Are You a Multipotentialite?

According to Emilie Wapnick of puttylike.com, a Multipotentialite is a person who has different interests and creative pursuits in life. Multipotentiality is the state of having many exceptional talents, any one or more of which could make for a great career.

Wikipedia defines Multipotentialites as intellectually gifted individuals with diverse interests across numerous domains and may be capable of success in many endeavours or professions.

If your ideal career path looks more like a tree with many branches than a straight line, then you, my friend, might be a Multipotentialite.

For the longest time, I believed that I had to focus on a specific passion and narrow down my options. Find a specialty.  How limiting! Why can’t I pursue all my interests at once? Why do I need to identify with one specialty?

A couple of years ago I came across the article “I Am Both – Celebrating Multifaceted Women” by Vuyi Zondi who is both a professional and a business owner. In this article Vuyi talks about the empowering and emancipating concept of “BEING BOTH”. The notion that we can be anything and everything we want to be. We can fulfil various roles and pursue multiple interests because we are multidimensional.

Naturally, I fell in love with this concept because I had always identified with being both, but I didn’t realise that I was allowed to be. Zondi’s article led to a movement on twitter where women would share their multiple pursuits under the hashtags, #IAMBOTH and #ICANBEBOTH. I was thrilled to find other women like me. To discover that I was not crazy to want to be everything. Turns out, I can be both. I am both. I am a legal professional with various other creative and business interests. I can succeed in everything I am passionate about as long as I don’t lose my mind trying to belong. All my passions bring me fulfilment and they allow me to be more innovative. This discovery brought about a new identity and renewed confidence.

You can pursue your passion of being a doctor AND a makeup artist, you can be a professional AND a business owner. One of my favourite multipotentialite is Rihanna who has made millions from her singing, modelling and from her beauty brand, FentyBeauty. Don’t we just stan a jack of all trades!

You don’t have to choose! Use all of your interests, passions and hobbies to build the life and the career of your dreams. There is beauty in your layers.

With love,

Noemi