I started out as a graphic designer. Eventually I evolved into web design. This wasn’t out of curiosity or desire but necessity. I was a consultant who needed a website to get work. Then I was a producer who needed an online presence to promote shows. Now I’m a multi-passionate creative entrepreneur who builds brand experiences for anyone who wants to enter my digital world.
There’s this idea that we’re supposed to follow one trajectory. We use phrases like “stay in your lane” as a way to make sure others conform to a neat and tidy little box. Many coaches and consultants will tell you to focus on one thing, be known for that and then if you haven’t killed your passion you can transition into something else. But make sure you transition into something similar so that your pivot “makes sense.”
All of these “rules for success” don’t work well for people who don’t like to draw inside the lines. I spent over 10 years trying to live up to this illusion of who I was supposed to be. I mean, being an entrepreneur in itself is already something that’s not the norm so going too avant-garde is not “practical.”
I’ve finally OWNED up to being a multi-passionate creativepreneur and I’m guessing many of you are just like me.
Ultimately we have to do what works the best for us, given our individual strengths. I’m a unapologetic passion hopper and my business now reflects all the different things I love to do. This is not about being indecisive. This is about embracing my authentic self and I’ve learned that I am a creativepreneur. I’ve gone from design to producing to coaching back to design and now I’ve launched an oracle card deck. Pretty soon I’ll have my own bracelet collection and I’ll still be passion-hopping going from strategy to producing to coaching.
It’s a bit erratic but no different from being an actress to writer to director back to actress to waitress to real estate agent and back to writer. We all have our own ebbs and flows which allow us to operate at a rhythm that maximizes our unique potential. I couldn’t do what you do just like you couldn’t do what I do. That’s the whole point.
In being a multi-passionate creativepreneur I’ve learned a few key lessons which I would loved to have known in my earlier years. Then again I probably wouldn’t have taken in those insights for myself.
1) NEVER apologize for what you love.
I struggled for many years with finding my authentic self. I was that cliché type A personality who could quote leaders and their affirmations of success. I was “crushing it” and “leaning in” long before they were popular catch phrases.
But I was just representing a version of myself that based on an illusion. Owning your passions and allowing yourself permission to love them is that key shift for embracing your authentic self.
2) Find your rhythm.
I have OCD tendencies which I’ve leveraged into being “detail-oriented.” I have anxiety which I address with my writing. I am a true blue night owl so I created a work schedule that lets me create at the wee hours of the night.
We all have our “things” that make us who we are. Rather than try to “fix” these quirks, learn how to integrate them into your life so that you can tap into a rhythm that works best for you.
3) Cultivate your tribe.
If you’re a unicorn, find other unicorns. As humans we tend to be pack animals so finding your crew of like-minded peeps doesn’t just make the journey more enjoyable, but it gives you a sense of community.
When you’re pursuing your passion and doing something that hasn’t been done before – you’ll want to surround yourself with people who will lift you up. If I had a nickel for every time I heard “why don’t you just get a regular career” I’d have enough to self fund any and all projects I’d ever want to do…like FOREVER!
4) Remember the source.
When getting feedback on your project, remember the source. When getting “constructive criticism” from family & friends who have an opinion about what you’re doing, remember the source.
It’s great to have objective insight into what we’re doing. However, nothing will destroy a creativity star like the sounds of passive aggressive resentment.
In the entertainment industry, we’re all, on some level, multi-passionate creativepreneurs.
We create stories and we create experiences that tell those stories.
The keyword here is “CREATE” and when you’re a creative spirit the output of those creations become irrelevant as long as you’re making something for the world to embrace.