This evening I decided to lay on the couch and watch a few Ted Talks. I enjoy hearing about people's ideas, their research, experiences, etc. When I came across a title that attracted my attention I decided to take a listen. For the next 12 minutes I listened to Emilie Wapnick talk about Multipotentialites. It was like she was telling me all about a part of myself that I didn't know existed. Take a listen here.
In her talk Emilie Wapnick talks about people who don't have one true calling, who are interested in all types of topics, who dive passionately into one topic only to get bored after a while or find something else they are interested in and move on. If this "multipotentialite" doesn't describe me, I don't know what does.
As a child I did gymnastics, then dance, a year of basketball, a year of soccer, a few weeks of karate, I learned how to skateboard, I golfed, and more. I never became a true master at any of these as I eventually gave up and moved onto the next thing. The only thing that really stuck with me for years was dance. And now I am finding this pattern true in my adult life.
When it was time to apply for college I wanted to be a teacher and all of my electives in high school proved that. I took early childhood development, preschool development, psychology, and I got an internship with a 3rd and 4th grade class. Then I got bored with it and started obsessing over the music industry. My next internship was at a radio station and I wanted to be a tour manager. I wanted to live out of a suitcase, sleep in a tiny bunk on a tour bus and travel from city to city. I started college as a business administration major with the intent on transferring to Belmont University for music business. Well that never happened, I got my Associates degree in Business Administration and then transferred to a different school where I ended up becoming an art major (with minimal art experience may I add). I concentrated on graphic design, and eventually graduated with my B.A. in Art with a concentration in Graphic Design.
Flash forward a few years and I decided to get my certification as a birth and postpartum doula. I trained to love, support, educate and empower women through childbirth and the first few weeks home with baby. As Emilie explains, all of these passions that have eventually fizzled out or that I have put on the back burner do not disable me in my future career goals as a doula. In fact, I have found them more helpful. I used my small, but important business knowledge to start a business. I created my own logo, website and branding materials with my art and design knowledge. I not only am able to brand my business, saving hundreds of dollars from not having to hire a graphic designer, but I am able to understand and see first hand how interests, passions and hobbies are all able to interconnect and work together.
So I may not be a specialist in anything (at least not yet). I may have a wide range of passions and interests that I want to devote time and energy too. But for the first time in my life I was told that, that isn't a bad thing. I am sure I will find another topic of interest to become passionate about, I am sure it won't have anything to do with design, or baby's. But it won't be a bad thing. I am a multipotentialite. And I am darn proud of it.
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