Dabbling in Everything

I identify as a multipotentialite, which means I have a lot of interests and creative pursuits. I love teaching, designing, making videos, doing podcasts, writing blog posts and newsletters, building websites, comedy, and a dozen other things.

It’s not only that I like a lot of things, but it’s hard for me to stick with one thing for too long, as my brain craves a variety of different activities and new challenges. Once I get comfortable in one domain or with one project, my brain wants to pick up something new.

Jumping between hobbies and interests over my thirty-five years has left me with knowledge about many different things but expertise in very few things. It’s fun at times and frustrating at others.

Multipotentialites are good at big-picture thinking and generating ideas. Innovation often comes from combining two things in a brand-new way. Having many different interests makes novel combinations of ideas more likely.

The best thing anyone can do is figure out who they are and lean into that. The time I’ve spent lamenting my nature is time wasted. Instead, efforts put into being ‘more normal’ could have been put towards understanding and utilizing my strengths.

Now that I understand how my brain operates, I know when it needs a bit of variety. I work that variety into current projects rather than jumping to something new. If a project gets boring, I ask, “How can I include one of my other interests? Can I add my personal flavor and have fun with this?”

Understanding myself has helped me focus and say ‘no’ when considering a new hobby or creative endeavor. I can catch myself early rather than several months into the new pursuit. I ask myself whether it’s truly something I want to spend my time on or just another set of chores and upkeep that will eventually overwhelm me.