Scroll back through my Instagram feed (@racheldmark) and you’d have a hard time reducing my work to a single niche. I jump around sporadically between mediums, hobbies, passion projects, and interests. I want to “DO ALL THE THINGS”, and I lovingly describe my skill set as:
“Okayist carpenter, excellent painter, resentful seamstress, reasonable traditional sculptor, general CNC wizardry, dangerous electrical engineer, great fabricator, retired software developer, exhausted project manager, beginner welder, fair molding and casting, and other various miscellaneous extraneous.”
While some find this quality intriguing, or even enviable, I've always struggled with my inability to focus deeply on any one topic. The term “Jack of All Trades,” often meant as a compliment, has always hurt me. It comes with the painful echo of “master of none,” a phrase that feeds my internalized shame and makes my ego slink back into the depths with a hiss.
WTF is My True Calling?
"Comparison is the death of creativity!" It used to be so intimidating to be surrounded by creative friends who were well on their way to mastery. Leaving me wondering, “What the hell am I doing with my life?” I used to mentally combine hundreds of artists from various fields, to form one Megazord-role-model, then try to emulate ALL OF THEM AT ONCE!
A Megazord is a powerful robot from the hit TV show, Power Rangers, which combines the five lesser robots of the individual Rangers to form a powerful humanoid-bot used when fighting supersized monsters!
Talk about unreasonable expectations.
The embarrassing truth is I have always felt a desperate need to find my "thing". Sadly, anytime I believed I'd finally found my true calling, some shiny new hyper-fixation stole me away. I frantically bounced from one project to the next, diving deep into research mode, investing resources, and obsessing over the new passion until the next, newer and shinier thing came. along.
Anytime I believed I'd finally found my true calling, some shiny new hyper-fixation stole me away!
This process was overwhelming and exhausting. Not only the jumping around, but the constant searching and all the shame, pressure, and anxiety I layered upon myself.
My "Oh shit" moment
The turning point in my personal journey happened years ago when I complained to a patient friend about how frustrated I was with my lack of focus. They responded, “That’s just your process, and it’s ok!” After a bit of argumentative resistance, I saw the merit in what they were suggesting.
My Therapist: "Many ADHDers struggle their entire lives to find their life’s pursuit. It’s ok to have many interests that grow and change with you.” Me: "Oh shit!"
With this idea in hand, I marched into my therapist’s office and relayed our conversation. She gently added, “Many ADHDers struggle their entire lives to find their life’s pursuit. It’s ok to have many interests that grow and change with you.” To which I responded, “Ohshit!” I had never before recognized the correlation between ADHD and my mess of a career path; yes, this was a massive face-palm moment.
A "Dedicated Generalist" is Born!
Labels and titles can be incredibly powerful, as they shape our mental framing and influence how we perceive ourselves and our abilities. Changing the labels we use to describe ourselves can often prompt a significant paradigm shift in our self-concept and understanding of the world.
I decided then and there to stop fighting myself and figure out how to work with my process, rather than against it.
I decided then and there to stop fighting myself and figure out how to work with my process, rather than against it. It was time for a change in labels! In freeing myself from the title "Jack of All Trades" I let go of the false belief that I needed to master a single calling. By adopting the moniker "Dedicated Generalist" I discovered newfound confidence in embracing and normalize neurodiversity. Over time I developed a deeper appreciation for the many unsung benefits of being an ADHDer. Wonderful qualities like imagination, creativity, divergent thinking, problem-solving, and perseverance, to name a few. By honoring my strengths, I began to nurture my ever-changing interests with enthusiasm.
The world needs generalists!
There's a negative stigma around generalists that we must actively fight against. We are often perceived as flakey, inconsistent dabblers who lack depth. Some folks think we’re unreliable because of our many interests and see us as non-committal, only scratching the surface of things. In the professional world, many people and industries still operate within a traditional mindset that values specialization and depth over breadth, making it harder for them to pins us down into any one role.
We are often told to niche down, pick a focus, and compartmentalize our interests into easily digestible bites for the masses. This is the most common unsolicited advice we hear with regards to productivity, career specialization, artistic mastery, social media growth, and career direction.
What I've discovered since embracing my new moniker, "Dedicated Generalist," is that we are highly valuable in the work field for our adaptability, holistic perspective, and versatile skill set. We excel in connecting diverse areas, fostering innovation, and facilitating effective communication across departments. Our broad knowledge base allows us to see the big picture, anticipate risks, and devise comprehensive solutions. Generalists are quick, lifelong learners, and effective leaders who can manage diverse teams, optimize processes, and adapt to changing job requirements. Our ability to bridge gaps between specialized teams and provide strategic insights makes us indispensable in today’s dynamic and complex work environments.
Now I take it upon myself to educate potential employers on the benefits of a generalist on staff, and sell them on my versatility. When our skills are seen as desirable we're labeled with more favorable terms such as swiss army knife, multidisciplinary, polymath, renaissance individual, multipotentialite, or generalist.
I'm a Maker and I refuse to niche down!
In conclusion, embracing my identity as a "Dedicated Generalist" has been deeply transformative. Instead of battling my diverse interests and scattered focus, I've learned to see them as strengths. I'm a Maker, and I refuse to niche down! The world needs people who can connect the dots, innovate across fields, and adapt to ever-changing landscapes. By valuing versatility and holistic thinking, I've found a sense of purpose and fulfillment that goes beyond mastering a single craft. The journey of a generalist is not about limiting oneself, but about thriving in the richness of varied experiences and skills.
Frankly darling, if I'm too much to swallow, you can either go find less or stay here and choke.
I'm done making myself smaller so that others feel comfortable. I no longer accept being told to niche down, pick a focus, and compartmentalize my interests into easily digestible bites for the masses. I'm over it. Frankly darling, if I'm too much to swallow, you can either go find less or stay here and choke.
My mission is to reduce shame and assist creatives in balancing their career ambitions while also building a well-rounded life. I hope this post reaches the people that need to hear it!
--Rachel
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