By nature, I am a seeker. I am always looking for insights into myself or the world around me. The interdisciplinary industry of design provides ample space for me to explore and create. That said, there is often pressure to “niche-down,” but I am resistant to committing to just one specialty instead remaining a design generalist. Recently, I finished reading a book that talked in depth about the careers of people with much the same outlook. Here are a few thoughts I had about it:
How to be everything
How to Be Everything by Emilie Wapnick talks about being a multipotentialite and potential ways to navigate a career when you have many different interests.
What the heck is a multipotentialite?
Multipotentialite: someone with many interests and creative pursuits [AKA polymath, renaissance person, Jack/Jill of all trades, generalist, scanner, etc.]
While specialists excel in a single domain, multipotentialites blend domains together and work in the intersections. This allows us to achieve a deep level of knowledge on the relationship between domains—our own form of expertise.
Emilie Wapnick, How To Be Everything
Honestly, I feel validated by this book. I have often wondered if there was something wrong with me because I never feel like I know “what I want to be when I grow up,” even though I have technically been a grown-up for quite some time. There is always pressure to choose just one thing and specialize, but once I “figure it out” I get bored and want to move on. Knowing this about myself is something that holds me back sometimes from pursuing interests in a very real way because I am sure it will just fade away.
In fact, recently I was having a conversation in which I wondered aloud if maybe I had undiagnosed ADD. To which my companion replied that they were sure that was not the case, but they supposed that because I tend to concentrate so hard on things for extended periods of time, that when I permit my brain to wander it does that with enthusiasm. I found this rather insightful, but possibly annoying to people who spend a large amount of time with me.
Design Generalist: Almost a group hug
Lucky for me, Design is an interdisciplinary field that often encompasses art, engineering, sociology, psychology, music, video, business, marketing, user experience, communication, and subject related to each specific project. (Some of these are also interdisciplinary fields in themselves – unending potential for exploring!)
Moving forward I’m choosing to lean into my eccentricities and allow myself to be authentic. No more hiding behind the mask of ultra professionalism. No more calculating whether or not to mention that I’m exploring x,y, or z. No more guilt (I hope) for not being able to specialize in just one thing. Beyond embracing the category “design generalist” I intend to let my freak flag fly as a “chaser of curiosities” or some such (title TBD, or fluctuating if needs must).
In an effort to help multipotentialites to get a grasp on all their potential, sections in the book encourage readers to make lists of the interests they have or had in the past. My list so far:
As you can see, there is a lot of variation. However, there is also a through line. I need to be actively learning or challenged at solving a problem (figuring it out) and doing something creative (or having creative insights) to be engaged. Bonus points if I can also be helping or delighting other people in some way.
This idea is somewhat akin to / an unrefined version of the principles talked about by Simon Sinek in Start With Why. I enjoyed this book too, but after reading it felt an immense pressure to find my why, my purpose. Equating this purpose with something that would pigeonhole me into a more narrow, altruistic crevice, I felt too trapped by anything I came up with. But the examples that were provided in How to be Everything made me feel like I could have a more loosely defined why, or even several whys and that is just as good. The point is, sometimes you‘ gotta‘ve got to give yourself a break. I know, it’s tough. I’m right there with you. I overthink everything and am way too hard on myself.
This newfound sense of freedom to pursue what I want as I want has inspired this blog. I’ve thought about writing blogs in the past but felt obligated to choose a specialty topic and stick to it. This of course had me planning out content with zeal, then left too bored with it actually to write anything. Until I realized, I can blog about anything I want. Mind-blowing, I know. So, here we are, blog post number one. I’ll stick with it as long as I’m interested, and hopefully you will too. Subscribe if you’d like and come along for the ride!
Leave a comment!
What’s your why?
Are you a multipotentialite too?
What are you currently working on?
*I am not an affiliate and receive no compensation for any recommendations made in this post.
