MultiTalented Life

multitalented terms

I’m a MultiTalented person. And while that may sound like bragging, it’s just a word to describe someone who has multiple interests and maintains multiple projects.

I’ve always had a zillion things on the go, from the time I was a teenager. I think that’s probably because of circumstance—as an immigrant, I had to work long hours while attending high school full time, in order to help run the household.

I’m a very extroverted person, and social interactions are a must, so I still participated in extra-curriculars, too. So at 16, I was working 30+ hours a week, attending high school full time, and participating in various after school clubs on the two weekdays I had off.

While some kids would find that stressful or a drag, I thrived in that kind of fast-paced, bursting-at-the-seams schedule (for more reasons than one). And I still do.

When people look at the amount of projects I have on the go, they either think I’m crazy, or some sort of superwoman. I’m neither. I’m just someone who has multiple interests, isn’t afraid of trying new things, and loves to learn continuously: a MultiTalented person.

Until a few years ago, I didn’t know people like me had a name. I’ve never been a big fan of labels anyway, so I don’t need a name to define who I am as a person. But this is different. The names people like us have been given (or chosen) opens up opportunities instead of singling us out. Just listen to some of these names:

Scanner (meaning we love to scan things to learn as much as we can about as much as we can), multipotentialites (meaning we have the potential to become whatever we wish to become), multitalented (my personal favourite), renaissance soul…

All of these names show the world that we have huge potential if we just live life he way we know how to live it best: by experiencing many different careers, travels, and more, without choosing one path for the rest of our lives. If we choose to celebrate our multitalented nature.

For renaissance souls, the sky's the limit! multitalented people on www.marianamcdougall.com

In talking with one of my editors about the many different projects I take on, she suggested I might be a scanner and that I’d probably like the book “Refuse to Choose,” by Barbara Sher. I read that book, and it changed my life.

There’s a tonne of people out there who don’t want to/can’t/won’t settle for one career, one hobby, one path for the rest of their lives, and I’m one of those people. I live that philosophy in my writing career, where I completely ignore the advice to “niche down,” and do just fine, earning a good income working in various niches and writing in multiple formats. I even teach other writers to do the same, and don’t stick to just writing—I do editing and coaching, too.

If you’re like me, and you love to learn about many different topics, this is the section of the blog for you. Here I write about what it’s like to have various interests, offer suggestions on free courses you can take, and more.

multitalented, multipotentialite, scanner, renaissance soul www.marianamcdougall.com

Posts about the MultiTalented Life

Being MultiTalented During the Pandemic

Mariana

Before I deactivated my Facebook account and decided to give social media a rest for a while, I kept seeing posts about all the things you could do during quarantine. And I was really puzzled: do these people have kids?

My life became busier, not more open, since quarantine. Our kids can no longer do their activities in the evenings, and they’re still young enough that they need me a lot of the time. So no, I did not have time to clean my whole house from top to bottom, or sign up for a new course, or do all the wonderful things (hopefully) well-intentioned souls on social media tell you to do. As a matter of fact, I’m catching up on my blogs because my husband and I agreed that when he took a vacation week, I’d work during the day. When he’s working, I barely have time to catch my breath. But I have been learning to set more time aside for myself, guilt-free. And it feels good.

Being MultiTalented During the Pandemic, www.marianamcdougall.com. Background photo of bi-color shoes by

I’m still a multi-passionate person. I’m still and will always be perpetually curious and genuinely interested in just about anything. I still remember a time when I asked someone about the research about their PhD, and they wouldn’t tell me, citing that no one is interested in what they study. That was a frustrating conversation. And being a multi-passionate person during the pandemic, especially a person that has to be stuck at home while other people resume their lives, is also frustrating. It’s frustrating because there’s never been a better time to learn something new. All kinds of places are making their content free, there’s a plethora of new places to learn online, and society is finally encouraging people who have long ago graduated to study again. But… I just don’t have the time to take all the courses I’m interested in. Pandemic or not, that’s always the case. I have so many interests I can never quite satisfy all of them. So I must pick and choose.

Here’s how I’ve been able to feed some of my interests during the pandemic, despite being more encumbered than ever:

I talked about Habitica in a previous post. Habitica is making me do stuff. It’s a little voice in the back of my head that says, it’s OK to take 15 minutes to study French. Your kids can entertain themselves for that long. It’s that little voice int he back of my head saying, it’s OK to take 25 minutes to read a book. Your kids can do the same. And the best part? I got the kids to buy in to Habitica, so they want to get their extra things done as well. Which means a little extra time for me to do the things I’d like to do. And I’m doing them with a lot less guilt these days. 

If you’re multitalented, actually have time, and are bored, stay tuned.

I have previously compiled lists to learn just about anything online, and I’ll be sharing them in a post soon. For now, check out the list I’ve already shared for free homeschooling resources, and don’t forget to visit your local library’s website. Despite most libraries still being closed to the public, the majority offer a plethora of online services for anyone with a library card.

Niche for Success? Nah.

Mariana

Since I was 15, I’ve always had all kinds of stuff on the go—all at the same time. I worked full time hours while going to high school full time (and still managed to participate in two extra-curriculars per year, while writing poetry, too).

I worked two jobs all through my university years, had a blast swing dancing with friends every week, and still managed to graduate on the Dean’s Honours List with a dual degree. After university, I worked three jobs while continuing my swing dancing outings and still managing to hang out with my husband. Then I had kids.

Continue reading “Niche for Success? Nah.” →