Career & Business Coaching Blog.
Inspiration and tips for multi-passionate creatives & entrepreneurs.
7 Tips for Successful Career Change for People with Creative Brains who Feel Stuck
Feeling stuck in your career is a common experience, especially for creatives and entrepreneurs. The unique wiring of your creative brain, with its hunger for novelty, variety, and self-expression, can actually make career stagnation even more frustrating. Boredom, burnout, underutilization of your skills, and lack of diverse challenges can quickly kill your creative spark. If you're a creative feeling stuck and yearning for a career change, read on.
Have you been daydreaming about a different path? Questioning whether you should leave your current role altogether? Perhaps you've considered taking on a new role in that other department, but you hesitate. You've heard the manager there is stiff and very structured, and you're afraid the work will be boring, and you'll quickly tire of it. Or maybe you want more and crave a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in your work.
These are common dilemmas for creatives. I know because I've been supporting creatives in getting unstuck from unfulfilling careers for the past decade, and this guide will help you navigate these questions and create a fulfilling career change for yourself.
1. Understand Why You Feel Stuck:
Acknowledge the unique challenges: It's important to recognize that the needs of your creative brain might not be met in a traditional work environment. Repetitive tasks, rigid structures, and limited opportunities for innovation can lead to feelings of frustration and underwhelm – what I call the "creative bore-out." This is particularly true for creative generalists who thrive on variety and the ability to apply their diverse skills.
Ask yourself:
Am I experiencing burnout from overwork or bore-out from under-stimulation?
Is my broad skillset fully utilized, or am I pigeonholed into a narrow role?
Do I have enough autonomy and flexibility to express my creativity?
Take my client Sarah. A talented graphic designer with a wide range of creative interests who felt stuck in her role at a large agency. The work was repetitive: even though she has a masters in graphic design, the only thing she was asked to do was typesetting commercial brochures and posting about them on social media. She wasn't given the autonomy to truly express her creative vision. Through self-reflection, she realized she needed more variety and ownership over her projects to be happy. This led her to launch a successful freelance design business, where she now enjoys the freedom and flexibility to pursue projects inspiring projects she can be passionate about.
2. Envision Your Creative Career Ideal:
Clarify your creative vision: Go beyond simply identifying your passions and interests and how they could serve you at work. Imagine your ideal creative ecosystem. What kind of projects excite you? What impact do you want to make? What level of autonomy and flexibility do you need to thrive? For creative generalists, this might involve a portfolio career or a role that allows cross-disciplinary collaboration, which, luckily, is more and more in demand today!
Consider Mark, an entrepreneur who felt trapped in his own business. While he had built a successful company, the day-to-day operations had become monotonous and sucked up all of his time, and he longed to return to his true passion: computers and bringing knowledge about them to the world. By clarifying his creative vision, he was able to restructure his business, delegate routine tasks, and reclaim his time to work on the new chapter in his entrepreneurial life. Watch out, world, something incredible is coming!
3. Explore Paths to a Fulfilling Career Change:
Sometimes, career change means staying in your job but redefining it or transitioning to a different role within the same company or structure. If you're feeling stuck or unfulfilled in your current job, consider talking to your manager about taking on new projects or responsibilities that align with the needs of your creative brain. You could also look for courses and training opportunities to expand your skillset and open new career paths.
Reimagine your current role: Can you be more creative in your current job? Explore opportunities to craft a new job, propose new initiatives, or look for projects that align with your passions.
Embrace the entrepreneurial spirit: If your current environment can't accommodate your creative needs, consider alternative paths. Freelancing, consulting, or launching your own business might offer the freedom and flexibility you crave. This can be especially appealing for creative generalists like many of my clients, who thrive on variety and autonomy.
Ask yourself:
Can I negotiate more autonomy or variety within my current role?
Is it time to explore alternative career paths or entrepreneurial ideas?
4. Cultivate Your Creative Community:
Connect with other creatives: Surround yourself with a supportive network of creatives who understand the unique challenges and joys of the creative journey and living with a creative brain. Share ideas, collaborate on projects, and find inspiration in each other's work.
5. Invest in Creative Growth:
I've witnessed the power of creative investment many times. My client Maria, a writer and poet, felt stuck in her career as a communications manager for a big soda brand. She decided to invest in a writing workshop focused on a new genre and to attend slam poetry contests. This changed everything for her. Her passion for writing led to a successful career change as a full-time freelance writer and published poet.
6. Take Action to Get Unstuck:
Break free from fear, worry, and "just thinking about it": Creatives often struggle with self-doubt and perfectionism, which create difficult-to-escape cycles of overthinking and worry. Don't let these fears hold you back. Take the leap, experiment, and embrace the messy, imperfect uniqueness of the creative process.
Ask yourself:
What small step can I take to move closer to my creative goals today? Once you have it, DM me on Instagram or LinkedIn and let me know!
How can I overcome my fear of failure and embrace creative risk-taking?
7. Embrace Unconventional (Creative!) Strategies for Career Change:
Side Hustle Exploration: A side hustle can be a playground for your creativity, allowing you to experiment with new ideas and build a portfolio while maintaining financial stability from your day job. Nothing is set in stone, so as long as you keep costs low and have fun while developing your idea, you have nothing to lose. And remember, you can always change your mind!
Creative Sabbatical: Take a break from your routine to recharge your creative batteries, travel, explore new interests, and return to work with a fresh perspective. It doesn't need to be a month or a year. Even a few hours or a long walk can be enough! I've had one-day sabbaticals that gave me the best ideas for my business.
For creatives, entrepreneurs, and creative generalists in particular, feeling stuck in your career can be exactly what you need to finally get up and change.
By understanding and focusing on the unique needs of your creative brain, embracing self-reflection, and taking bold action, you can get unstuck and unlock new levels of fulfillment, purpose, and creative expression. Now, get off the couch and take that first step!
Ready to get unstuck and create a career that will keep your creative brain happy and engaged?
I can help. As a career and business coach for creatives, I am dedicated to helping you bring more joy, purpose, and success into your career while giving you the tools to understand your creative brain better.
You deserve fulfilling and sustainable work that allows you to thrive creatively and financially. Are you ready?
How Jill learned to believe in herself and find the right clients
I first met Jill when she was looking for support and advice about how to pursue her dreams of owning a successful branding company without losing herself to imposter syndrome - or to her other many interests! Together, we worked on figuring out what her next steps might be in creating a true portfolio career for the Jill-of-all-trades that she is. It allowed her to let go of her negative self-talk and improve her self-confidence. She always had many talents and skills; she just needed a little bit of help to figure out how to combine them into a fulfilling career. Here’s how she did it.
What was your big dream, and what inspired you to go after it?
When I was younger, I had many interests—and I still do. Art captivated me; I attended art classes in my free time, procured books on drawing, and practiced consistently. I was equally fascinated by computers, and I remember buying one with my savings at age 11, though I had no clue how to use it. Additionally, I was passionate about dancing and gymnastics and pursued them at a club. I even dreamt of owning a tearoom. With any remaining time, I played teacher with my dolls. So, did I have one overarching dream? Not exactly. It was more like a thousand dreams, with life too brief to accommodate them all. Yet, through it all, the arts remained a consistent presence in my life.
Did you always have this dream?
As I grew older, the allure of fine arts persisted. However, I was still determininghow to transform that passion into a career. While my drawing skills weren't exceptional, I was blessed with a vibrant, creative mind and a vast imagination. When two of my friends chose to study a 'Master in Fine Arts - Graphic Design,' it was my eureka moment. It combined creativity, drawing, and computer work – a perfect blend of my interests!
Transitioning from a science background and lacking formal art education from high school was challenging. But my passion and determination were there. I dedicated myself wholeheartedly and emerged successful—with honors, no less!
What was one of the first things you did to get you started?
I was employed as a graphic designer at a company, but over time, I felt my passion waning. So, in 2004, I launched IN.DRUK as a side venture. Within IN.DRUK, I was free to design based on what I believed best suited my clients without the constraints of someone telling me what to do. This lasted for 13 years. During some years, I was swamped with work, while in others, I barely designed anything. Meanwhile, in my primary job, I transitioned to an account manager role at a printing firm. There, I discovered a genuine love for sales and entrepreneurship. By 2017, I felt ready to fully commit, and I embraced IN.DRUK as my full-time endeavor.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in working toward achieving your dream?
I had fears about the financial implications of my decision, as I was leaving a secure position that offered a generous salary, a luxurious car, and various other benefits. Growing up, my parents had always emphasized the importance of financial stability. Hence, confronting this fear became one of my most significant challenges.
What do you wish you would have done differently? What would you warn others about?
In hindsight, I wouldn’t change a thing. While my mistakes were tough in the moment, they provided invaluable lessons later on. One of the most profound realizations I've come to over the years is that I am enough. Simply being myself is not just acceptable, but it's perfect. There's a space for everyone. It's essential not to compare ourselves to others, as each person's journey is unique. We often see only the highlight reel, not the 'behind the scenes' of people's lives. It's also okay if not everyone approves or likes you. Granting myself the freedom to carve my path and to trust my intuition was, perhaps, one of the most empowering decisions I've made.
Would you say you’ve achieved your big dream yet?
I've realized several of my dreams, but there are still a few I hope to fulfill.
What do you think helped you achieve it?
The unwavering belief of my husband and parents has been invaluable; they never once doubted me. My sessions with Murielle Marie revitalized my confidence. Having owned an agency, she understands the dynamics and assured me of the quality of the work I provide to my clients. Receiving affirmation from someone familiar with the industry was incredibly reassuring. My adaptability has also been a strength. In my field, tools, methods, and demands are constantly evolving. Similarly, entrepreneurship requires agility and the capacity to pivot to ensure continued success.
What’s the best advice you have for others who want to follow their big dreams?
All the answers you seek reside within you. Sometimes, you just need someone to help draw them out.
More about Jill and her services –http://www.in-druk.be
Jill is a branding boss who is obsessed with graphic design, strategic branding, and entrepreneurship. She’s worked with clients all over the world to help them bring their company to life with the power of visual communication. You can find out more about Jill and her services at the website linked above. And if you’re interested in learning more about her process, you can book a free 30 minute discover call with her here.
Jill’s favourite quote is:
Feel the fear and proceed regardless.
Jill’s big dream for the world is:
I want female entrepreneurs over forty to assert themselves and step into the spotlight. They should proudly showcase their capabilities and talents to the world. Currently, too much talent remains hidden in the shadows, and that's truly unfortunate.
If you want more inspiring stories, I’ve got great news for you! This story is part of an interview series, you can find all entries here.
How Elizabeth let go of the pressure, refocused her business, and put creativity at the center of her services
I first met Elizabeth when she realized she wanted to create a business that reflected her authentic self more accurately. She was over feeling pressured and restless and just wanted something that put her more at ease. We connected after she finished reading my book on creative generalists. Elizabeth identified herself in that book and decided to explore how she might put creativity at the center of her business. We worked together to make a realistic plan for Elizabeth’s many projects, taking the pressure off so she could focus on providing an incredible experience to her clients. Here’s how she did it.
What was your big dream, and what inspired you to go after it?
My big dream was to help amazing people craft their stories and turn them into inspiring TED-like talks.
Did you always have this dream?
Not always, but I do remember exactly when it came to me. I started watching TED talks 15 years ago. Back then, hardly anyone had heard about TED talks. The inspiration, the impact it totally got to me. A seed was planted.
What was one of the first things you did to get you started?
I believe that if you open the door wide open for your dream and make yourself available for it, it will work out. With some ups and downs inevitably, and steady but surely. So opportunities to teach public speaking came to me. I created the chance to work with TED speakers. I started collecting a beautiful series of testimonials from people who had worked with me.
What were the biggest challenges you faced in working toward achieving your dream?
There were definitely moments when my passion was bigger than my discipline to build the backside of the business. So I had occasional worries about cash flow. But I never stopped believing in myself.
What do you wish you would have done differently? What would you warn others about?
I wish now I would have made some bolder moves. Not let my fears keep me from taking steps forward.
Would you say you’ve achieved your big dream yet?
Yes and no. It's important to always have new dreams. Next to my one-on-one program, I will be launching my group program soon, bringing together a group of female leaders who are ready to write their signature keynote talk. One day I want to have my own TV show.
What do you think helped you achieve it?
Not giving up when things get hard. Learning not to try to do everything myself, get help when and where needed.
What’s the best advice you have for others who want to follow their big dreams?
An inspiring vision is crucial to clarify the meaning and purpose of our lives and give us the energy and motivation to follow our dreams and persist. Articulating your big dream (your vision) is the first step in your journey!
More about Elizabeth and her services –http://www.speaker.coach
Elizabeth Van Den Bergh is a Speaker Coach who coaches leaders to speak with confidence and impact. Whether you want to motivate, inspire, or blow your audience away, she’ll make sure your words have the desired effect. Her clients range from passionate experts, ambitious entrepreneurs, to bold leaders at international institutions and large companies. She is also the proud Head Speaker Coach at TEDxFlanders, the largest TEDx event in Belgium. And coaches speakers for TEDxKULeuvenBrussels.
You can find out more about Elizabeth and her services at the website linked above and her new podcast Powerful Presence on Spotify!
Elizabeth’ss favourite quote is:
“I have learned that people will forget what you have said, people will forget what you have done, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
- Maya Angelou
Elizabeth’s big dream for the world is:
A kinder world. With more love, care, and attention.
If you want more inspiring stories, I’ve got great news for you! This story is part of an interview series, you can find all entries here.
Generalist Wisdom Part 1: Specialists Learn Everything,Generalists Learn Everything That Is Useful
As early as our teens, we’re expected to pick a particular career path. Careers days start as early as 4th grade nowadays, with many kids exclamating the classics that they’ll be nurses, teachers, or firefighters, or not knowing what they want to do at all! Still, we insist on starting the decision game at that young age. And for generalists and creative types, it’s all downhill from there.
In the past, like our parents’ generations, you picked one career and you kept going your entire working life. Every class you took in college or post-graduate certification was meant to further that career, help you climb the corporate ladder, and set you up for an easy retirement.
There have always been outliers to this, of course. People who followed one path and then jumped to the next when they decided to learn something new. But it really wasn’t until the last decade - when being a generalist became super popular - that hiring managers are finally seeing the benefit to having generalists on the team.
The difference between a specialist and a generalist is that specialists want to know everything about a single subject, but generalists want to know everything that is USEFUL about a particular subject. For instance, this can be seen clearly in the medical field. The neurosurgeon learns everything there is to know about the brain, nervous systems, and the spine. But a general surgeon must learn about several different areas of the body. Their “specialized” knowledge is specific to be useful for them to perform surgery in that particular area. They won’t know everything there is to know about neurosurgery, but they’ll know enough to help if needed.
Another great example of this is the music teacher vs. violin professor. A music teacher has a generalized understanding of musical instruments, music theory, and maybe plays a few instruments well - not spectacularly, but good enough to teach students about music. The violin professor, on the other hand, has spent years learning everything there is to know about their instrument, how to play a vast amount of music, how to teach others to play the violin, and while they might know how to play another instrument, they’d never sacrifice their violin technique for it.
There are definite pros and cons to being either a specialist or a generalist. Generalists are open to challenges, usually end up in leadership roles, and enjoy thinking outside the box. Specialists, though, usually have less competition for jobs, are better equipped for changes in their field, and sometimes receive higher salaries.
I know I might be biased, but I definitely think the pros tip toward the generalists just a little bit more 🤓. So, what can you learn from generalists to help your career and businesses?
Increased skill sets. Because generalists tend to learn everything useful about a particular subject, and end up doing this with a lot of subjects, they have various skill sets. Specialists, on the other hand, usually have advanced knowledge in their area of expertise, but they don’t have wide-ranging experience in other areas. Instead of only learning about your particular field, you should become familiar with tangential areas of your field, expanding your skill sets in the process, which can make you both indispensable for your current role but also broaden your skills and knowledge in future ones.
Learn to multiproject™ better. Generalists usually have an easier time multiprojecting™ (not in the moment, but with interests!) because of their ability to hop from one thing to the next. They aren’t limited by the box of a specialized field, which gives them a level of comfort when transitioning from topic to topic. Now, usually, I caution my clients on multitasking projects too much. The sweet spot for most generalists is between 3 to 5 at any given time. You shouldn’t burn yourself out trying to do too much at once (projects and ideas have a way of nagging at you until you do something with them anyway, so they’re not about to go anywhere). But if you notice you’re a bit uncomfortable switching gears or meeting various goals, learning to multitask - or habit stack as some researchers have called it - you can get more done without overwhelming yourself.
Develop critical thinking and collaborative skills. In most companies, specialists tend to either work with other specialists or in solitary environments. This robs specialists of the ability to work as a team with people who have different viewpoints, which can impede their ability to foster critical thinking. Alternatively, generalists usually work in big groups of people from all sorts of different fields and roles. This gives them the ability to talk to different people, hear different ideas, and incorporate various voices into the work, which can provide better, more sophisticated problem-solving to a project.
Whether you are a specialist or a generalist, there is so much we can learn from one another to improve our current role or help us bring a new business to fruition. By incorporating more of the generalist’s traits into your work, though, you’ll explore and grow necessary skills that can help you positively impact your workplace.
Not sure if you’re a specialist or a generalist?
We’ve been so conditioned to follow the specialist route that it can be confusing to discover you might be a generalist.
By working together, we can figure out which category you fall into and how to leverage that style to improve your career.
Understanding Your Creative Brain: Finding Focus to Finally Finish What You Started
As a lifelong creative generalist, I've always had a million ideas claiming space in my head, all pulling at me and whispering to me to get me to do something about them. Rushes of inspiration fuel my imagination on the daily, igniting a spark within me to embark on countless projects. I know I'm not alone in this.
Many creatives and entrepreneurs (especially creative generalists) deal with this. It's particularly tricky when we're in our most innovative and passionate mode, the flow and excitement we achieve when we're at the beginning of a new project. This is often when we feel we have massive creative energy - enough to spare some for other projects while building this bright and beautiful new thing. And it is all great for a while. Until we find ourselves overwhelmed by a growing pile of half-finished exciting ideas we couldn't wait to get started on. For the longest time, this was true for me. I would get excited about something, start developing the idea, then slowly lose interest and eventually stop before I'd created anything worthwhile.
The truth is: the challenge with our creative brains is not how to generate ideas (we have those all the time!) but how to maintain the focus required to see them through.
If you can relate to this struggle, read on! In this article, I will share tips and strategies to help you navigate the labyrinth that is your creative brain and empower you to conquer the misery of unfinished projects once and for all.
Embracing your creative (and multi-passionate) brain.
When clients come to me for help with seeing their projects through, they often have a lot of negative things to say about their creative brains. I don't blame them; I used to feel the same way. I would get frustrated and ask myself why I wasn't able to stick to anything or why it was so easy for me to start projects and so hard for me to finish them.
Today, I feel differently about how my brain is wired. I'm proud of my creative generalist nature and the many ideas and interests that I enjoy. So the first step in getting good at getting things done is acknowledging the value of creative thinking: creative ideas are the building blocks of innovation and personal growth. It's essential to recognize the incredible power that creative ideas hold.
Another critical element in befriending your unique creative brain is understanding the importance of embracing your imagination. Instead of wishing you could stick to one idea, cultivate a mindset that encourages and celebrates imaginative thinking. Allow yourself to explore new ideas without judgment or limitations.
Finally, embracing your creative brain means embracing the process of iteration and experimentation. Creativity is never a linear path; it's a cycle of trial and error, refinement, and revision. Give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn from them. Not every project you start will need to be finished (see below for more on this crucial point!). Understand that not every idea will be a masterpiece, but each contributes to your growth as a creative human.
Sometimes quitting simply means you're done.
Before we dive into the truth that, yes, (multi-passionate) creatives and entrepreneurs start more projects than they finish and can indeed lack focus sometimes, an important side note must be made. For creative generalists, quitting something simply means we're done. Because of our hunger for knowledge, we can dive deep into a subject until we've explored it, satisfied our curiosity, and gained a comprehensive understanding. When that happens, we usually quit.
The problem is our finish line is often different from the finish line of society. When we get what we came for is precisely when other people tell us we should stick to it or even "turn it into a business." But that's not what generalists do because our true passion lies in exploring and pursuing new knowledge and ideas. We thrive on the thrill of discovery and the joy of learning, and once we have mastered a subject or dived into a project enough, according to our understanding, our attention naturally shifts to the next exciting idea that captures our imagination. So for us, quitting is not always a sign of failure or lack of commitment; it indicates that we have accomplished what we set out to do.
However, this is not always the case. We have been known (ahem) to start new projects we wanted to see through and leave those halfway accomplished too. What is going on when that happens?
Understanding your lack of focus.
There are many reasons why our initial focus can dissolve and turn into procrastination, overthinking, or even starting another project (I know). Still, one of the most important reasons for creatives and entrepreneurs is the curse of shiny object syndrome.
We must be willing to recognize the attractiveness of new ideas and our tendency to chase after the next exciting project without completing the current ones. Yes, we love new things, and they always seem so shiny and bright, especially when the thing we're working on is a bit harder than expected, a bit boring at times, or not going as planned. When that happens - which is NORMAL in any project - the allure of novelty and engaging with another idea is hard to withstand.
One of the most striking ways I see clients go through this is when their sales or marketing plans aren't working as they should. Instead of pushing through and keeping a focused approach to their marketing and sales activities, many clients will cancel the plan and try something else. The problem is: if you do this each time selling your product or service gets hard, you'll probably never sell anything because you're not giving the seeds you're planting enough time to take root and grow.
Another way lack of focus shows up is the fear of failure, often disguised as perfectionism. Perfectionism leads to self-doubt, over-analysis, and getting stuck. When you're struggling with completing projects, it's important to remember that the struggle is part of the process. Nobody delivers something new without at least a dash of doubt and uncertainty. Nobody delivers a new project perfectly. Embracing the struggle and accepting the imperfections as part of the creative process will allow you to reach the finish line more often.
How to finish what you start? Here are three tips that might help you:
Set micro-goals: I'm sure you've heard this before, but it works! Break down your project or goal into smaller, achievable tasks or milestones. On your to-do list, make sure only to list the smaller tasks (that you can do in one sitting) and not goals (this happens a lot, believe me, "finish my website" is a goal, not a task). Instead of focusing on the result, set specific and manageable task goals (my number is three daily tasks) for each day or week. This approach lets me make consistent progress while I maintain motivation along the way. By celebrating reaching my daily number every day, these small successes boost my confidence and help me keep going.
Practice strategic rest: While it's important to stay committed and focused, giving yourself the rest you need is equally vital! Don't push yourself to the edges of exhaustion; plan for strategic rest periods into your work days. Listen to your body and mind, and don't postpone taking breaks to recharge when needed. Engage in play and fun activities that relax and inspire you, such as walking in nature, practicing mindfulness, or your favorite hobby. I consider these breaks part of my work because they improve my productivity and prevent burnout, ultimately helping me to stay on track and focused.
Play a game with yourself: Turn your project into a fun and engaging game. I invite my clients to see their work as play and reward themselves for tasks they complete or milestones they achieve. Making work fun is excellent for maintaining motivation and increasing productivity. Create challenges, set milestones, and reward yourself for completing certain tasks or reaching specific checkpoints. For example, set a timer and challenge yourself to complete a task within a specific timeframe. Give yourself some points or a small reward once you've finished it.
Gamifying your work and projects adds an element of excitement. It can make the process more enjoyable - and thus more sustainable, especially when things don't go as planned (which they never do). It helps shift your mindset from watching Netflix to a playful and engaging way of tackling a task, increasing your chances of finishing what you start.
I hope these tips are helpful. I'd love to know how they work for you, so let me know! As you embark on a new creative project, remember that the path to success is not linear or even paved with only groundbreaking ideas. Success requires focus, discipline, and tenacity.
By embracing your creative mind and understanding how you're wired, you can become better at finishing what you start. So many of my clients and I are living proof of it. You, too, have the power to master your creative brain and finish what you start!
Tired of never finishing what you started?
Are you tired of starting projects, only to abandon them halfway through? Do you find yourself stuck in a cycle of unfinished goals, leaving you frustrated and unfulfilled? If so, it's time to get unstuck and achieve your true potential.
I understand the challenges you face (I’ve been there myself), and I’m here to help. Don't let unfinished projects keep weighing you down. Sign up for your free coaching session now. Together, let's turn your dreams into successes!
Creative Generalists Don’t Fit In and That’s Okay! (P.S. you can stop applying for specialist jobs now)
When we were cave people, each one of us was good at multiple things. You had to be. We lived in a community where everyone worked together. Sure, there were some people who were better at hunting than others, and some that were better at taking care of the children or gathering roots and berries for supper. But everyone needed to have all of the skills so that if one person died, the rest of the community could still survive. Imagine if one person in your community was the only one with the skills to start a fire and then they were gone? The rest of the community would not survive the winter.
Somewhere along the way, between the agricultural and the industrial revolution, society decided that having a specialty was more important than having multiple skills. We started going to college to specialize in one type of career, and if you were unable to make up your mind on what you were going to major in, you felt like an outsider. The day I realized I could have as many jobs in as many fields as I wanted, was the day I learned real freedom.
Unfortunately, it can be a tough lesson to learn and an even tougher path to take because we are conditioned from birth to think we have to pick one job, one career, one skill for the rest of our lives. If we try to transition out of that role to something different, we are often looked down on.
With clients, I often share the story of The Ugly Duckling because it’s so similar to what creative generalist experience. In the story, the Mama Duck is waiting for her six ducklings to hatch. One day, five of the eggs hatch, but the biggest egg takes its time and hatches the next day. When it finally breaks out, the duckling is “odd-looking.” Not only is he much bigger than his siblings, he’s dark gray instead of yellow and walks with a funny wobble. Immediately, his siblings see - and point out - that there is something wrong with their brother. Mama Duck gets upset and takes them all swimming. The other ducklings call the Ugly Duckling ugly the whole way to the pond. The Ugly Duckling could swim like his siblings, but when he tried to play with them, they wouldn’t and instead made fun of him for being different.
One day, the other ducklings told him to leave, and he did. On his journey away from his family, he tried to fit in with a number of other animals, including two adult ducks. But he didn’t fit in anywhere until he found a new lake and a flock of large white birds flying overhead. They were beautiful, with long white bodies and slim necks. He watched them glide through the air and fly away. The Ugly Duckling was all alone and spent the winter by himself before being rescued by a farmer.
During the spring, the farmer brought him back to the lake where he met the beautiful white birds again who invited him to be friends and to fly with them. When he saw his reflection in the lake, he realized he looked just like them. He was no longer the Ugly Duckling but a beautiful swan.
If you’ve felt like the Ugly Duckling know this: there’s nothing wrong with you, you’ve just been misdiagnosed. You’re ont a duck, you're a swan! Creative generalists don’t need to fit into specialist jobs. We need to embrace being different; embrace being rebels and having an inner activist that hates injustice, authority and has a strong sense of right and wrong. It’s ok to go after all of the jobs, roles, and careers you want to pursue. It’s ok to break away from the people, places, and things that make you feel like you’re not good enough and have to conform. If the Ugly Duckling had stayed with his duckling siblings, he would have felt bad about himself his entire life. He would only have focused on how he was different from the rest, instead of realizing how awesome he was! By leaving the nest, he was able to find out he was a swan and that he did belong. He was able to embrace his differences and be himself.
We need to be more like the Ugly Duckling and embrace our differences so we can really excel in our lives. It’s okay to be outside the norm, to be unconventional - it’s actually a superpower! So stop trying to squeeze yourself into a tiny box, stop applying for specialist jobs and start pursuing a life and career that works for you.
So what are you going to do going forward?
Embrace being different.
And use those gifts to find roles that allow you to spread your wings and fly (allow for a variety of your skills and talents to be utilized), rather than restrict you to specializing in one field.
That’s it! It’s simple once we step outside of the idea that we have to do exactly what society says and stop believing that niching down, choosing (don’t you hate that word?), and limiting ourselves is the only way to excel in life.
Are you ready to fly?
It can be overwhelming when you think about leaving the comfort of your specialist role, even when you dream about having something else to do that allows you to flex your creative generalist abilities instead of boring your brains out every day.
This is where I come in! Together we can figure out your creative generalist skills and sweet spot, the fields you’re interested in working in, and how to use those skills to land your dream job!
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!