How to Create a Portfolio Career as a Creative Generalist
Throughout my life, I never set out to stay doing the same thing for too long. It’s always been my dream to live in NYC, for instance, and while it might not happen for a while, it makes me think about how I organize my life and career into buckets and how unusual that is for entrepreneurs. Most people I meet think they have to stick to one career for their entire lives, but really, we have the power to change and evolve whenever we want.
In my coaching business, I hear all the time how my clients are being pulled in all these different directions and they don’t understand how to rationalize their innate need to do different things, take on different roles, with society’s need to settle them into a specific box. For instance, doctors aren’t supposed to be coffee shop owners who sit on the board for toy companies. And entrepreneurs who own companies that distribute luxury amenities aren’t also supposed to have kitchen cabinets importing businesses…right?
Well, why not? Why can’t we do everything we dream of doing and every opportunity that comes our way that lights a spark inside of us?
Here’s the truth: we can. And I help clients do it every day.
Take my own story for instance, my career portfolio includes business and career coaching, writing books, speaking engagements, investing in small businesses, and creating new businesses - like my conference in the fall and my soon-to-be-launched Creative Generalist Network (more to come on that below!). And before that, even though I went to university to pursue a masters’ degree in philosophy and ended up working for, and founding, several web agencies.
The path we are on right now doesn’t have to be the path we stay on forever. There is no shame in jumping around - in fact, it’s empowering. This need for variety is what makes us creative generalists. We were never meant to fit into the classic 9-to-5 life, and when we fully embrace our creative generalism, we have a leg up when it comes to pursuing our dream career paths!
So how do we pursue a portfolio career that bolsters our ability to excel as creative generalists?
Various income streams. Have various income streams so that as you flow between the different roles, you never have to sacrifice your wants for your needs. You might try adding to your earned income with investments, online courses that require upfront effort to create but quickly produce passive income, and freelance consulting. However you choose to gain income, there’s power in having multiple streams at your disposal.
Don’t choose, combine. Stop trying to choose a particular career or project, learn to combine them. The beauty of a portfolio career is that there are no rules. You can do anything you want! (This is one of my superpowers. Let’s talk if you want help with this!)
Talent stack. Figure out your talents and skills and start stacking them to create a sweet spot that will raise your value in whatever field you’re interested in. For instance, if you are a copywriter who is also an audio engineer, pitch your talent to a podcast production company looking for a marketing guru who can also clean and treat the sound on the rough recordings.
Learn new skills. Are you a web designer who’s always been interested in teaching ballet classes to preschoolers? Or a college student studying molecular biology who also wants to write fiction novels about underwater gateways to other planets? Whatever it is that you think you might enjoy, go after it. Never stop learning. Go where your inspiration takes you!
Stay open-minded. You never know what you might learn from other people’s perspectives. Staying open-minded allows you to connect easily with others, building networks, and furthering your work and life in ways you might not expect.
Find a work-life balance. While individuals in mono-type roles don’t have to worry about their work invading their personal lives, creative generalists do. Our work is so varied and flexible, that sometimes that flexibility works against us, allowing business to bleed into our personal lives. The best way to combat this is to create a work-life balance that is sustainable to maintain.
Embrace change. Instead of trying to fit into a particular role, embrace jumping from role to role. The beauty of a portfolio career is that you don’t have to stick with the traditional career path, which includes sticking it out in a business or job you hate. Feel free to shake things up!
Find your community. Creative generalists tend to be isolated because of the solitary nature of their careers and work versatility, but finding your community is the best way to help you succeed. As a creative generalist myself, I created the Creative Generalist Network to help my clients and readers engage with like-minded individuals who will help them find inspiration and opportunities to grow.
Understand your why. Many people fall into a portfolio career, while others plan extensively for them. Either way, you should know why you are pursuing it now. Do you want more flexibility? Do you want to pursue every idea you’ve ever had? By knowing your why, you will be able to identify your creative generalist values more easily, which will in turn help you create the life you’ve always dreamed of!
Keep at it. Don’t give up when things get tough or confusing. Keep going and know that it will happen. The roles will come. The income will flow. And the fulfillment and success will bloom.
Building a portfolio career - like we generalists like to call it - is a lot easier than you think. There’s no need to toil away at work you don’t enjoy, or to sift through ideas and goals until you find the one most acceptable by the internet. You can have multiple passions or interests, pursue them all, and be better for it. It’s a lot more beneficial to your soul! When our work is aligned with our hopes, dreams, wants and needs, we can achieve anything.
Take small steps everyday and before you know it, the life you want will be right in front of you.
Scared to embrace your portfolio career?
Stepping outside the “norm” can feel overwhelming for anyone, especially if you’re a creative generalist with a streak of perfectionism. But pursuing your portfolio career is less about nonconformity and more about embracing who you are inside.
You were never meant to sit in a job or career you don’t enjoy. It’s time to follow that little voice inside you that tells you it wants more, it needs more…it deserves more. So stop limiting yourself. In our coaching sessions, I not only help you take that first step towards the life you actually want, but I help you build a roadmap to the exact spot you want to land!
