Career & Business Coaching Blog.
Inspiration and tips for multi-passionate creatives & entrepreneurs.
3 Tips for Dealing with Fear of Criticism as a Creative
Everyone has dealt with criticism at some point in their lives. It's hard to hear criticism, especially when you put yourself out there as a creative person. Believe me, I know; it's probably the number one reason that kept me from showing my work for years! But criticism is something that can be beneficial if you take it the right way. This article will share three tips for dealing with criticism as a multi-passionate creative or creative generalist!
I know criticism can be scary - criticism from friends, family, or even strangers on the internet. It's easy to take criticism personally when you're a multi-passionate person who puts yourself out there in many different ways (and all at once). But negative feedback doesn't have to hold you back; it has the potential to motivate and inspire you! Here are three tips for dealing with criticism as a creative individual:
1. Find your inspiration in your naysayers
When criticism comes your way, you can take it as a sign that what you're doing is working. Think of all the people who told Oprah, J.K. Rowling, or Steve Jobs their ideas would never work - and how they turned those naysayers into media and tech empires, or one of most extensive bestselling book series of all time! They took criticism and turned it into inspiration to go after even bigger dreams.
As I mentioned before, take criticism as a sign that you're on the right track - criticism can inspire instead of discourage! When criticism isn't constructive or helpful, don't take it to heart! Remember that criticism is subjective - one person's criticism might be another person's inspiration. To know if the feedback you're getting is worthwhile, always consider the source. Who is telling you? What makes them experts? Do you trust their judgment? If not, have a good laugh and move on.
2. Use criticism as fuel for future work
Of course, criticism isn't always constructive - it can be discouraging and even bring you down to a dark place. But when criticism is helpful, use it as motivation for your next project or idea! If Steve Jobs' naysayers hadn't criticized him along the way, Apple wouldn't be the company it is today.
It's so easy to get discouraged by the people who don't believe in you along your journey - but it's just as important to remember that criticism only brings you down if you allow it to do so!
When you're passionate about your creative projects and put yourself out there in the world, criticism can be discouraging. But instead of focusing on the people who criticize what you do or how you act - concentrate on those few people (or even one person!) whose criticism inspires you to do better.
Do more of what criticism inspires - so it becomes fuel for your future work! Imagine being criticized for not knowing enough about a specific topic; that criticism can motivate you to learn even more about that subject. There's always something new to be discovered or explored when it comes to creativity and the world of multi-passionates anyway, right?! :)
3. Remember that someone is always criticizing you
The truth is - and nobody likes to hear this - you're already being criticized right now, whether you're perfect or not and whether you want it or not.
There will always be critics out there - you can't please everyone. Of course, passionate people don't like criticism and are more likely to be discouraged than inspired to do creative work that already comes with so many hurdles and challenges. But the fact is that not everything has to be perfect! There's no "right way" to do something creative; there are only the ways you choose to do it.
What matters most is your journey - and criticism doesn't have to be part of that journey if you don't want it to be. Remember that not everything has to be flawless, no matter what your critics claim.
Are you afraid of criticism?
You're not alone. The fear of criticism is a common problem that can stop people from being their best selves. But it doesn't have to be this way. With the proper guidance, you can learn how to deal with the fear and retake control of your life.
If you want to live a more fulfilling life but feel held back by fears about what other people think of you, then my private coaching services are for you! I will help you overcome your fears so that they don't hold you back anymore. I have helped hundreds of clients like yourself get past their fears and achieve success in all areas of their lives! I know I can help you too! So why wait any longer?
45 Minutes a Day to Make Your Dreams Come True
We all have dreams. We all want to be successful in life and at work, and we all know - on a conscious or unconscious level - that the decisions we make can move us forward what we want or hold us back. What if I told you that just one decision could make all the difference? And I'm not talking about deciding to drink more water or eat better. That's good advice, but it doesn't make a significant difference in your life (at least not that quickly).
I want you to imagine for just one minute what would happen if you decided to start working on your dreams - no matter where they take you - just 45 minutes a day. What if I told you that's how I wrote a 300+ page book in just over a year (371 days to be exact), will read 52 books this year, am teaching myself Spanish and started a new business on the side?
In this article, we'll explore how understanding the opportunity cost of wasting your time watching TV, on Netflix, scrolling through your phone together with the power of the compound effect will alter the course of your entire life.
As usual, the formula is relatively simple: find your time wasters and commit to replacing 45 minutes of wasted time with proactively working on your dreams. It's the execution that requires a little support, practice, and perseverance. I often find that understanding the mechanisms of our behavior helps to steer us in the right direction. So let's dive in.
What is opportunity cost?
We all have the same number of hours in a day. Yes, some of us have more help and support than others, making more of those hours available for the important stuff. But still, every one of us wastes time. Whoever says otherwise is a big time-wasting liar!
What this means is that every decision has a price. Opportunity cost is the loss of other alternatives when one alternative is chosen; it's what you are giving up to get something else.
Opportunity cost can look like this:
Watching TV instead of reading a book
Spending time on social media rather than learning how to play an instrument
Falling down the research rabbit hole instead of taking a practical step (aka doing something)
Worrying about a project instead of starting it
Wasting time binge-watching another Netflix series instead of writing the paper that's due tomorrow
All these things might seem like trivial decisions. They're not. When you make poor time choices, what you're leaving on the table is nothing less than your dream life. To grasp this enormity, we must first understand another concept of time: the compound effect.
What is the compound effect?
The compound effect is a concept that states that all small actions and decisions in life will have the opportunity to grow into big rewards. Although applicable to every aspect of our lives, this concept was first applied in the financial field. When talking about investments, compounding is the ability of money to generate more money, which is then reinvested or remains invested to create even more money.
A famous example is that of compound interest: the earlier your start investing, the more return you'll get for the same amount of money as someone who starts later in life than you.
The compound effect and your dreams
The compound effect isn't only applicable to money. Because everything we do requires time, it's relevant to EVERYTHING:
Spending 20 minutes every day exercising can add up to a fully toned body over a year if you maintain this habit. This same action could also make you healthier and happier, which will lead to more opportunities in the future.
Reading for 30 minutes a day, every day for a year can add up to over 60 books a year! The time you spend reading each day is short, but it adds up quickly and gives you new knowledge and life opportunities.
Writing for 45 minutes a day every single day can add up to over 100,000 words in one year. Imagine how much you could write if you commit yourself to this simple daily practice. I'm living proof that it's possible!
Now let's take this concept back to your dreams. Spending a little time each day on something worthwhile will produce incredible results.
45 minutes a day to make your dreams come true
Things start shifting when we put opportunity cost and compound effect together:
Identify 45 minutes of time wasters you can do without
Work on your dreams every day for that amount of time
Using the opportunity cost concept and the compound effect for your benefit is as simple as replacing 30 minutes of scrolling with writing or 15 minutes of thinking about something. Remember that opportunity cost comes from every decision you make in your life while compounding means doing the same small thing over and over again every single day.
You might not know this, but these concepts are already at work in your life. Every time you're scrolling through your phone, your compounding your knowledge of what's hot or not on Instagram or Facebook, all the hours you spent streaming series make you a champion at Netflix trivia.
There's no way to escape these forces from being at play in your life, so you might as well use them to build your dreams, don't you think?
You know you need to make a change in your life, but you keep putting it off.
Maybe you're not sure what the next step is or how to get started. Or maybe there are too many options, and it feels overwhelming. Whatever the reason, I can help! I offer personalized coaching services that will guide you through every step of making positive changes in your life so that you can finally start living the way YOU want to live!
Let me help take away all those feelings of overwhelm and confusion so that together we can focus on creating a plan for success for you and push past any resistance or procrastination holding you back from achieving your goals!
10 Advantages of Being a Creative Generalist in a Specialist World
In general, people are encouraged to specialize. In a world where everything is specialized and compartmentalized, generalists often feel like the odd ones out. As a multi-passionate creative myself, I've lived through the agony and pressure of a world that wanted me to 'find one thing and stick to it.' It took me a long time to figure out I could never live up to the specialist expectation because that's not who I am.
Like other creative generalists, I need variety, a sense of purpose, a mix of interests and passions to keep me going. I have to be able to learn something new (almost) all the time, and my attention does move from one thing to another faster than I can take a breath sometimes. For the most significant part of my life, I thought this was a problem. Until I realized it was my strength.
In this article, we'll discuss the advantages of being a generalist or multi-passionate creative in an increasingly specialist world and how what might look like weaknesses on the surface are your superpowers.
It's a great time to be a creative generalist
“If you're creative generalist, it's a great time to be alive.” - David Epstein.
In his book Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, David Epstein documents how generalists are more necessary than before today, in an era that demands more and more specialization. Creatives who have mastered multiple skills can now leverage these abilities in ways like never before, generating new opportunities for themselves and their clients. It's a brave new world for creative generalists - but we've never had it so good!
To add some weight to this point, here are 10 advantages of being a creative generalist in a specialized world today:
#1 Innovation
Creative generalists can be more innovative and creative than their specialized peers because they have a more comprehensive range of interests and skills to bring together. They are great at connecting seemingly wholly different pieces of information and pull from a wide variety of life and career experiences.#2 Curiosity and adventure
Creative generalists are often more curious and adventurous than other types of people because they're used to exploring uncharted territory, with thicker skin for failure and a capacity to be a beginner over and over again. This gives them (us) a competitive advantage in many technological and business fields today that require finding new ways to approach problems or the market.#3 Employability
Multi-passionate creatives (aka creative generalists) can work in multiple fields thanks to their incredible hunger for knowledge and wide range of interests, translating into broader employment opportunities. The term "creative generalist" has even become a category on job sites now. Companies are looking for you at this very moment!#4 Leadership
Creative generalists make better leaders because they can see things from multiple angles. Because of their natural curiosity, they have an easier time stepping into someone else's shoes and understanding all stakeholders' needs involved in a project or team.#5 Building bridges
Creative generalists can work across disciplines and have a general understanding of the workings of different industries because they're interested in so many things. As a result, they're great bridge builders who bring together people and ideas who would probably never meet if it wasn't for them.#6 Problem solving
Multi-passionate creatives can draw from past experiences when solving problems or facing challenges in new circumstances. Because they have such an active, dot-connecting mind, they love challenges, which makes them my favorite type of natural problem solvers. They're more challenge seekers than problem solvers. To them, everything is possible, they need to figure out how to do it, and that's what drives them.#7 Diplomacy
Creative generalists may be more adept at navigating ambiguous situations than specialists because they're used to seeing things through many lenses. With a natural inclination to try and understand people, conditions, and contexts, creative generalists tend to find some truth in pretty much everything. It might not be the best position when you need to take a firm stance on something, but it sure makes you a hell of a diplomat at the dinner table or in the meeting room.#8 Adaptability to change
Creative generalists are more easily adaptable to change than specialists and have a bigger capacity for resilience. Because they're used to juggling multiple jobs or interests simultaneously, switching between things doesn't require as much effort to them as to someone who's only focused on one thing. That's not to say that all creative generalists bend like leaves in the wind, but we do tend to adapt quickly to new environments, ideas, and people.#9 Fast learners
Creative generalists might not go in-depth into one specific area, but that might just be the advantage they need to be better able to see the long game, which can help their career prospects in a world that changes rapidly. Research shows that creative generalists learn faster and remember things longer because they switch between interests and return to them more often, instead of focusing on one thing for too long.#10 A badge of honor
Creative generalism is not a dirty word anymore - in fact, it's seen as more of an asset than ever before. Be proud to wear it!
There are many other advantages to being a creative generalist, and in an increasingly specialist world, they outweigh any drawbacks that may exist more and more. If you have multiple interests or passions but feel like your options are limited - don't despair.
Every day there are more ways (and reasons) creative generalists can thrive in a specialist world. Whether you're generalizing for your professional life or personal hobbies, there is a world of opportunities waiting for you out there - so get creative!
Do you feel like your interests are all over the place?
You're not alone. Many people have a hard time figuring out how to make their many interests work together. It can be frustrating and confusing. I help creative generalists figure out what they want to do with their lives and then get them on the path towards making it happen.
If you're ready for a change but don't know where to start, I can help you find clarity so that you can move forward confidently and successfully toward your goals. Let me guide you through my unique 5-step process so that you can create the career or business of your dreams!
Choosing the Right Career for Multi-Passionate Creatives: Talent vs. Interest Testing
Are you a multi-passionate creative person? If so, talent tests might not be the best way to decide what career choices to make. You may want to try "interest testing" instead. Why? Because as multi-passionate creatives, or creative generalists, talent tests might tell you a lot about what you're good at (which tends to be a lot) but not so much about what you want to do. Overlooking our desires can leave us feeling confused and mismatched with our jobs.
Interest testing might be much better suited to help us decide what career we should pursue, especially if we want to get up in the morning looking forward to work that is fulfilling and matches our interests or passions. This article will explore how following your interests can be one of the most critical ingredients in helping multi-passionate creatives find or create their dream careers.
Talent testing vs. Interest testing
What is talent testing?
Talent testing is a process of understanding what talent you have and how it can translate into valuable skills in the workforce. The talent could be anything, such as a musical ear, a keen eye for structure, or drawing well. Whatever talent(s) people possess, there's usually an industry for it - so no matter if someone has a natural talent for singing or if they're more mechanically inclined, talent testing will tell them what they're (potentially) good at.
If you'd like to discover your talents, there are several great resources out there. There's also the option to in-depth talent testing with personality, cognitive and aptitude assessments such as a Talent Strengths, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or the Enneagram.
A talent test will help you figure out what your natural talents are. Here's a great article with a list of 11 personality tests similar to Myers-Briggs. These can give you insights into where your strengths lie regarding creativity, analytical thinking, and more.
What is interest testing?
Interest tests are a type of assessment that will show you what activities and tasks interest you the most, so in turn, this information can be an indication to lead people into careers that suit them. This type of testing allows people to explore the crossroads where their talents, interests, and outlook on life in general meet and find out what they enjoy the most, which can often lead to a career that suits them - certainly if they're multi-passionate creatives - more.
How to test for interests?
Interest tests can be found on a variety of websites and are typically simple to take. All you have to do is answer questions that will show you what types of activities or tasks interest you the most. There are many different types of interest tests to explore, such as the Strong Interest Inventory Tool.
But online tests only take you so far. Interests may change across time and context, so quiz results will not tell the whole story, maybe even just a tiny part of it! It's essential to recognize that creative generalists tend to have a fluid and ever-changing relationship with their interests (even when they circle back around to them regularly).
Luckily, there are many things you can do on your own that will help you figure out what your interests are. I've used these activities many times to clarify what I wanted to do, and I know they're helpful for many clients.
So here are a few things that can help you to discover your interests:
Don't wait for clarity to strike. To figure out your interests, you must at least pick something or choose a direction. This way, you'll be able to test things out.
Grow your self-knowledge. Learning more about yourself will help you to figure out what you like and what your interests are.
Don't get stuck on your choices. Allow yourself to change your mind when you realize the thing you thought you liked.
Don't plan every minute of your future. Instead, iterate by testing things out and learning from them.
Remember this powerful truth: it's not because you're good at something that you should do it. Talents should not decide what you spend your life doing; you should do that.
Focusing on your interests instead of your talents can be a great way to figure out what career or business to pursue, or at least give you a hint at the ingredients that the work you'll do every day needs to have.
Why interests should come first
Talent tests might not always work for people with multiple interests (or different talents, for that matter) who don't know which one to focus on. This type of assessment will often tell them they need to hone in on a specific talent instead of further exploring the complexity of who they are.
That's why I believe interest testing might be a better alternative for creative generalists because it gives you the freedom to explore your interests and find out what you enjoy the most without the pressure of having to monetize your natural abilities or the skills you've learned.
It's risky to commit a talent without knowing what you want to do with your life. We're not robots; we change as we evolve and grow. Making decisions about your entire life based on the talents you have today might not be your best bet once you realize how much your interests and preferences change over time. You might think you're the same person you were six months, a year, or three years ago, but I guarantee you that you're not.
If you've always been good at drawing, doing administrative work, or laying colors down in a particular order, chances are you won't lose the ability over time. You might even enjoy doing some of those things today (except for the admin stuff), but does it mean you should make it your job? Of course not!
Knowing what your talents are is powerful
Talent tests can be a great help to understand more of what you're good at, but they should not decide your career. Once you know what interests you, knowledge about your talents can be invaluable to do a good job. It allows you to perfect the skills you already have, learn vital skills, or find critical people to delegate specific tasks. Still, diving deep into your interests and preferences should always come first.
Interests should inform your career choices the most. Talents can always come later, once you know what you like.
If you start with what you're good at (which is plenty anyway, since you a multi-passionate creative with an entrepreneurial spirit!), you could end up miles away from your dream career and life.
You're a creative generalist, and you know it.
But the problem is that you have too many interests and don't know how to make them work together. That's where I come in. I help creative generalists figure out what they want to do with their lives by giving them personalized guidance, feedback, and accountability.
My clients love learning new things but don't know where to start or how to find time for it all. They might be feeling stuck in their careers or need some direction on what they should be doing next. If this sounds like you, we need to talk!
The Trust Issue That's Keeping You Stuck in Your Career or Business: Attachment Theory and Healing
We all know lack of trust is a huge hurdle in our relationships. But did you know it can have equally detrimental consequences for your career or business?
If you have trust issues, this article will help explain how attachment theory and lack of trust might be keeping your business or career stuck!
Are you able to trust the people you work with quickly? Do you believe a co-worker when she tells you she's got it? Do you trust her to do a good job, or are you micromanaging everything and everyone around you?
Your lack of trust in business might be because you're anxious and don't want to be hurt (again). What has probably been a great, life-saving defense mechanism at some point in your (early) life could be keeping you stuck in a career you don't like or unable to move forward with your business. It might even stop others from entering into business relationships with you.
On the surface, it doesn't seem like trust issues have anything to do with our careers or businesses, but when we dig a little deeper, it's easy to see how this can affect success and why it deserves attention and might even require healing.
Trust issues are often linked to anxious attachment, one of four types of attachment styles. People who have developed an anxious attachment often have a hard time feeling secure in relationships. They lack trust in almost everything, which usually leaves them feeling anxious, scared, or worried.
What is attachment theory?
Psychologist and psychoanalyst John Bowlby was the first to talk about attachment and formalize its theory in the 1950s and 1960s.
Bowlby theorized that attachment is an inbuilt survival instinct that ensures infants seek proximity to their mothers or primary caregivers. If they cannot do so, infants might fall into a state of "distress," determined by a lack of comfort and satisfaction when confronted with anything other than what they need.
Attachment theory, therefore, examines how the caregiver-child bond develops and its impact on significant development. In Bowlby's words: "Attachment is a deep and enduring emotional bond that connects one person to another person across time and space."
According to Bowlby, there are four attachment styles: secure, anxious-ambivalent, disorganized, and avoidant.
Secure Attachment Style
Securely attached children feel safe and comfortable with their primary caregivers. They explore the world around them but return to a secure base when needed. Securely attached people tend to have healthier relationships in adulthood because they feel more confident in their interactions with others and don't experience fear of abandonment.
In their career or as business owners, securely attached adults are more likely to rely on others for help and support because they have a more vital trust. They are also less anxious about their lack of control in work-related situations. Securely attached individuals will have an easier time sticking to a job or business idea, trusting co-workers or business partners and making decisions based on opportunity rather than fear. Especially compared to the avoidant and disorganized attachment types, who often have a more challenging time making decisions, and suffer lasting ambivalent feelings about the choices they eventually make.
Anxious-Ambivalent Attachment Style
Anxious-ambivalent children are more clingy, needy, and lack self-confidence. They get anxious when away from their caregivers and distrust them, leading them to explore their environment with fear rather than excitement.
They constantly seek approval from their caregivers and continuously observe their surroundings out of fear of being abandoned or in danger. This can translate into less ease and more perfectionistic tendencies at work in adulthood because they're constantly dwelling on what could go wrong. The strategic decisions they make can reflect their focus on fear, in which case the results might be missed business opportunities or promotions they want but don't take.
Avoidant Attachment
Avoidant children lack the attachment bond with their caregivers and show very little interest in exploring or trying new things. They seem uninterested, detached, and lack empathy for others. When they explore the world, it's usually to get away from adults rather than meet them; when faced with a challenge that requires help, they avoid seeking support.
They often struggle with expressing their feelings and find it hard to understand emotions - especially their own. As a result, avoidant adults tend to lack trust in people, reflected in their career or business as difficulty to delegate, trying to do it all themselves, failing to ask for support when needed, and often struggling to work with team members or business partners.
Disorganized Attachment Style
Disorganized attachment is a combination of avoidant and anxious attachment caused by various reasons, such as a lack of bonding with the caregivers or frequent changes in caregivers.
Children with a disorganized attachment style often display intense anger and rage, a difficulty to control their emotions that will affect their relationships later on in life. As adults, they avoid trusting others and have little to no self-confidence when facing challenges. This often leads to accepting less than what they are worth at work, doing other people's jobs, accepting without a fight not to be recognized for their accomplishments. In business, it leaves them prey to their customers and service providers and aiming for smaller goals than they could achieve.
Do you lack secure attachment?
Those with an anxious or ambivalent attachment style (well, hello there!) have had this lack of trust ingrained in us since our developmental years. A lack of secure attachments with caretakers during those times affects how your brain develops and responds to interpersonal relationships later in life. The problem is, we're often unaware of how this influences the way we interact with others as adults, let alone the impact it has on our business or at work.
If you're not sure of your attachment style, click here for an assessment that may help.
Lack of trust in your career or business can express itself in various ways, such as:
You're exhausted because you feel you need to do all the things, and the help you're getting is (according to your perfectionistic standards) never up to par.
You're micromanaging everyone's tasks (including your colleagues, business partners, and service providers) because you're not confident they can do the job.
You never ask for help or accept it because whenever someone offers, it makes you suspicious. You wonder what the ulterior motives are, so you say no, even when you need it most.
You're always waiting for the other shoe to drop because you're anxious things won't work out. Everything might look good now, but you don't believe it will stay that way.
You have a hard time making decisions, especially about a career change or new business venture. One day you're ecstatic about the idea; the next, not so much.
To heal your lack of trust, you need to work on healing your attachment wounds. I suggest starting with finding a therapist or coach who knows about attachment theory so they can help guide you through this process.
You may also want to read or research this critical topic to understand it better. Here are a few resources to get started with:
Attached: Are you Anxious, Avoidant or Secure? How the science of adult attachment can help you find - and keep - love by Dr. Amir Levine and Rachel S.F. Heller, M.A.
The Psych Up Podcast.
Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman.
The work of Diane Poole Heller, who devoted her life to helping people find secure attachment.
Is your attachment style keeping you stuck at work or in business?
Anxiously (and ambivalently) attached people are generally preoccupied with thoughts about relationships - whether personal or professional ones. They can be cautious to the point of being fearful and may withdraw from a relationship if they have an uneasy feeling that it's going downhill.
This, of course, is bad for business. A successful career or business requires networking and successfully reaching out and connecting with others.
If you lack trust in your business or work relationships, try the following:
Make sure you're not micromanaging everything and everyone around you. Be a supportive team player instead of always telling others what to do or how they should be doing it. You don't want them feeling like their work is never good enough because this might further complicate your collaboration.
Trust others by giving them more responsibility and let go of the reins a little bit. Your lack of trust will show if you don't delegate some tasks out, so try trusting someone with something small at first and see how they do before handing over more significant projects or responsibilities.
Have a candid conversation with your team, business partner, or service providers and tell them that your attachment style has held you back from trusting them. You don't need to give them the reasons why, but it helps to develop solutions together.
Keep working on developing a more secure attachment. You might never get where someone who naturally trusts others is, but you can get pretty close. It all starts with understanding your style and being willing to work at it.
As people who lack trust in others (or maybe lack it when it comes to the next business or career step to take!), we can't let it hold us back anymore. We have to start healing our lack of trust and release the painful memories from our past and change some thinking patterns. I know because I've been there. And the transformation I've gone through has been magnificent.
If lack of trust has been an issue for you, I hope this article helped you see there's a way out of it. It's going to take some time and work, but it is possible.
You can do this.
Do you have attachment wounds?
If so, I'm here to help. You need to work on healing your lack of trust before you can move forward in your career or with your business. The first step is to find someone who understands attachment therapy and getting the guidance you need. Let me know if I can be that person for you!
It's time to start feeling safe again in relationships and stop being afraid of getting hurt all the time. Let me show you how we can do this together! We'll work on healing what's keeping you stuck so you can reach the next level in your work!
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!
The Imposter Syndrome: Perhaps it's About Authenticity, not Accomplishments
Do you ever feel like a fraud? Not so much because you think someone will find out that you're not skilled or capable enough to do the job, but instead because you don't want to be there. Is your impostor complex the result of a lack of fire, inspiration, or passion for the job or career you have more than a reflection of your perceived lack of accomplishments?
If this sounds familiar, I've got news for you. Your imposter feelings might result from a sense of inauthenticity you experience when others reflect your life to you and have nothing to do with a lack of self-worth.
This type of impostor syndrome is something I see many multi-passionate creatives struggle with in my coaching practice. Because variety is essential to them, and not enough of it quickly causes them to feel bored or uninspired, many mainstream jobs or careers can leave them feeling a bit icky, as if something's missing. When someone comments on how extraordinary their career or job is, for instance, they can't help but feel like they're not truthful - like they are frauds.
The problem is a lack of meaning
This feeling like a fraud may result from feeling uninspired to show up in their day-to-day life. Perhaps you're familiar with it. While there are a million things that would be more interesting to do than your current job, when people look at you, a job well done it's the only thing they see. On the other hand, you feel it's a job half-assed at best because there's just no soul or love put into it. And this is precisely the problem.
Multi-passionate creatives, or creative generalists, as I like to call us, need more than money and variety to be happy. Above all else, we need a sense of purpose in our lives.
Any lustrous, high-paying job that doesn't feed our soul is a recipe for disaster. And I'm not even talking about the brain-numbing, useless, low-paying jobs that keep many of us stuck.
It's not always about accomplishments
Don't get me wrong, impostor syndrome is a real and potentially dangerous thing for your career and dreams. Especially as women, we have this tendency not to feel good enough and question our abilities. And in many cases, as I wrote about here, it's our accomplishments we question.
As multi-passionate creatives, however, we add another level of complexity to an already tricky mindset puzzle: authenticity, a fundamental value for many of us and one that is inextricably tied to our sense of purpose.
When you add authenticity into the mix, feeling like an impostor is not just about accomplishments as a reflection of what you're capable of but also - and more profoundly - accomplishments as a reflection of who you are.
A multi-passionate creative imposter syndrome can happen when you are in a place where you don't feel comfortable. Regardless of how many successes you have or how much experience, if it's not the right fit for your personality style and skill set, that impostor syndrome is going to rear its ugly head.
Authenticity is a necessity
So perhaps we have it wrong when we think it's about our accolades and all that we've accomplished. Maybe that's not always what we feel like impostors about; perhaps it's because we know we don't belong or that we won't be able to keep the façade up for long enough to make it.
It's liberating to know that our imposter feelings don't come from a place of low self-esteem or not being good enough. Because they're coming from the opposite: they're telling us what we need to feel satisfied and happy. If there isn't an element of satisfaction, it's because we're not living in alignment with who we are.
If you feel like you're not where you want to be in life, it might be a sign that it's time to realign your life with who you are.
To us humans, authenticity is a necessity, not a choice. Without the space to be who we are, live up to our full potential, and express ourselves in our unique way, this lack will eventually manifest itself and force us into (often unhealthy) coping strategies. It's bad enough when this happens sometimes, but imagine the damage this can do when having to experience this in a job or career daily...
Your feelings are normal
When forced to accept situations that aren't aligned with who we are, especially for more extended periods, we find ways to deal with them as best as we can. This adaptability is a natural defense mechanism from our bodies and brains. Throughout history, it's done a fantastic job at helping us cope with the many adversities of life. However, in the present, where toxic stress runs amok, and our bodies or minds don't get to escape it like they used to, it can make us sick.
For some, the coping strategy might be to disconnect from themselves and their wants. For others, this might look like depression or mental health issues. Still, for others, it might be distractions, addictions, an inability to focus, inability to get any decent work done, or feeling like an impostor.
Perhaps it's not about what you're lacking but about dreaming bigger for yourself. You deserve a job or career that feels right and inspires you every day - a life where you wake up happy to be alive. Anyone who tells you otherwise is not a great advisor, and certainly not someone who knows what (multi-passionate) creatives and entrepreneurial minds need to thrive.
Don't let your unique gifts keep you stuck. Don't be afraid to admit you dread boredom and need a job or career that inspires you.
Don't be afraid to live your one big, authentic life!
Are you suffering from impostor syndrome?
I'm here to help you get unstuck. You know that feeling of not moving forward in your career or job because it doesn't feel right? That's the problem I help my clients solve.
It's time to start living your life, doing what you love, and making money from it too! Let me show you how my private coaching sessions are tailored specifically for multi-passionate and creative entrepreneurs looking for guidance on starting or growing their businesses.