is also an activity that an individual can do alone. So, this appeals to the introverted side of ISFPs.

14. Volunteering for social work

ISFPs are kind-hearted and altruistic by nature. They are helpful and generous towards everyone they meet. 

They can find solace by volunteering through various charitable activities. Many non-profit organizations and NGOs often require volunteers. 

ISFPs can channel their humane side by signing up for various volunteer activities. This not only satisfies their inner desire to help others, but also serves as a good pastime.


To Sum Up

In this article, we have discussed various common hobbies for individuals with the ISFP personality type. ISFPs generally like spending time on their own. 

Hobbies like reading, photography, and listening to music can appeal to this side of them. They also have an innate artistic side, which can come to the forefront through activities like painting, crafting, etc.

If you are an ISFP who wants to pick up a new hobby but unsure about what to choose, we hope this article can be of help to you.