Finding your way as a multipassionate creative
Friday Afternoon with Fairly Alarmed
Welcome to Friday Afternoon with Fairly Alarmed! This is my free weekly newsletter, which includes:
- A reflection on a topic around creativity, cycles, rest, and/or rethinking traditional ways of doing things.
- A moodboard and/or forecast for upcoming weekly vibes.
- Creative ideas, prompts, and/or content I’m digging and think you might too.
Enjoy!
This week’s reflection: Multipassion is a gift.
One of my favorite books, Essentialism, breaks down the power of focusing on what’s most important to you. “Priority” was never meant to have a plural option. Our brains work so much better if we are solely focused. “We can do anything we want, but we can’t do it all.”
However, I’m a multipassionate person. And it’s something I’ve questioned — do I need to pick a lane and niche down? But every time I’ve tried to do this in the past, it hasn’t worked. It’s taken me a long time to figure out that multipassion is an asset.
I’ve often felt like having a lot of interests and pursuits was inefficient, scattered, wrong. Our world pushes us toward expertise instead of curiosity. Focus is good, but focus doesn’t only mean depth — it can also mean breadth. Multipassion doesn’t mean that your interests are whims; it means that your interests are sprinkled through different mediums. But they still hold a common theme.
Being multipassionate doesn’t mean being a scattered mess. The full quote is “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” It’s a compliment, which is something we’ve lost track of. If you chase your interests, you can find your theme. It may feel like a complicated, knotted ball of yarn at first, but as you untangle your interests, you’ll find a common thread. You’ll find your connecting piece.
As a creative, it’s amazing to be passionate across mediums, modalities, and interests. And it’s fabulous to have a narrow and deep set of modalities and interests, too. No matter what, own it. Don’t let anyone tell you that your passions aren’t assets. Let your passions fill your heart and inspire you. And know that your creativity and passion is needed in this world.
Like I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’m working on getting my website up and running — and it’s almost there! I’ve added speaking about multipassion to my list of speaking and workshop topics — if you’re running an event where that might be a good fit, holler at me, friends. Vulnerability is good and fun :)
This week’s vibes: Finding joy in the wait.
Last week, we talked about the dog days of summer. And, well … we’re still here.
Where I’m located, it’s still hot as heck. Labor Day usually marks a reprieve in the weather, but that feels years away. Virgo season begins next week, which will help move some of this stagnant energy.
But all in all … it feels like we have to find some joy in the waiting game. Like any cycle, this will change. It will move and shift, and one day we will long for the heat. But of course, that’s not today. Change is coming — but we have to find comfort in being here, first.
Creative content to explore
This section contains content I’ve been loving. I split it up into inspiring, reflective, and restful content. Whether you’re in a reflective or action-taking mood, here’s some fun ways to make things happen this week.
Inspiring — content that might inspire you or give you ideas for what you want to create.
This might sound reductive, but — getting away from social media. I’ve been doing a lot of scrolling lately, and it almost always inhibits my creativity. I end up comparing myself to others, and not feeling confident in my creations. Getting away has been the best inspiration.
Reflective — thought provoking content that can help you plan, intention set, or set the course for what’s next.
Again, with keeping it simple — journaling. I’ve gotten away from the practice, but lately I’ve been doing a simple evening ritual of writing down my emotions from the day, highlights, and anything I want to change for the day ahead. It’s lovely.
Restful — content to keep it chill.
I’m continuing my The OC marathon, and I might have a piece to publish here soon on it. A classic that’s sticking with me thru the years.
That’s it for this Friday Afternoon with Fairly Alarmed! I’ll chat with you next week, when it’s finally Virgo season (!!) and we scoot closer to September. Here we come!