At the end of this video Marie Forleo invites us to comment with the people we know who are multi-passionates to join the list she shares complete with Leonardo Da Vinci, Maya Angelou & James Franko.
She also encourages us to share our journey.
And
So
I
Multi-passionate Peers
Interestingly they are all women. All from different generations.These women ALL inspire and in fact lead me. They look happy, they look creatively ‘realised’, they look courageous.
Tara Spice Creative
Lulastic and the Hippyshake
Dance with me in the Heart
My Journey
wild & grace media|events
I am a Emily.
I am a sharer connector.
I am passionate about sharing ideas with people to so become aware, and providing momentum to make change. I write. I make transformational events. I bring people together. I listen. I speak. i observe. I research. I share via a blog, writing, film, photography, festivals, workshops, symposiums, talks, hui.
This is what i want to continue to do, and how i want to earn a living.
My own creative outlets are singing (especially kirtan) and knitting (especially scarves and hats).
I love running, laughter and kundalini yoga.
I love food.
I love conversation.
I love creativity.
I love kindness.
I love nature.
I love change.
I’m wondering if ‘having a single pointed focus’ is a masculine concept, almost penial?
Considering Change
Whilst i do ‘suffer’ at times from lack in ‘self-compassion’ or ‘believing in my complete value’ i don’t feel i lack in courage, get-up-and-do ability, and clarity.
Nathan Mikaere Wallis is a father (including a foster and step father) a grandfather, an ex primary school teacher, and ex kindy teacher, a guidance counsellor, a man who worked with the tough kids, he worked at the Brainwave Trust, and now speaks, writes and tours sharing about parenting, education and most importantly ‘How children’s brains develop and function’ and therefore what we could and shouldn’t be doing to maximise a healthy brain, and healthy child and indeed teen.
Nathan is multi-passionate. But did he do all this at the same time? Or did he wander down the corridor, until it led him ‘organically’ to another door to another corridor he mustered the strength and focus to go down?
I do observe I have a sense of frustration, or a sense of overwhelm in trying to do a lot, and maybe not managing to do ‘it’ the ‘a lot’ well, so getting a diminished sense of satisfaction (or perfection) from it. At the same time i feel i’m so focused on doing, on projects, on being in integrity and following through with what i’ve said i’ll do that there’s little to no time to stop to smell the roses, or seek pleasure and relaxation. Perhaps this is greatest challenge. Learning to STOP. Learning to say no (to more activity), in order to say yes (to more un-planned-for time). Perhaps this is still a version of focus?
Is my modus-operandi within and without business one of open-ness and expansion rather than one of focus and more narrow?
I’d rather invite YOU or the neighbours around for a shared kai, or a crap dinner party where you have to help set up the table and peel the potatoes, than NOT invite you at all, and wait till my life is in more order and home environment (with 3 young kids) more conducive to socialising in calm, relax and style.
I’d rather cause a little more stress by chopping more onions, stirring more bolognese, soaking and scrubbing two pots, so i can deliver a meal to you when you’re struggling, than wait for when i’ve got my ducks in a row.
I watch myself seek challenge, and seek situations and people that encourage me to extend, to expand, to examine.
Perhaps too, different industries require of us to be multi-passionate in order to in fact be sustainable. Before being a mother, writer, event-maker, i worked as a teacher. Before being a teacher i worked as a theatre producer, and a theatre/screen actor. Many of my contemporaries diversified and ‘got another string to their bow’ in order to earn a living. Some became Drama Teachers, others Casting Directors, some Lawyers, others Musicians, some Photographers, others Make-up Artists, some Costume Designers others Gardeners.
I also wonder if we women expect to be multi-tasking, multi-passionate business women. For in our daily lives many of us mother, cook, clean, organise the home, gather people in for social occasions such as birthdays, christmases, neighbourhood BBQs, cook meals for people struggling, go to PTA and Playcentre meetings, visit Great-Grandma, beautify the home, put away the clothes which no longer fit person a, b or c, take the dog and children to the vet and doctors, dentists, osteos, body-talk consultants…+ work, + friend, + continue learning, + exercise…
All in all, i admire this significant other of the male variety, encouraging me to ‘get more focused’ because i believe he believes i will get more pleasure, i will fall more in love with (my) life, in this simplifying.
So in this wondering, I’m wondering if looking less widely will help me have more ‘flexi/me/relaxed/pleasure’ time?
So if i honour this ‘get more focused process’ how to choose?
Do i choose from the viewpoint of what daily living looks like in that ‘project’ that ‘mahi’ that ‘work’?
For example: When we camped for 3 weeks against the ocean in a DOC campsite up Far North Aotearoa, New Zealand, i felt very content, and most importantly connected and present.
– we lived with less (less toys, clothes, food options)
– we shared quality family time together
– we lived with NO technology bar my camera
– we even got chicken pox (well one of the babes)
Would i choose a career or project that supported that LIFESTYLE, or not choose a project if it meant we couldn’t have this lifestyle i.e. i wouldn’t choose a job that required i was in the city 5 days a week?
OR
Do i choose from what i want my legacy to be?
OR
Do i choose from what brings me joy, am a smiling or frowning more in my day-to-day doing that ‘work’?
OR
Do i choose from “if i knew i couldn’t fail what would i do?”
OR
Do i choose to disagree with him – even though he appears to be financially & creatively successful through his ability to be focused, and he walks fully into the corridor, faces the pleasure and the pain in that ‘dark narrow space’ of business and creativity.
Do i remain ‘wide/open’ and keep going forward with a blog, a festival, a symposium, a book, a documentary, a continuing stream of observations, reflections and offerings.
As one of the comments left on Marie Forleo’s page suggests:
Instead of getting focused do i get more help?
Herein lies the question…
Special thanks to Viv and Tash from Ace the Gram for sharing Marie Forleo’s affirming video with me.
I’m keen to hear the names and ‘links’ of other ‘entrepreneurs’ or multi-passionate business people YOU know or have heard of. I’ve just thought of some more…
Eryn Wilson: Actor, Casting Director, Film Director, Musician. Father.
Leo Mufasa Murray: DJ, owner of Why Waste, Waste Minimisation Guru, Tiny Home builder, Director of Kiwiburn, Producer of conscious events in the Bay of Plenty.
Wilhemeena Monro: Director of Soul Centre in Titirangi Auckland, Dancer, Producer of retreats around the world, Teacher of various movement disciplines e.g. Chi Kung, Shin Yoga, Body Love, dreams of bringing International Festivals to NZ and opening a rural retreat centre.
Kim Cleland: Director of Night Owl Cinema, Partner in Cult Cinema Club, runs Done by People, Producer at Tauranga Arts Festival, Director of Diner en Blanc Tauranga. Mother.
Sheldon Nesdale: Board of Trustees Rep at Matua School. Standing for council. Marketing Director of TEDX Tauranga. Owner of Marketing First. Designs and operates many websites such as Hot Pools NZ. Father.
Feel free to leave a comment here, or on the facebook page.
Written by a multi-passionate Emily with wild & grace
Photo credit: Andy Hall from Unsplash.
I’ve just thought of another multi-passionate business woman. Wilhemeena Monroe. She runs Soul Centre in Titirangi. She delivers workshops and retreats all over the world. She teaches multiple forms of movement including Chi Kung, Body Love and Shin Yoga. She is a dancer. She dreams of bringing festivals to Aotearoa also. I salute you dear Willa, lover of learning, movement and bringing people together to discover.
This is a thought proving piece of writing Emily, that certainly proves that you have one less decision to make: writing is how you share, inspire, find your truth and help others find theirs. Thank you for this. As we have discussed personally… the Way to Make Money from doing what makes you Sing is sometimes really tricky. We can but experiment if we are on the path of being true to who we are… what’s that famous diagram… finding the magic spot in the middle of that which the world needs, that which you are good at, that which makes you money and that which makes you happy.