Enjoying the weight of too much

(or: My Attempt to Write a Post Under 1000 words)

I will try to be short because I am short on time. I’m sure you are too.

July 4th "Stream Construction Kit"There have been many jobs in my life where there are not enough minutes in the hours to complete what I need get done but rarely have I felt that when not working for someone else. I find myself now in that blissful state.

Yes, it is frustrating and overwhelming and fatiguing. It is also invigorating, motivating and satisfying.

I have entirely too much to do

How much better than the alternative is that? Instead of sitting around, listless and dull, we can have 20 projects to work passionately on. Ok, doing taxes maybe not so much on the gets-my-fires-stoked scale but they all can’t all be soul a’light experiences.

The project due date, the 46 open browser tabs, the writing deadline, the huddle, stack of books, chat, email, artistic project, self imposed deadline in an hour — make that 54 minutes– all of them vying for attention in the crowded stage of our minds.

The cacophony is grand.

Too many is better than not enough.

[Read more…]

How I embraced my Multipotentialite self

See something or say something: London

I have been struggling to write my “about me” statement over the last several weeks and months.

It’s been a hilariously frustrating process. I know most people don’t like writing about themselves, I don’t generally either and I’m additionally flummoxed by the attempt to inclusive, cohesive and still brief (unlike this sentence… you see my problem).

I discovered Emilie, puttylike, and the idea of “multipotential” awhile ago. I initially thought “huh, interesting, but not really me.” I only had one career after all… until I took the leave of absence… and that other one… oh. As I heard and tuned in more I realized “right, that just might be me.”

One of the things that I always loved about freelance editing was that I dropped in on an industry, life, mini-world for a little while and then moved on to the next thing. I would be cutting mexican wrestling one week, corporate biz speak the next, a cooking demo the next month, promos on movies and video games after that and then work on a show about entrepreneurial college students, kids competitions and drug addition all within the same 6 months. True story.

So, um, maybe I’m a multipotentialite?

Lots and Lots Of Tatty BooksConstantly scanning the world at large for the interesting? Check.

Falling in love with an idea/sport/hobby/activity and being jazzed about it. working to a point of non-ineptitude and then dropping it for the next thing? Check

Enjoy talking to wildly different people with different experiences? Check

Problem solver extrodinaire who gets bored quickly after the solution is found? Check.

Respect for experts and aficionados because you don’t have the stick-to-itiveness to be one yourself? Check.

Love learning a little about a little? Check.

Heart-pounding fear of commitment to a job — or really anything — for a year or more? Oh hecka-Check.

Sound familiar? You too might be a scanner! But wait, there’s more…

And then… and then… and then… [Read more…]