This is the challenge facing Lateral Action reader Jonathan Price, who left this comment in response to my invitation to tell me about your creative blocks:
Any idea what one can do about having multiple, diverse ambitions and the insatiable desire to do them all at once? I feel like I can do many things: draw comics, write novels, perhaps even build an indie game-but whenever I start one I get inspired to try something else because of something I see. I can write, draw and do all kinds of digital work fairly well so I struggle with picking a single medium and sticking with a project until completion.
Thanks for writing in Jonathan. Without meeting you and learning more about your situation, it’s impossible to recommend any one path, but here are some options for you to consider.
Could it Just Be a Matter of Time?
It’s not obvious from your website what stage of your career you’re at. If you’re nearer the beginning than the end, then it could just be that you are the stage of exploring, experimenting and discovering what works.
Personally I’ve pursued all kinds of weird and wonderful creative and career interests, and it took a while before they coalesced into a meaningful pattern (and a viable business). So if you are in the early stages of your career, give yourself permission to explore different pathways and stop and smell the roses along the way.
If you’re further along in your career, then the question may feel more urgent, in which case you’ll want to explore the following options sooner rather than later.
Are You a Creative Generalist?
Creative generalists are people who are most comfortable and most creative when they have lots of different projects and interests on the go at once. Rather than restrict themselves to a single specialism, they have their fingers in lots of creative pies.
Some people criticise them for being shallow dilettantes, while others vigourously defend the value of creative generalism. There’s even an entire Creative Generalist blog, hosted by Steve Hardy.
Here’s a question to help you decide whether you are a creative generalist or not:
Does having multiple creative interests make you feel more comfortable or uncomfortable?
A true creative generalist will feel restricted by the idea of narrowing down his options to a few specialisms – you won’t feel comfortable without having several things on the go at once.
But if you are a specialist at heart, you are likely to feel overwhelmed by having too many interests, and it feels a relief when you pick one thing and focus on that.
(More on creative generalism vs specialism.)
Or Maybe You’re a Whirling Dervish?
In Carroll Lloyd’s superb career guide for creative people Creating a Life Worth Living
A whirling dervish has several different creative careers, which complement and support each other, and which are pursued in rotation, over several weeks or months at a time.
I’m a bit of a whirling dervish. My interests include poetry; writing about creativity and business; one-to-one coaching; live training workshops; and e-learning. My work goes through phases, where each of these is centre stage for a while, then fades into the background.
I hate multitasking but I also get bored doing one thing all the time – the whirling dervish gives me the best of both worlds, since I get the stimulation of working in different fields, as well as the satisfaction of focusing on one thing at a time.
The whirling dervish has turned out to be a popular model for many of my students who cannot imagine focusing on less than three full careers at a time. What is important about the whirling dervish is that the three careers are interdependent on one another. They don’t pull you in three different directions, but spin you inward!
(Carol Lloyd, Creating a Life Worth Living
)
Another important aspect of the whirling dervish is that you don’t just hop from beginning to beginning – you stick with each project to completion.
Okay, we’ve looked at two different options for keeping your options open – now let’s consider some ways you could narrow them down.
What Is in Your Bones?
Twyla Tharp is a world famous choreographer. But she could have been a painter. In her book The Creative Habit
It’s like a great high school athlete who plays football, basketball, and baseball equally well. If this athlete wants to continue playing sport at the highest collegiate level, at some point he will have to commit to one sport over the others … in the end the choice should be based on pure instinct and self-knowledge. What sport does he feel in his muscles and bones? What sport was he born to play?
When I was a kid, I used to draw all the time, and like Tharp, I enjoyed it and was pretty good at it. But it was nothing compared to discovering poetry. I enjoy visiting art galleries and I appreciate good visual design. But when I read a real poem, it goes through me like electricity. It wasn’t even a choice: poetry chose me.
Stop thinking about your choices and notice how your body responds when you’re engaged in each activity – drawing comics, novel writing, game design. Which one do you feel in your bones?
What Can You Be the Best in the World at?
In case you’re tempted to ignore your real passion in favour of something more ‘sensible’, consider Seth Godin’s proposition that each of us should aim to be the best in the world at what we do:
The secret to being the best in the world is to make the ‘world’ smaller.
Alan Scott was the best community-focused artisan pizza oven builder in the world. A niche that didn’t exist before he got there, but one that spread, that engaged people, that created a tribe and that supported him…
It’s entirely possible that you will choose a niche that’s too small. It’s much more likely you’ll shoot for something too big and become overwhelmed. When in doubt, overwhelm a small niche.
My original training was in psychotherapy. I’m good at it, and still enjoy working with therapy clients. But I’m never going to be the next Freud or Jung.
I used to work as a conventional business consultant, delivering coaching and training to large corporate organisations. My partners and I had a great little company, and we did a superb job for our clients, who loved us. But eventually I looked around and saw several other great little companies like ours, and realised that from the outside, we probably all looked the same.
I’ve always been good at academic studies. A few years ago I got a distinction for my Masters, and my tutor asked me if I’d like to do a PhD. Part of me was tempted, but I realised I didn’t have the passion to make it as a top academic.
It was only when I combined my different interests – in creativity, communication, psychology and business – that I was able to carve out a niche for myself as a business coach for creative people.
The world has plenty of psychotherapists, consultants, academics and even poets. There aren’t so many poet-coach-entrepreneurs.
Take some time to reflect on these questions:
Which of your interests could you be the best in the world at?
Could it be a subset of one of your interests?
Could it be a combination of several of your interests, rather than just one?
What Would You Most Regret NOT Doing?
If you’re still struggling to identify your best way forward, here’s my ultimate deadlock breaker.
Fast forward in your imagination until you can picture yourself at retirement age. This is the end of your career, when you’ve done all you were going to do. The choices have been made, the options closed down.
Pick each of your creative ambitions in turn, and imagine that you DIDN’T pursue it – then notice how that feels.
So for example, in one scenario you imagine having abandoned comics in favour of novel writing or gaming. How does that feel? How much do you regret never having created all the comics you were capable of producing?
Do this for each of your interests, and notice which one gives you the biggest feeling of regret.
Now do it the other way around – imagining you DID achieve each ambition, and noticing how much satisfaction it brings you.
Once you’ve done that, your choices should be a lot clearer.
Over to the Readers
Have you ever felt torn between different creative ambitions?
How did you make your decision?
What advice can you offer Jonathan?
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« Previous 1 2 3 Next »Reminded me to Steve Pressfields way, if you can't decided which project to do, do the one that scares you the most. Missed seeing you at the lean startup streaming event last night Mark, thanks for this post.
Yeah, Steve always comes up with the answer you least want to hear. :-)
I've come to a (at least temporary) solution by considering all the strings to my bow individually, like you suggest, Mark. I realised that, though teaching dance excites me, I could happily just dance myself and not teach, so I've let that drop for now.
Painting and writing seem more integral to me. I have a novel swimming below the surface and I've just started combining poetry and visual art in preparation for my next exhibition. We'll see how well it's received.
My blog is pretty much about the process of working with all this. Oh yes, and trying to get people to give me money for it :o).
Ah yes. That's another story... ;-)
This is one awesome piece Mark, great job!
I can confidently say I am a whirling Dervish, certainly not a generalist -focusing one project per time is my game.
I found early that I was great with words, both written and spoken. This broke out into different talents such as; writing fiction, poetry, songs, cracking jokes and anchoring events [MC]. But then I had to focus on a higher purpose in the end. I could have been a comedian, musician or writer of fictions. All these didn't give me a sense of meaning, until I started reading non-fictions in the form of self help or personal development books.
Then I discovered a more purposeful use of my gift with words - public speaking, consulting, coaching, counseling, writing, training etc. Again, another problem arose, what main areas should I focus on that will resonate within me?
And that's how I came up with three major areas that really really interested me -People, Business and Life. I wanted to use my gift with words to contribute significantly in the development of people, businesses and lives.
Meaning, I will speak, write, train, consult, counsel and coach only in these 3 core areas. Their interdependence makes it very possible for me to be a Whirling Dervish as I can always fight boredom by switching between these 3 core areas of mine.
I don't also like to multitask, I really don't think excellence can be achieved multitasking. So, being a whirling dervish works well with me and have helped in building my passion for people, business and life.
Thanks for crafting this great post mate!
My pleasure Tito, sounds like the Whirling Dervish cap fits!
Thanks for the info about Mervyn Peake! I am one of those who had never heard of him but after looking up the site on him I am definitely planning to find his books and start reading them (I am a voracious reader!). Love the artwork I have seen so far of his. I am always fascinated by what other creative people do or have done and learn a lot in the process.
Peake is amazing. One of my enduring inspirations. Try Titus Groan - one of my favourite ever books, let alone novels.
Wonderful to stumble upon this - at almost 70, 30+ years full-time professional artist, my progressions were linear til 5 years ago, adding figurative sculpture to my oeuvre (abstract painting) just 4 years ago. I blogged about the dilemma just a few months ago http://www.contemporaryabstractpainter.blogspot.com/
and OMG, has it been that long since i blogged? - was concentrating on NL's instead, and NLed about it in Jan. (I do all the marketing for myself and sumi-e artist husband William Preston) - keeps me interested, inspired and (often) overwhelmed.
Thanks Marianne, great to hear it makes sense at your stage of the journey! :-)
"if you can’t decided which project to do, do the one that scares you the most." I like that. No sense in taking the easy way out...
That, along with the part in the article that starts with "What would you most regret NOT doing" are the parts I'm latching onto the most from this discussion. I don't see myself as a whirling dervish because I have trouble finishing! That's the biggest issue I have, not being willing (perfectly able, just afraid) to see something through to completion. Definitely a creative generalist. I can't give anything up...and after reading much of what was linked in the blog and suggested in the comments, I don't see why I should bother trying to specialize or "find my passion". I have to find a way to use it all, and stop dwelling on it so much.
I really am surprised at the strong response this has gotten and continues to get!
I'm not surprised at the strong response - you've hit on one of the core challenges facing multitalented creative people.
Have you read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield? If not, I think you would find it helpful. Also his new book Do the Work. (Watch this space if you want to hear more about it on Lateral Action...
Meanwhile you might like to listen to this interview I recorded with Steve.
I pondered for about 30 minutes before I could write this comment. I was trying your idea of “imagine not doing each of the things you’re doing for work and see which you’d regret” and I got stuck...because I realized that I wouldn't regret not doing a single thing I currently am doing (which is relatively scary since I started my own company and CHOSE each of the things I am doing). I am starting my 3rd year on my own, and have focused in on a smaller niche...and narrowed into the things that I like to do and am good at doing (and can make money doing)...but I still wouldn't regret giving any of them up. I could quit everything I do currently tomorrow without any regrets.
So, I am a tad stuck in pondering mode.
You might like to sign up for my free Creative Pathfinder course - the first lesson is designed to help you find out what your creative passion is. You can get it here.
Great post, but my audience might take issue with this:
"Fast forward in your imagination until you can picture yourself at retirement age. This is the end of your career, when you’ve done all you were going to do. The choices have been made, the options closed down."
Creative options don't automatically close down at age 65! You might not win an Oscar, claim the Booker Prize and make millions if you take up acting or writing in your 60s (though some have), you can still get decades of enjoyment from those activities and perhaps even supplement your retirement income. There's no "best used by" date on creativity!
The time to fast forward to is your last breath.
Thanks Elle, great points as usual.
And... I didn't mention age 65! I said "the end of your career, when you’ve done all you were going to do" - which could be 65, 95 or 45, depending on your inclination (and bank balance!). Maybe I should have made that clearer.
I did think about using the deathbed, but then I thought of people like T.S. Eliot who retired from creative work once they thought they'd done all they could do, and enjoyed a well-earned rest. :-)
Great post, I've always wondered whether I was cursed for being a 'creative generalist' -- passionate about many things, skilled at a number of things, 'genius' at nothing. I identify a lot with figures like Leonadro DaVinci, who painted, designed mechanisms and studied physics.
Of course... I'm no DaVinci ;) I aspire to be a designer, am ridiculously passionate about comics and working full time as a mechanical engineer, while maintaining a passing interest in a number of other things.
I wanted to share two notions. Recently, a comicker friend of mine confided in me that, while he has been working very hard for the past few years to build a career in comics, he was actually more passionate about animation. He was worried that all of his experience in comics (especially the network he had built) would be 'wasted' if he pursued his animation dream, and that he'd never be able to go back. I told him that NO experience is wasted. The site-building, networking, panelling/storytelling and convention-tabling skills he built in comics WOULD help him in the future... perhaps in mysterious ways that he would not expect. Then, if the animation thing didn't pan out, he could ALWAYS come back to comics later on, and the experience he'd gained in animation would still help him. NO EXPERIENCE IS WASTED!
Secondly, many in comics and writing find ways to explore multiple passions. Zach Weiner (Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal) is studying math and physics on his own while maintaining his wildly popular comic, and this has helped him come up with ideas and stay inspired. You can find the same story with a NUMBER of different comic artists/writers. There's always an interesting way to blend multiple inspirations.
Another great post, Mark. When I compiled a list of the biggest myths that stop job-hunters, career-changers, and business-builders in their tracks, the belief that "I want to do too many things" was near the top of the list!
I've been referring people to Barbara Sher's great "Refuse To Choose" book, and to some others about Renaissance souls, but this is a wonderfully succinct and elegant summary of the important points: you CAN (and should) do several things, if that's what you're called to.
I suspect I'll be directing quite a few people to this page...