How to Answer the "What Do You Do?" Question as a Creative Generalist

"What do you do?" must be the question that creatives (and generalists) dread more than anything else in the world. It's a difficult question to answer for them because of the many job titles, careers, and responsibilities most multi-passionate creatives can have, not to mention all the additional interests and passions. While there isn't any perfect answer for this common question, it may be helpful to have some strategies when asked.

Most job descriptions are straightforward. You work at a company, and you do X job for them. But what if you're not one of those people? What if you have multiple interests, or your job description is more general? If that sounds like you, then it's time to learn to answer the question, "What do you do?"

In this article, we'll explore three approaches that might help ease the pain of answering the question in the first place. I mean, how do you put a multidimensional human being with a million ideas and interests onto a tiny square business card?

#1 Who's asking, and why?

"So, what do you do?" is an essential question at any networking event, but it can be challenging to summarise it for someone you don't know, especially if you have many interests. Who is asking you? And what are they looking for in your answer? It can help to know what to say.

The person you're talking to might be a potential employer or business partner, so they're just trying to understand your work from that angle. In this case, it's best to keep the response professional and focused on what you do that might fit with what they're looking for. Never mind your other jobs or interests. You don't need to share the fullness of who you are. It might be better not to share too much to avoid confusing those without an extraordinary brain like yours.

Perhaps you're talking to someone who seems interested in more than just your job title. Again, depending on where you are and who you're talking to, you might decide to share a little more about the multitude that you are. 

Just remember you're allowed to answer this question the way you feel, and it can vary from occasion to occasion and from person to person.

You don't owe anyone an elevator pitch about who you are and what you do. In fact, by adding variety into how you answer this question, you're remaining true to the multi-passionate creative that you are! 

#2 The Instagram bio approach

This one is pretty familiar to creatives and generalists: the teeny tiny Instagram bio. How to summarise what you do in 150 characters or less? Impossible, you think. Well, most of us multi-passionate creatives reach a point - after much agony and turmoil - where we're OK with it being impossible. Why? Because it lessens the pressure of coming up with a bio that covers all our things! There aren't enough characters to do that anyway!

So how to use the Instagram bio approach to answer the "What do you do?" question? Share your favorite snippers of who you are: the things that excite, inspire, or interest you in some way, and then offer to tell them more about it if they're interested! In this scenario, "What do you do?" becomes a conversation starter rather than an elevator pitch.

The key is being clear about what you want to share and what you don't. Professional contacts may not need to know everything about how your imagination works, but if they're interested in hearing more, then that's a perfect time!

This approach is also great when encountering new people because it allows them to get to know you without feeling like they need to know everything.

Blogging is one of my passions, so depending on context and who's asking, I might say, "I blog about creativity." If the person I'm talking to works as an editor or writer, they might be interested in blogging, and we could talk more about it. If not, I can tell them that too - there's no need to be perfect or cover all my bases.

#3 The "But what do you do?" reply

Another way to get out of the "What do you do?" conundrum is by answering that question with a question.

This is a fun and playful way to reply that clarifies any uncertainty about what would be best to share about you. It also has the bonus of possibly leading to an inspiring conversation or a discovery of shared interests!

Here are a few ways to return the question with a question:

• I'd love to share more about what I do with you, but I'm too curious. Would you mind telling me a bit more about you first?

• Well, I do a few things. Perhaps it would be easier to share if I knew a bit more about you first. Would you mind telling me what you're passionate about?

• It's hard to define myself as one thing, but that also means there are always new things for me to explore. Would you mind telling me a bit more about you first?

Finally, I want you to know that whatever the context, how the person you're talking to responds will tell you a lot about whether or not to pursue the relationship further. Both professionally and personally, if the person isn't excited or interested in what you have to say or downright responds negatively, it might be best to move on.

There's no correct answer to this question - share what feels right for you! Remember that you don't owe anyone any explanation about who you are and what you like to do. It doesn't matter if you're a job seeker, a business owner, or an artist.

Are you wondering about what to do next?

Do you have too many interests and don't know how to make them work together? If so, you're not alone. There are so many creative generalists out there with the same issue.

Luckily, it doesn't need to be this way! There are tools for making sense of all these different interests and skills, like my private coaching services, which help you find your "one amazing thing" (or two or three) because you know what: you don't have to choose!

Schedule your free session!

Multi-passionate Creatives: Why our Flakiness Is a Symptom, Not a Flaw

As multi-passionate creatives we're often told we're flaky, we can't stick to anything long enough to make it work. But the truth is, our flakiness is not a flaw but the symptom of a bigger problem.

As multi-passionate creatives we're forced into an education system that doesn't let our creativity flourish and where our many interests have to be put on hold. On the outside we do as we're told, but inside we rebel against a system that isn't made for us and we refuse to choose. It might not be obvious at first, but as time goes on our inner rebellion leaves a trail of unfinished projects on the shelves.

This makes us look flaky. We often stop before others think we're done, or get discouraged by the lack of support we get when we finally have the courage to follow an interest or creative idea!

Flakiness is a symptom, not a flaw.

As multi-passionate creatives, we're flaky because deep inside our needs for creativity, freedom and self-expression are ignored.

Growing up, I always thought that I would eventually be okay with having to choose one thing over all the others. But as time went by and my creativity became more and more expansive, it became increasingly difficult for me to choose just one thing to focus on.

Every day I thought about how much of myself was lost in all these pursuits: a quarter of me here, a third of me there. I felt so scattered because of how I thought I needed to approach projects, and the time I was supposed to spent on them.

There are so many things that I want to do - from writing to teaching to coaching to getting new and inspiring businesses of the ground.

If I had to choose the "one" thing, I wouldn't be able to come up with anything.

Now, I know better.

The problem is not that we can't choose one thing to focus on, it's not that we're flaky - the problem is that there are so many things out there for us to explore and try! We don't need to choose, instead, we need to figure out how to make all of our interests work together into a life that is worth living.

This pressure to choose is why we're flaky.

As multi-passionate creatives, our flakiness is a symptom of a bigger problem that needs to be solved: our hunger for knowledge, our need for diversity, and our unique creativity must be allowed to flourish and every interest must receive the attention we're willing to give it.

Multi-passionate creatives need to be allowed to explore and not be forced to choose.

It starts by learning more about how our brain works and learning the tools that will keep us focused without robbing us of our many interests.

Here's a few tips on how to get started:

• Tip #1: Give yourself a creative break: When you feel like quitting on an interest, put it on the shelf for a while first. Sometimes we need a break to get back into the flow of our passions.

• Tip #2: Work on what you're enjoying right now: Don't focus only on the things you "need to do". Make time to do the things you enjoy, too. Especially if they don't serve any other purpose than to feed your creative nature.

• Tip #3: Cut down on distractions: Turn off your phone or get into another room so you can focus. Even if you have many interests, when working on one leave the others at the door.

• Tip #4: Create multi-passionate boundaries: People will always try to tell you what to do. A great way to avoid having to listen to them, is to create what I call strong multi-passionate boundaries. It's OK not to share what you're currently interested in or working on with others. The less they know the better.

• Tip #5: Find your magic number: From personal experience and working with hundreds creative entrepreneurs I know that focusing on 3 to 5 projects at a time seems to work well for most multi-passionates. It keeps boredom at bay and is still manageable. What's great about having a number is that you know you can always pick something else later.

• Tip #6: Organize your interests and passion projects: Keep track of all your projects in binders, on your computer, in a note on your phone. The more information you gather about all your interests, the more likely you are to take them further. As a bonus, you'll also feel less scattered, which is always great for a mind like ours.

• Tip #7: Get creative with flakiness: When you're feeling flaky, go ahead and let an interest slide. Don't worry about what anyone will think or say, because you know best. And remember that you can always come back to the original one later.

I know it sounds so simple! But really, these tips will help you to feel more in control of your many interests and less flaky as a result.

Try them out, you'll see.

If you've ever felt like you have to choose between your many interests, you're not alone.

Through my work I help people find a way to combine their passions and interests and make them work with their career goals. I'll help you explore what's possible so that you can live the life of your dreams.

You deserve more than just an average job or an exhausting business where you're stuck in one place for 40 hours a week. You deserve something fulfilling, challenging, and rewarding. The world needs more people like you who are willing to embrace their unique creative gifts and go after their dreams because you know there is nothing better than living your life doing work you love every day.

Schedule your free session!

Dear Multi-passionate Creative: You Don't Need More Knowledge, You Need More Action

I don't know about you, but I'm a knowledge junkie. I love to learn and gather knowledge on everything from cooking healthy food, being a good writer, and how best to market my company. I'm sure you know someone like me (psst! if you're reading this article, it's probably you): they love knowledge and are never too tired to learn something new, but using that knowledge and taking action on it isn't always that easy.

"I'm not multi-passionate... I'm not even creative!" is a phrase I hear every day in my coaching practice, even though I coach A LOT of them. The confusion is, I'm sure, partly semantic. As a society, what we associate with passion and creativity is not always how these traits express themselves in us. Traditional creative expression is the form of the arts is probably not how creativity shows itself in most multi-passionate creatives! Problem-solving is much more prevalent as a creative trait than, say, being able to handle a paintbrush or writing poetry (although we can love to do that too!).

Knowledge is our one true passion.

In reality, however, knowledge gathering is what most multi-passionate creatives consider to be their one and genuine passion.

You can see knowledge as the fuel for our creativity. It's what feeds the fire of our ideas and helps them grow into something more tangible - if we take action on them, that is. In that sense, it might be more accurate to call us multi-interested than multi-passionate, with knowledge-craving brains that soak up information like sponges.

The problem is: knowledge can also keep you from taking action on your ideas because there's always something else to learn first!

You might feel like you need another degree or certification before you can do something about your dreams - which in turn holds you back from doing anything and being successful.

If that's you, read on for tips on how knowledge gathering can hinder you and what you could do instead.

• Tip #1: Knowledge only takes you so far - set yourself a goal for each knowledge-gathering session to take action afterward (e.g., don't just buy the cookbook and read through it, actually learn how to cook one new dish per week).

• Tip #2: Keep knowledge gathering sessions short - try to limit your trips down the YouTube or Google rabbit hole to no more than 20 minutes. After each session, take a few minutes to write down what you learned and set an action for yourself. What's the next thing you can DO (not learn!) with what you've just researched, read, watched?

• Tip #3: Focus on one thing at a time - if there's too much knowledge coming at you simultaneously, you won't be able to take action on anything. Turn your knowledge parties into their little projects: it's ok to enjoy it, but have an end goal in mind. Always ask yourself what you can do with what you've learned?

• Tip #4: Don't feel guilty for indulging in knowledge-gathering - in the end, all knowledge is good knowledge. It won't hold you back forever, and it's good for you to enjoy your passion just for the sake of it sometimes.

• Tip #5: Remember there's always knowledge to gather - when you feel anxious about not being able to learn or know all the things, remind yourself that knowledge never goes away and that you can always make up camp at the library later.

The key is not necessarily finding more knowledge but taking some action after learning - no matter how big or small that action might be.

It's ok for a knowledge enthusiast like you to indulge in knowledge for the sake of it, but remember that as multi-passionate creatives, we also love building things and seeing them come to life.

When we love knowledge for knowledge's sake and don't take any steps to follow through with our thoughts and dreams, we're just knowledge hoarders.

It's time to stop only gathering knowledge and start taking action too.

Being a lifelong learner will keep you growing as a person (which is fantastic) but being a lifelong doer will add purpose to your life and help you change the world!

You're passionate about learning and knowledge, but you need help taking action?

I'm a certified business and career coach who can help take your passion for knowledge and your many interests and turn them into something tangible. I'll work with you to create a plan that will get you from where you are now to where you want to be (even if you're not sure where that is) - all while still being able to learn new things!

Let's talk more about what we can do together.

Schedule your free session!