A WHOLE new blog! *glee*

Changes are afoot! Many, many, many changes. You may have noticed, for instance, that my website is looking very different all of a sudden.

Basically, I’ve been looking at all the things I do and decided I’m going to embrace my Jack of All Trades creativity. 

Little know fact – the original saying was longer and had multiple versions including: 

Jack of all trades, master of none,
Often times better than a master of one
Or
Jack of all trades, master of none,
Better than Jack of one trade, master of none

I’ve called myself a Creative Polymath for some time now but still, I am regularly told, directly or indirectly, to ‘specialise’. 

So let me describe how the idea of ‘specialising’ feels for me (this may be familiar for some of you) – when I am told to ‘specialise’ I feel restricted. I feel like I have to ignore or deny huge chunks of my imagination and energy. I feel tiny, in a little box, with limited options on where to go. 

I don’t actually think I spread myself too thin by drawing, painting, making masks, designing, writing and putting out a podcast. Each of these things feed the others and ultimately, I couldn’t stop trying new things if I wanted to.

I’m curious.

I’m enthused by the learning process.

I enjoy discovery and my ability to teach myself new skills.

The problem I’ve faced, though, in listening to these voices telling me to ‘specialise’ (some being from my own neurotic mind, of course) is that I’ve compartmentalised my projects. I’ve put things out in separate channels in an attempt to look like a specialist in any one area. 

But I’ve had an incredible dawning realisation. 

I AM a specialist.

I’m not actually a Jack of all trades at all, really. I’m a master at creativity. I write to explore and understand the world around me, to share ideas and contemplations. I draw and paint Dharma inspired artwork to deepen my understanding and share valuable wisdom. I make masks and paint shoes to flex my creative muscles, to let my creativity flow, without thought, from a place of physical relationship with the tools in my hands alone. 

The Everything is Workable podcast has become an incredible tool for me in so many ways. I write scripts for it, so it involves flexing my writing muscles as well as really refining my language and understanding of specific teachings. The work I’ve done exploring these teachings through my art feeds the content of the podcast and thus, my talent feels brought together in this particular project. 

Ultimately, trying to stop my creative enthusiasm would be like attempting to live without breathing. I just can’t do it. And I’ve taken the decision to stop listening to the voices inside my head (and out) telling me to ‘pick one thing’. 

Because actually, I have picked one thing. It’s just, one thing can actually be a collection of related things. Embracing this is my latest daily practice.

I hope you’ll join me on the adventure.