Being a Multi-Passionate

One thing I love about life is that there is always an opportunity to learn something new. Over the summer, I was introduced to the term “multi-passionate.” It describes an individual who has many interests and hobbies and finds a way to integrate them into creating this fantastic life. For some, this can sound like chaos. For some others, it could present itself as ADHD or another neurodiversity. For me, it allows me to stay curious. It even fuels my passion for problem-solving. But it took me almost two decades to embrace this piece of myself.

I recall conversing with a friend early in my career regarding my future goals. I remember telling this person I did not want to feel pigeonholed into focusing on one niche area in our profession and that I preferred being a generalist instead of a specialist. Of course, 20 years ago, many could not see how valuable a generalist could or would be in today’s job market. But I stuck with it. However, I saw it satisfying my curious mind and love for learning. Once I become curious about something, my imagination and questioning kick in, and I am on a mission to gather information. For me, it is exciting. It introduces me to parts of the world that I do not believe I would experience if I did not embrace my multi-passionate identity.

Now, I will admit that I did attempt to focus on one areas of my professional world, but it left me bored and stilfed my curiosity. Even as someone who talks about healing our wounds, embracing my multi-passionate identity helped me do the necessary work to become whole. It encouraged me to ask myself the question of, "who told me that I had to focus on one thing, and why?" Once I filtered through the narratives of others, I began to realize that the life I had created was unique for me, and required freedom from external influences.

My multi-passionate identity has allowed me to ask how to increase study abroad experiences among first-generation BIPOC students. Or how has historical racism and sexism contributed to the perpetual silencing of female sexual assault survivors of color? This curiosity alone was the catalyst for my dissertation research.

As I get older, I realize there is so much we do not know, especially as the world continues to turn and we evolve. So today, my multi-passionate personality has allowed me to blend purpose and passion. As an educator whose ethos is grounded in social justice activism and educational equity, I am embracing being:

·      An Author

·      An Educator

·      A Dissertation Coach

·      A Life & Career PIVOT Coach

·      A Leadership Development Coach

·      An Entrepreneur

·      A Speaker

·      And the list continues

I share this in hopes that other multi-passionates find one another and build a community of support. Or, at least, know that they are not alone. Many of us are living in our curious worlds and finding ways for them to intersect.