Emilie Wapnick: Why some of us don’t have one true calling
Are you a “multipotentialite”?
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”, once a classic question, has become an old joke But it’s not just the idea of growing up that makes us giggle, but the idea that there must be only one mission, one calling, one goal. Within the Lister community, that is particularly true, whether by calling or by choice: classical vocal pros tend to hold multiple jobs, play many roles, and keep a stack of hats by the door, whether les chapeaux are all musical or not.
If that classic question makes you nervous, or if your dreams work in full color and many dimensions, then you may fit into this category of those who defy a single description. Multi-hyphenate Emilie Wapnick tackles this phenomenon in a funny and heartfelt talk about the people whose aspirations go beyond their Halloween costumes. Take a listen, and rethink how you can be all you can be.
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Dive in:
One Person/Multiple Careers: The Original Guide to the Slash Career (Volume 1) by Marci Alboher
From lawyer/chefs to surgeon/playwrights and mom/CEOs, today’s most fulfilling lives are the ones filled with slashes. One Person/Multiple Careers is essential reading for anyone who is loathe to answer “What do you do?” with a singular definition. Marci interviewed hundreds of people pursuing multiple careers simultaneously — from a longshoreman/documentary filmmaker to a management consultant/cartoonist — and discovered how slash careers integrate and fully express the multiple passions, talents, and interests that a single career often cannot accommodate. The book is a blueprint for building a life filled with slashes and custom-blending a career.
Developing Multiple Talents: The personal side of creative expression by Douglas Eby
This is a brief overview of some of the key aspects of our personality and inner life that can affect how well we access and express creative talents, especially as teens and adults with multipotentiality. Included are references to creativity research, perspectives of psychologists, creativity coaches and personal development leaders, as well as comments by a wide range of actors, directors, writers and other creative people. A free PDF version of the book is available to purchasers of the paperback.
