Sometimes being a multipod can feel lonely. In our everyday lives most of us are surrounded by specialists, and it can seem like we are moving through life on our own.
But, as I was thinking this squirrel-like thought recently, my cat walked across my desk and suddenly I knew I was not alone, because cats are very like multipotentialites. Since cats are said to have 9 lives, I thought I’d give you 9 similarities between them and us.
1. Oh look, a squirrel!
Have you ever watched a cat sit at a window, watching birds and making chirping noises? And have you seen an outdoor cat eat a meal of high-end wet cat food and then run outside, climb up the bluebird house pole and pull a baby bluebird out as a chaser? Have you ever watched a cat chasing squirrels? Sometimes they even catch them.
All of these activities show that cats chase their dreams. They see something they want and chase after it (even if it is a little red dot).
This is what happy multipods do – we chase our dreams. Sometimes our ideas seem to be as random as squirrels crossing our paths, but however they find us (or however we find them), we allow ourselves to follow them and whichever paths they lead us down.
Like cats, we sometimes get into trouble with others for our chasing habits. Sometimes we even get bitten. A squirrel once nipped Nico. My husband said to me, “Is her backside supposed to look like this?” After I told him that, no, it wasn’t, he took her to the vet, and I got the funniest text I’ve ever received: “Nico bit on @$$. Vet said, ‘Ewwwwww!’”
Sometimes we feel like poor Nico; we chase a dream but it bites us in the @$$. Yet, like Nico, we can’t help ourselves. We lick our wounds, pick ourselves up, and continue to chase. And joy! Sometimes we catch something big and juicy.
2. We are easily distracted
Cats can go from napping to bathing to chasing a red dot in a matter of minutes. They are easily distracted. I don’t know what your version of the little red dot is, but for me it can be a new piece of software to test, a new camera to play with, a new piece of music to learn, a new book to read… You get the idea!
What distracts you? How do you cope with shiny object syndrome? Puttylike is an excellent place to find ideas on balancing the exploration of new ideas with living in the “real world.”
3. We have strong feelings about boxes
Some of the most-viewed videos on YouTube are those of cats squeezing themselves into boxes. Some of my favorites are of an extremely persistent cat called Maru. This cat will try to squeeze himself into anything that resembles a box. Maru manages it most of the time, even if the box is extremely small.
How does this relate to us as multipods? I don’t know about you but I absolutely dread filling out standard application and informational forms. The box I need is never there. I always want to add more information than there is room for. I’ve had secretaries tell me, “Hey, you can’t do that. You can’t add your own text. You have to fill in a box – only ONE box. Hey, you can’t make your OWN box!” Frustrating!
Unlike cats, I try to avoid boxes most of the time. When it comes to “thinking outside the box,” my response is usually, “There was a box? What box? I didn’t see a box…” Sound familiar?
In short, both cats and multipods find boxes challenging, but I think cats enjoy these challenges more than we do!
4. We love books
Have you ever noticed how cats love to stretch out and rest on any open book they see? Mine particularly love the book I’m trying to read at the time. My little cat, Miss C, loves books so much that she wants to eat them up. I’ve caught her chewing the corners of my hardbacks on many occasions. So I’ve come to the conclusion that cats love books.
I love books, too. When I travel, I bring books. On my artist’s retreat this past summer, I traveled with a personal library (or so people joked). Even with electronic books, I still love the feel of holding a book and turning the pages. I use my tablet and phone to read as well, but I love my personal library and feel fortunate to have it. I started collecting books as a child, and now when I move, books are the bulk of my belongings.
Do you have a personal library? Who else loves LibraryThing? Even if you are not a personal library person, do you love books? The multipods I have met often have a more minimalist attitude toward the personal library situation, but almost always seem to love books as much as cats do.
5. Catnaps are (or should be) a way of life
Since cats inspired the naming of these short, restorative naps, I like to think of them as the masters of the nap. They know how to nap almost anywhere and at any time. Again, YouTube has many popular videos of cats napping in all sorts of places.
When I was a kid, my mother told me, “Learn to sleep anywhere. It will serve you well later. Being able to tune out the world around you is a skill you’ll find useful for the rest of your life.”
She was right. I have been known to fall asleep at fencing matches with the buzzers going off all around me, on noisy trains, and on planes with screaming babies. When you have as much going on as we do, you have to sneak in sleep whenever you can.
6. “Like herding cats”
Cats are not pack animals. The funniest commercial I’ve ever seen was the EDS Superbowl cat herding video. Seeing that enormous herd of cats running, crossing a river, and being herded by cowboys rolling balls of yarn, using a lint roller, and showing off their scratches, really brought this phrase to life for me.
One of my interests is cat photography, and I know from firsthand experience how difficult it is to herd cats. For regular jobs, I hire an assistant, but for the cat jobs, I hire a wrangler!
What about herding multipods? I had to attempt this when I ran a concert series. Many of our artists were impressive multipotentialites of the highest order and I felt I needed a wrangler then, too. Luckily I had wonderful student assistants, and they learned how to help “herd” faculty artists. It was an interesting process.
I believe we have our own interests and our own ways of doing things, so we are not easily herded. We do not have a pack or herd mentality. We operate as individuals, which brings me to number 7.
7. Independent thinking is the only option
Cats know they are independent thinkers and they are fine with that. In fact, I think they embrace it. Want a cat to do something? Good luck, unless the cat wants to do that exact same thing.
I think multipotentialites spend a lot of time and energy worrying about being different. In this sense, we would do well to become copy cats (sorry, I couldn’t help it!) and to embrace our independent spirits.
8. We are very particular when it comes to people
Have you ever noticed how cats pick their people? My cat, Nico, picked my husband. She was Rick’s through and through. She loved him and, if she had been human, there would have been a problem. Since she was the cat who taught him not to hate cats, I loved her dearly, even when she gave me dirty looks when I walked in on them snuggling.
Like cats, since we as multipotentialites are so independent (see number 7 above), we are very particular about our people. We hate to be around people who don’t understand us, and we thrive when we surround ourselves with people who support us. That’s why Puttylike is such a magical place; the multipods here are our people – our tribe.
And that brings us to number 9 – the obvious 9 in this blog post.
9. Cats and multipods have (at least) 9 lives
It’s not clear where the superstition about cats having 9 lives originated, but it may have come from Egypt, where cats were thought to have many special powers.
Cats are said to have 9 lives in the sense that they have a knack for surviving perilous adventures. (That said, sometimes I think my cats are multipods, too, what with all their sneaking off to play on the internet when I’m not looking, reading books in my personal library, making music on all of my instruments, and then napping when I’m around!)
Have you ever felt like you have 9 lives? Not because you have close scrapes with death (at least I hope you don’t!), but because you have 9 careers, 9 big projects, or 9 hobbies? Perhaps you even have more.
So far, I’ve worked professionally as a cello teacher, a musicology tutor, a museum curator, a camping shop assistant, a biochemistry lab assistant, a musical instrument dealer, a photographer, faculty in residence, and a fencing coach. What are you going to do with your many lives?
Your Turn
Can you think of any other ways in which multipods are like cats? What are your nine (or more) lives?
You’ve found me out…For a dog person, I’m really more cat.
1. I’ve had many a dream – some have worked, many haven’t but I still dream.
2. As we speak, I’m studying for another accreditation certificate while trying to get my business off the ground. Said business was to have started a year ago. Other ideas have gotten in the way.
3. I AM one of those people who always draws another box on forms.
4. Love, love books. If had to be stuck on a desert island, I’d need my Kindle device with a solar power charging option so I’d always have something to read. (Also we won’t have to use my books to start a fire!)
5. I was designed for catnaps or just sleep in general. I slept through an earthquake my first month in college in California. I’ve also fallen asleep in a nightclub on a Friday night, with loud, house music blaring…My husband was aghast.
6. My way always makes sense to me and I tend not to need other people’s opinions – I shopped for my wedding dress without taking any one along so no one saw my dress until the wedding. I just didn’t want to deal with others trying to tell me what I wanted wasn’t done.
7. See above.
8. I’m definitely very picky about who gets to be in my inner circle. The wrong people can wear you out and stifle your dreams. Finding this group is like finding nirvana – there are others like me! Yippee!
9. Definitely have many lives (I seem to live them all at once!). My professional life has included being a banker, a credit analyst, a market research consultant, an executive recruiting consultant, a haulage operator, a commercial bakery operator, a purveyor of lingerie, a manufacturer of clothing, and a debt advisor. And the dreams continue…
Hi, Tope.
Great to hear from another person who draws boxes on forms, book lover, catnapper, independent, 9-lives (or more) person.
Keep dreaming and living your wonderful life.
What a wonderful comparison of cats and multipods.
I am a cat lover and owner since 1979. I am so much like a cat. When I find something that catches my eye I tug on it like the string of yarn and pull it apart to see what’s inside of it. Like a fishing line reeling it in to see what’s at the end. Like a box (ironically I make boxes during the day) carefully tearing the package open and then pouncing inside once I know it’s safe to do so.
I am not a dog. I am a cat that’s for sure. I can’t be trained by order. Pfft! No way! Let me play and let me sleep. Yes I sleep anywhere, I taught myself to close the world off to sleep within 5 minutes. Oh my cat, sofa, bed, the corner bean bag chair.
I am not very social, even in deep conversation I may have conversations in my head, like that picture on the wall is slanted or this sofa doesn’t belong here. It would be better over there when the sun shines down in the early evening so I can curl up and stay warm on a winter day.
When I want to spread my wings, I mean paws. Look out because I will take up the entire space. Don’t think about using that spot in the corner, that’s where my tail will go.
I am a cat with career, family, and relationships. I got to go someone opened the fridge!
Hiya, James.
Great to hear that you’re a cat person, too. (I love that you make boxes as well.) Sometimes I wonder where we’d be if cats had opposable thumbs.
Anyone else a multipod cat person?
More than anything, cats are the squirrel. Somehow, we accidentally adopted two additional cats in the last two months (making four cats in all), which greatly adds to the distraction level when a person is trying to work!
Hi, jimothi.
I understand. The cat tree is next to my desk, and my cats are excellent “squirrels.” They inspired this post. Congrats on your new cats.
Hahaha. I LOVE this article and the connection with cats. I’m a huge cat lover and now that you say it, yep – sounds about right.
When I was younger someone compared me to a cat. Now I get why 🙂
Thanks, Susanna.
Cats are amazing, and so are multipods. 🙂
This post was sooooo fun. Until now i would relate my mind with a monkey, just jumping from one place to another. But a cat will do. Brilliantly.
Thanks, george.
My cats inspire me all the time. I think your monkey analogy works well, too, but cats are definitely part of my life.
When I was 3 years old, my family was moving to a new home. Suddenly, while my mother was unpacking plates, books, glasses etc., she did not manage to find me anymore. She struggled, walking very worried in every room, to find me. Finally, she found me sleeping in a big cardboard box. I’m definitely a cat. X’D ahahah
What a great story, Miriam. Thanks for sharing. You made me smile.
First time on this site. All the time thinking I was nuts,because I couldn’t figure out what is/what is wrong with me…great article!
Thanks for chiming in, Cassie. So glad you found Puttylike. Welcome!
Love the Post, thank you Brenda.
I like to see 9 lives or ways as layers.
1. There is me, the Curious one, and this leads me on various research adventures.
2. There is the Love-Myself one, where I can be loving, and alone, and calm and serene.
3. The laugh-out-loud one, where I feed my Funny Bone, yep anything that requires my loud laugh gets it. (love my son for this, my teacher for this life)
4. The couch activist, love to comment socially (real and online) on challenging narrow minds.
5. The designer, this is where I daydream and something will fall out of my heart onto a page and I scribble away.
6. The creator, love to create new stuff: concepts, art thingies, solutions, clothes, layouts, pics etc
7. The teacher, am a pro at learning my son’s work, so that I can teach him how to learn the work – this is not spoonfeeding, more like making sure he is studying work the right way. (offspring-multipod)
8. The devourer, offspring multipod and I often muse about combos in the cosy kitchen, wondering how to create fabulous meals….yum
9. The strategist, really love understanding a problem, by looking far down the road to see what can be done today, to correct course/direction and explain this to everyone involved 🙂
Phew…..
Claudia, your layers are brilliant. What a great way to analyze your many roles in life. Your description made me think of those Russian nesting dolls I used to love as a kid. Thanks for sharing this. It must be exciting raising a young multipod.
I love the 9 lives analogy to cats.
Being a former cat owner, I can relate to these nuances..
So, let’s see what characters have I played through my quantum leaps in the past 40 years?
1. Foot Messenger/Courier in NYC
2. US Navy Electrician
3. Pharmacy Store Manager
4. IT Help Desk and Desktop Technician
5. Lieutenant Project Officer – US Coast Guard
6. Facilities Manager
7. Sales – sold too many things to count in two hands!
8. eCommerce retail business owner
9. Commercial Cleaning Franchisee
9.5 Thrill seeking lessons – jumped 4 times out of a perfectly good flying airplane, Scuba Diver, Took flying lessons on a Cessna and a helicopter, Learned a little about Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, Filipino and Krav Maga martial arts.
Next 9? Aspiring Entrepreneur, Fly/Travel to Space, Travel photographer, Explorer/Archeologist, CEO of thriving business, Autism Philanthropist, Alpaca farmer and list continues to evolve..
Jose,
You’ve lived exciting and diverse 9.5 lives. I bet you have stories to tell about all of them. May your growing list of 9+ more lives bring you much happiness. I particularly love your space travel life. I hope you combine it with your travel photographer life, so that we can follow your adventures.
Fantastic! So true and so funny. A trait my cat has which I can see mirrored in myself is that of suiting itself. She turns up to be fed when it suits her (and I have to have a bowl of dry food permanently topped up otherwise she would no doubt set up camp in another home). The dog, however, knows when it is fed and waits obediently (usually) for dinner time.
I too prefer to do things on my own terms. I can conform but only in the sense that I see it as a choice I am making and it just happens that my choice looks like I am conforming.
My cat hasn’t shown much interest in books so far (she’s still learning the reality of domestication having been rescued from a fairly feral early life). Me though, I was so interested in the book form and in sharing the pleasure of reading, that I trained as a librarian. In multipod style, of course, I have deviated career-wise and can no longer call myself a librarian (bit sad about that because I enjoyed challenging the stereotype with my tattoos and whacky hair). I’m a Kindle devotee although I have rekindled(!) my love of ‘real’ books recently, specifically so I can indulge my need to share the good stuff I read.
Hi, Rhiannon.
Isn’t it interesting to watch cat and dog behavior side-by-side and compare them? I love dogs, too, but I live a cat lifestyle.
Good for you for challenging stereotypes. And are you sure you’re not a librarian of your personal library? If you are sharing books, perhaps you are, if only of your own library?
My little cat, Miss C, was a feral cat originally, but she grew to love books. She’s the book chewer. Your cat might take to your physical books over time.
Thanks for joining the conversation here.
Hi Brenda,
I am also a cat person, but I have developed an allergy. I “borrow” neighborhood cats on occasion. 🙂
As for my love of books–I have kept most of the books I have ever owned and liked. When I was returning to the states from living overseas I had the choice to move all of my furniture or all of my books. I moved all of my books back. Furniture is easier to replace!
I do feel I have 9 lives, too. I have only used 3 so far, and I am extremely curious about what the next lives will bring with them!
I’ve broken it down into future/current/past projects.
I’ve had my share of projects and some I’ve been into more that others.
I’ve got two cats myself and that’s why I relate to this article so much. I do see the similarities between us and them (cats).
Future/current/past is a great way to categorize projects. Mine tend to linger and resurface. Thanks for chiming in, Dennis. Nice to “meet” another person with cats who feels this way, too.
Cristen,
A person after my own heart. When I returned from England after living there for 8 years, I brought my books, cellos, and a bicycle. I arrived at my new job with no place to live and no car, but I had my personal library, live music, and a bike. I soon had a cat, too.
What are your first 3 lives? What have you planned for the next 6?
Too bad about your cat allergy, but at least you won’t have cats chewing on your library. And as long as you can visit with cats, I’d imagine that’s better than nothing. (It’s good that you are not deathly allergic.) Maybe a cat cafe will open up near you.
Thank you for adding to the conversation. Nice to “meet” a fellow book lover.
Hi Brenda
Great post!
I used to think I was a dog person, but I am definitely a cat person. The more I’ve seen my cat in action in all of those different ways the more I’ve been able to relate.
Yes for independent thinking and my way of doing things. Also very picky about whom I let into my “inner circles”.
And HUGE book lover- e reader is a must on holidays, otherwise LOVE the feel of a actual book. I have re started my book collection:)
I have at least 9 lives- so far there’s been nanny, room attendant in hotels, support worker,day care assistant, charity projects manager, teaching assistant, bit of a photographer, therapist-in-training,translator.
Next step is interior designer with a dash of painter and decorator and recycling furniture to the side. Nutritionist sounds interesting too… So many lives ahead 🙂
Thank you, Annika.
Nice to “meet” yet another book lover and cat person with many lives. Sounds like you’ve had many rich experiences and are going to have many more. Thanks for chiming in here.
Love the article and can relate to much of it though not catnaps. Also I, as someone who admires and has owned both cats and dogs, can see some dog traits in my own multipotentialite ways. I keep thinking of the high level focus balanced with the rapid-paced adaptability of the working sheepdogs. May have to ponder this some more….
Hi, Sue.
Oh, if I could have your catnaps, I’d love it. When my students sometimes complain about naps, I ask if I can take theirs.
Great input about sheepdogs. I’ve considered doing a post about dogs, too. I grew up with two big dogs and a cat, but since college, I’ve lived more of a cat lifestyle. One must walk dogs, and my schedule has not been set up to do this. I’ve always wanted a border collie, though.
Be sure you have plenty of time, energy, space and something to herd if you get a border collie, Brenda!
Exactly, Sue! I’m waiting until I live on a farm and have sheep. 🙂
Although I’m not a cat lover and don’t know much about cats, reading this post confirms that I’m very much like a cat (especially the napping and 9 lives part). With my multiple “careers” (fashion designer, paralegal, stock broker, translator, sales person, collateral manager, etc.) and many hobbies (cooking, baking, gardening, photography, sewing, blogging, etc), I often wish sleep is a want and not a need or the “non-doers” can give me some of their time. Brenda, thank you for this great post. And Emilie, thank you for spreading the word and creating this community of multi – talented people.
Thanks, Meg. Yes – I wish sleep were optional. I’ve often tried to treat sleep as such and gotten myself into trouble by getting sick. There’s just too much of interest to do to spend time sleeping, right?
I had a look at your blog, and you’ve got a great eye for photography.
Loved, Loved, Loved this article Brenda!
I am and have been a Cat lover all my life and of animals in general; and as I sit here reading your post, pictures of my two fury children(no longer with us) stare back at me, and I wonder if they sent you and this post to me via Emily. I am so glad to know that there is a real word for what I am that’s positive versus the old phrase of ‘Jack of all trades and Master of none’, I always hated that phrase because it would leave me feeling like a failure or commitment phobe. Thank you for helping me to see myself as a whole person, made up of 9 equal parts! 🙂
Thank you so much, K.C.
I’m so glad you like this post. I’ve got a photo of a cat now gone over my desk, and I’ve got Big T. snoozing on my chair here in my office. He just looked up and seems to send his greetings to you.
Yes, that “Jack of all trades” phrase is not my favorite expression. I don’t think it is accurate. I’m so glad we all found Emilie’s wonderful community here. I’m grateful to her as well. I’m so glad I heard her talk this past January at the Thriving Artist Summit: http://thrivingartistacademy.com/shop/thriving-artist-summit-interviews/
Thanks for joining in and purrs to you from Big T and Miss C.
I agree you have also found me out! Ask anyone who knows me knows I love dogs (to the point I got certified in dog training and helped with rescue work), but personality wise I am a cat.
Not only does the herd turn me off (in reference to humans), but also I am very independent. I think it comes from my upbringing as well as my instinct to want to travel my own path. I can also fully relate to bringing a library with my while traveling (thank God for Kindle-seriously my husband said no more books if possible), and I actually enjoy filling out forms but mostly for the reason to see how many boxes I can fill. Seriously. As for standardized testing–yeah I’m a big fail. Give me one box answers and I give you an unhappy Sara. One box never completed the answer, right?
I told someone once that I was more cat like than a dog and she thought I was crazy. But in all honesty, though I love dogs and especially love herding animals, cats are the more independent and leader-type animal.
Hi, Sara.
I love dogs, too, but my earliest career goal was to be a cat. I’m told when asked what I wanted to be when I grow up, at age 3 I responded, “A cat. Meow!” Looking back, I think I wasn’t too far off the mark.
It must be fun to train dogs. And maybe the dogs sense your cat-like nature and follow you even more? This could be “The dog whisperer’s best kept secret” or something of the sort. I love that you like to see how many boxes you can fill in on forms. And standardized tests are not my favorites, either.
Thanks for joining in here, Sara.
I’ve always had both dogs and cats. I love them both, although I’d say that I’m more knowledgeable about K9s. But my personality, being an introvert and a multipotentialite, is definitely more catlike. 😀
I must admit that I somewhat prefer dogs, but I find that in my current multipod career incarnation running a pet sitting service, I think I’m better suited to work with cats. I’m honestly not too fond of dog walking and frequent dog visits. I’m more of a homebody (very catlike!), so I much prefer having cat visits (usually just once a day) and overnight pet sitting a.k.a. house sitting where I just keep to myself most of the time, hang out with the pawty animals, and have plenty of time to read good books or whatever literary material available. 🙂
I happen to have posted a blog on my pet sitting website (with a multipotentialite approach/twist) specifically on multipotentiality (including the discussion of Emilie’s TEDx talk video), so I suppose it’s time for me to draft a follow-up blog post to this subject, thanks to this multipotentialite kitty post! 😀 I’ll provide a link to this post when that happens.
Other than my being bubbly and funny (poochlike behavior!), many other things about me are just more feline by nature. 😀 Well, I’m on the border of extroversion and introversion. It depends on the situation, the people around me, etc. Sometimes people mistake me for an extrovert because of my humor and bubbliness, but I have a lot more energy when I’m alone. I love to live in my head. I’m not into joining huge group settings. I’m the quietest in a group discussion. So I’m hardcore introverted right there. I’m definitely picky about people, situations, and yes, I want to do my own thing, too. 😀 I can and do get in a kitty hissy fit if I don’t like something. 😀
And yep, SQUIRREL! That totally fits me to a T! 😀 There are so many things I want to do careerwise. I find myself jumping back and forth from one thing to another. I ditch one thing to do a new one and/or go back to an old one! So I constantly add new things, throw things away, and reuse or recycle some of them.
I HATE boxes with a passion. It’s like being squeezed into a dirty kitty litter box. LOL.
I’ve found that the dogs and cats I’ve had so far LOVE to sit on books, magazines, newspapers, and whatnot!
I do wish we had nine lives so I could catch up on many things that I’ve missed out. I didn’t (and don’t) get to do many things careerwise despite my multipod nature. I’ve mostly gotten the opportunities to be in health care and music. I’ve never cared about the former, but I genuinely enjoy the latter. Those two fields are the normally expected, preferred, and familiar ones where I live and was raised in. Considering the community, the only few acceptable areas in music are teaching and performing in academic and religious settings. Options are limited. So that’s why I’ve always resorted to writing, by far my biggest passion since it’s multidisciplinary by nature.
I think that past lives and soul incarnations are a possibility. I hope they’re actually real so I can try and try again! More lives means a lot more (and endless and unlimited!) exploration for multipods! 🙂
Hi there, Nancee. Thank you so much for the great comments. Do please keep me posted if you link back to this. I enjoyed looking at your site and your blog.
A musician, too? What do you play/sing? And a writer, and doing health care – you are a great multipod. It makes life interesting, doesn’t it?
Please stay in touch.
Hi Brenda!
Sorry for the late post! You’re very welcome and thank you for checking out my stuff, too!
I wish I could play the cello like you. That’s on one of my musical multipotentialite to-do list aside from the bass (bass guitar, that is, not upright/double bass)! I’m a classically trained pianist—formal university training and all. I spent years in academic and church choral groups when I was younger. But I’ve always been a rocker at heart. 🙂 If I had bigger hands and longer fingers, I would’ve probably mastered the guitar by now. So yes, I also play it, although not as well as the keyboard. I’ll have to take lessons again. Believe it or not, about 80-90% of my music collection is guitar-based. I don’t know if I should count playing the clarinet. I played it for a couple of years after taking it up in high school symphonic band.
I actually was culturally pressured to into (allopathic) health care, but I’m more at home with holistic health and wellness.
Life is definitely not as colorful being a specialist! 🙂
I plan to post the blog hopefully in a couple of months. I’d love to feature your critter photography on my site sometime. We’ll definitely stay in touch!
I really admire and love this article. Though I never liked cats (hesitant to ready this article in the first place but read it and liked it) to now I am starting to think otherwise because of its similarities. As a multipotentialite I always desired to be a multi professional in these 9 fields
Doctor, Actor, Musician, Sportsman, Businessman, Engineer, Software professional, Painter, Racer. So far I am Software Professional and engineer who plays various sports and am going to draw more inspiration from this article to pursue my desires in due course of action.
I think this creates a new level of enthusiasm in reaching out to my passions.Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you so much, Surya Rama Kiran. It sounds like you’ve got a wonderful life going now and in your many chosen professions. What a great – and diverse – list.
Please keep in touch and let me know how it’s all going. I wish you all success across all of your 9 (plus) lives.
I love this article! Thank you, Brenda!
My husband often says that I am very cat-like in my personality. I am an independent, “sometimes” people person, who needs plenty of solitude, nap time and seafood. (I am also attracted to shiny objects.) I am very intuitive about people, and if I’m not getting a genuine or authentic vibe, I tune out. I’m also very empathetic, which might not seem like it fits with my last comment, but I truly do care about how others are feeling, perhaps I’m too in tune. I feel what others feel and well up with emotion when someone is sharing a difficult experience they have had.
Now for my 9 lives. Not sure if I’ve reached 9 yet, but I’m working on it.
1. Studied to be a ballet dancer from age 7 to 19. I was an understudy for a ballet company and also performed and traveled with a jazz dance company.
2. While studying ballet, tap, jazz and modern, I fiercely studied and trained for the opera in NYC with various voice coaches and performed in concerts.
3. I changed majors in college … twice! Switched colleges 3 times. (Oops … it took me awhile to find the right fit.) Ended up getting my undergrad degree in English Lit. Had my first poem published in high school, then an article and a poem published in college.)
4. Moved to the UK, where I was supposed to study to become an English professor, but instead, I continued to write and get published in lit mags, while taking on unfulfilling temp jobs.
5. Worked at a publishing house in London in the reference, publicity, and website depts. (While writing and getting published in small mags. My one, golden thread through all of this.)
6. Took some teacher training courses and became a tutor and grammar teacher at a non-profit literacy organization.
7. Came back to the States, did some subbing and tutoring at schools, while continuing to write.
8. Became a mother of two … while continuing to write, and published 5 poetry books between 2007-2014.
9. 6 years ago I started making semi-precious stone and recycled material jewelry. Now I have my own Etsy page and also sell my jewelry at local art galleries / artisan faires.
10. My biggest job at the moment (which eats up most of my time) is as the editor of an online poetry magazine. I continue to write and get published (poetry – but I started out years ago as a short story writer).
11. I teach poetry workshops for both adults and kids.
12. I am also a regular, poetry open mic host.
Phew! Onwards … I think I have at least 9 more lives in me.
Thank you, to you and Emilie, for providing a space for fellow multipoetialites to share and gather. Thankful for finding this community!