Career & Business Coaching Blog.
Inspiration and tips for multi-passionate creatives & entrepreneurs.
Escape the 9-to-5: How to Combine Your Many Passions into a Fulfilling Career (Without Choosing Just One!)
Why Specialization Isn’t the Only Way
Are you a multi-passionate, creative generalist who feels like you're constantly battling the world's insistence on specialization? Do you have a multitude of interests and talents, yet feel overwhelmed by thousands of ideas, always questioning which path to pursue? If you're tired of feeling "stuck" in a traditional 9-to-5 that drains your energy and kills your creativity, you're not alone. Many creative generalists struggle with the pressure to choose a single focus, fearing it will suck the life out of them. The good news is, you don't have to choose – you can learn to combine your passions into a thriving, fulfilling portfolio career.
Overcoming Overwhelm: Silencing Your Inner Critic and Finding Direction
From coaching creatives for a decade I've learned that the core challenge for many creative generalists is an internal conflict: they're passionate about many things and hate the idea of giving any of them up. This often leads to feeling overwhelmed by ideas and struggling with procrastination and mental blocks that prevent them from taking action. The inner critic often chimes in too, creating self-doubt and fear of not being good enough, or telling them that their dreams aren't real or possible. This can lead to a sense of being perpetually stuck or feeling like you keep looking in the wrong place.
Furthermore, many clients express a lack of clarity and direction when it comes to their career path or business ideas. They might be at a tricky point or crossroads in their life and career, wishing for financial independence and a business they love, but struggling to balance these big dreams with the demands of daily life.
The good news is that your multiple interests are a superpower. Your unique generalist brain operates differently from specialists, and understanding this is your first step out of the 9-to-5 trap.
Actionable Tips for Multi-Passionates: Build a Portfolio Career Without Losing Yourself
Here are some tips to help you navigate your multi-passionate journey:
Understand Your Generalist Brain: Accept that your brain naturally wants variety and connection, unlike a specialist's. This is an asset, not a flaw. You don't have to conform to the norm of picking "one thing".
Embrace the "Puzzle" of Your Passions: Instead of feeling scattered, view your interests as pieces of a unique puzzle waiting to be combined. The goal isn't to eliminate interests, but to weave them into a cohesive whole that makes sense for you. This can lead to a career or business that really lights you up every morning.
Silence Your Inner Critic: That voice telling you you're not good enough or that it won't work out is often just trying to keep you safe from perceived harm or judgment. Learn to question your thoughts and regain control over your mind.
Aim for Clarity, Not Certainty: Many wait for absolute certainty before taking action, but waiting to feel ready or confident enough is often what keeps you stuck. Focus on identifying what truly matters to you and what direction feels right, even if the entire path isn't perfectly clear.
Take Small, Consistent Steps: Overcoming procrastination isn't about grand gestures but about consistent, small actions. This compound effect creates profound change over time and helps build momentum. Remember, action comes before the courage to act.
Align Your Environment with Your Goals: Your surroundings can either support or hinder your progress. Make conscious choices to create a physical and mental environment that nurtures your creative pursuits and minimizes distractions. This reduces reliance on willpower, which is a finite resource anyway.
Build Your "Glue": Identify the common thread, your unique "glue," that brings all your interests together and makes sense of your many passions. The clearer you are about this, the easier it becomes to choose what to focus on and make progress.
Through this approach, clients gain clarity and confidence, develop a strategic plan, and finally move forward and get unstuck to achieve their goals and create a truly fulfilling career and life.
The journey to a multi-passionate portfolio career is deeply personal, and often requires a different frame of mind and external guidance to find your unique answers.
Embrace your unique creative brain. You've got this!
Ready to stop feeling stuck and start combining your many passions into the fulfilling career you deserve?
In a safe and confidential space, we’ll dive into your desires and challenges, uncovering what truly drives you.
Together, we’ll craft a clear path that taps into your unique talents, helping you move from overthinking to action.
Schedule your free session today and take the first step towards your bold, wild, and free future!
Creative Generalist, What’s Your Glue?
Every creative and generalist has that one thing - the intangible thread that ties everything they love, excel at, and dream about into a cohesive story that makes sense to them. It’s not always obvious, and it might not make sense to other people, but it’s the thing that holds everything together. It’s your glue.
But what exactly is your glue, and why does it matter - especially in a world leaning more and more into automation and artificial intelligence?
We’re going to explore exactly that. Along the way, I'll share how you can uncover your unique glue, why it’s more vital than ever in today’s landscape, and how you can maximize your creative potential and your income-stream potential.
What's Your Glue?
In Get Unstuck!, I describe “your glue” as that unique thread that makes everything in your life come together and make sense. Sometimes it’s a calling, a feeling, or a spark that shows up when you’re in flow - doing what you love most. It’s not always loud or heroic, but it’s yours. It’s what gets you lost in the work, keeps you up with inspiration, and connects your passions, values, and dreams.
Ever feel like your skills and ideas are puzzle pieces only you know how to put together? That “pattern” is your glue - the thread makes sense to you, and that ties your talents and dreams together.
Forget the pressure to craft the perfect "why." Often, glue hides in the small moments - when you’re immersed in a project, following curiosity, or connecting unlikely dots.
Want to find it? Ask yourself: What brings you to life, time and again? Where do you feel most energized and true to yourself?
My Creative Generalist Glue
For me, my glue is about understanding what it means to be human and how to live a good life. This shows up in many ways: always building something new (like CoachMila.ai right now), finding flow through writing or drawing, exploring my heritage through genealogy, diving into philosophical ideas, or coaching others to get unstuck or create successful careers and businesses.
In those moments of writing, creating, or coaching, I feel most alive and aligned with who I’m meant to be. That creative generalist glue ties everything together for me.
Why Your Glue Matters in an AI-Driven World
The accelerating pace of technology, particularly AI, has fundamentally reshaped what’s possible in both work and creativity. While some fear AI might replace creative or human-driven efforts, the truth is far more empowering - AI supports your glue.
Think of all the busy work that eats up your time - the administrative tasks, the endless research, the repetitive grunt work. AI can lighten that load, freeing up your mental bandwidth to focus on the things that only you can create.
When you lean into your glue, you’re focusing on your unique creative generalist skills - your intuition, creativity, and ability to connect dots others might not even see. These qualities are irreplaceable. And with the help of AI, you can double down on them. Instead of working harder on the parts of your work that drain you, you can work smarter, pouring your energy into what you love most.
It’s not about doing more; it’s about doing *better.*
How to Discover Your Creative Generalist Glue
Finding your glue doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s not something you can force. It's one of the hardest things for creative generalists to get clarity on. But it is discoverable if you know where to look, and when you do, it changes everything.
Here are a few steps to help you connect the dots:
1. Reflect on Flow Moments
Think about the times when you’ve felt completely absorbed in an activity. Flow moments are a key sign of your glue at work. When time disappears and you feel fully alive and “in the zone,” you’re probably tapping into why you do what you do.
2. Explore Your Happiness Anchors
What makes you light up consistently? What work or activities bring you genuine excitement or comfort? What do you always feel drawn to, even in moments of uncertainty? These anchors - things that energize you regardless of external outcomes - offer valuable clues to your glue.
3. Uncover Patterns
Your glue is often hiding in plain sight. Look back at your past projects, hobbies, career moves, or even childhood interests. Is there a common theme? For example, do you always lean toward problem-solving or creating beauty in everyday life? Pay attention to these recurring patterns.
4. Follow Your Curiosity
Sometimes, your glue unfolds when you explore what intrigues you. Allow yourself to pursue ideas, hobbies, or projects that spark curiosity. You don’t have to know where it will lead - following that thread without resistance often reveals hidden parts of your glue.
5. Lean Into What Feels Aligned
Your glue is not a “one-size-fits-all” revelation. It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Give yourself permission to be authentically you. When you stop forcing yourself into molds that aren’t a fit, your glue comes forward naturally.
What’s Next for Your Glue?
Your glue is an ongoing discovery. It might take time, or it might be clearer than you think. But once you uncover it, there’s incredible power in leaning into it, trusting it, and amplifying it.
If you’re ready to take action, there’s no better time. I’m thrilled to announce my 6-Month AI-Powered Portfolio Career Accelerator for Creatives, launching on September 29th. This program is designed to help you use cutting-edge AI tools to maximize your glue, craft aligned opportunities, and create meaningful impact without burnout.
What’s the glue that holds your vision together? What lights you up? Take a moment to reflect on it.
And if you’re ready to explore where your glue can take you, check out the link to learn more about the accelerator program. It’s time to take your creativity, career, and purpose to the next level.
Are You Ready to Thrive as a Creative Generalist?
Imagine a future where your unique vision becomes reality - where your creativity and purpose inspire meaningful change, and balance is no longer a dream but your new normal.
With my accelerator program, launching on September 29th, you'll gain access to the tools, strategies, and community you need to achieve your creative potential. Discover how cutting-edge AI can align with your passions to craft opportunities that truly matter, without sacrificing your well-being.