When I talk about change and growth and dynamic human potential — along with our opportunities to catalyze and reflect same — listeners seem to assume that this is my true passion.
When I talk about music, listeners seem to assume that music, truly is my one great passion.
Internet, business and design often get relegated to the edges; those must be her “day job”, people think. (Shameful!)
But it doesn’t work this way.
Indulging more than one passion at a time is challenging, for sure. It makes me feel like I have two full-time jobs. Three. Four. It’s not sustainable and although I feel drawn to attempt it every so often, it will be better when I take one big thing at a time, accompanied by a gentle stream of little things. That’s why you haven’t heard much from me in the Think Tank the last week: I’ve been in Wales. Singing.
Once upon a time, I would have been horrified at the prospect of taking time off of one thing to do another. Looking back, I can’t even really untangle the why and wherefore except to say that turning off was scary — it meant that I would drop a ball or three, and suffer for it later. These days (especially with Charlie in my corner) I have a better perspective on all of that. And I have little systems that I’ve built over time, organically, cell by cell… that allay these fears. Thank goodness, too, or I wouldn’t be able to show you these:
Each one of us is infinitely complex. I don’t have “a passion”. I don’t have “two passions”. You and I, we have current projects and past projects and future projects. We want to move towards the thing that most resonates with us, right now. But I’m not “a singer”. You’re not “a life coach”. Marty isn’t “an illustrator.” Although we are tempted to define ourselves using those labels, even when we admit that each label is surrounded by a unique lasagne of human complexity and experience, the labels give us the short end of the stick. The truth is, you may not always be an accountant or a craftswoman or an illustrator. Sometimes you will be more that thing, sometimes you will be less.
And while it is necessary to have some label for everyday use — “Hi! I’m Marty, and I do illustration work for a living!” — it is unwise to think that “the label, plus some” is what you are. It’s not true. You’re you.
And I’m me.
And these are the things I do (right now).
And that’s enough.
Megan Elizabeth Morris (aka MEM, Megan the M.) is a bonafide professional catalyst and adventurer. She's the Ideaschema instigator, orchestrator and autodidact, and you can find out more about her by clicking here.Got an idea? Something we haven't thought of? Whatever you're thinking, we want to hear it. Please feel free to leave comments or email us by clicking here.
