Jack of all trades, master of none

Who came up with this B.S.? I’m pretty sure this is how imposter syndrome started. Don’t quote me on it. But seriously, who says that you can only dabble in multiple talents but not be great at more than one thing?

I recently learned a word that I now love. It’s made me feel understood. It’s made me feel good. But more importantly it’s made me feel SEEN. It’s called a Multi-passionate - which means you have many interests and have a desire to expand your knowledge to more than a specialist in one thing.

If you couldn’t tell already from my website (that I refuse to break up into a bunch of tiny ones at least for now) I love to do many things. I love acting, I love writing, I love comedy, I love creating, I love teaching. But - I have to say they all have a common thread - storytelling. I love to tell stories in all of its forms. And I believe in its power so much, that I’ve made it part of my life’s mission to make sure as many people as possible know how to tell their own.

My first foray into any kind of stage storytelling came through improv over 13 years ago which was telling stories on the fly and a great exercise in trusting your intuition, taking a leap into the unknown and taking lead while working with a team. It scared the crap outta me at first, it was weird, awkward and FULL of failure. But that’s exactly what I ended up loving the most about it. The Freedom to Fail. And fail HARD, at that. I mean have you ever watched BAD improv? It’s one of the worst experiences you can voluntarily pay for. I took classes while working my first corporate job and I didn’t realize until years later how much it did to boost my self-esteem, confidence and how much push me to be my true self (when I wanted to be). Both improv (and eventually acting in general) and my advertising job helped me get more comfortable in taking risks, experimenting and following through. One inevitably influenced the other. When it came time to advocate for myself in the office, I was offered support by colleagues because I wasn’t afraid to ask. I didn’t back down, I didn’t feel like I was “too much” because I knew in my gut I was deserving. When I did get promoted, I created my own leadership style by not taking myself too seriously but ensuring my team was always prepared with the right tools to get the job done and done well. I had no problem admitting when I was at fault and no problem admitting when I was unsure of something (and seeking out the answers I needed). Could I have done that without pursuing external passions and interests outside of my corporate career? I’m not sure, to be honest.

Man, I miss bad improv.

Looking back, I never realized how my artistic training was such a great practice in staying in the present. Every line memorized, character created, video produced kept me sharply focused on the current task at hand. I don’t think I appreciated art as much as I do now - coincidentally when I have done the least of it over the last year and a half. I’ve always known that art heals, but I never truly grasped that concept until recently. Creating - anything - exercises your mind in ways you may not realize until later.

I encourage all of us to continue creating more than we consume. To explore anything and everything that inspires you, whether it leads to a path or not. Curiosity is an under-utilized tool that we have at our disposal. Recognize that you are a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted wonderful human being capable of so many talents. I mean how will you ever know if don’t try?

You Are Multi