when i looked up this word online, it simply stated 'having many facets.' but what does that mean? it wasn't until i heard it on Athena Calderone's, More Than One Thing podcast that i began to truly understand the term, and how it applied to myself.
so here's my definition; a multifaceted person is one who has many careers that parallel their interests and hobbies which accumulate their brand. in many cases, each talent coincides with the next is some way or another, tying them together.
as you can probably tell by now, my interests and career paths include a variety of avenues and industries; from building a healthy physical lifestyle with workouts such as bootcamps, spin, yoga, and pilates to creating meals that are cruelty free, fresh, and nutritious, among building out spaces that feel comfortable yet put together and aesthetically pleasing to the eye; capturing a rare moment with my camera and of course writing about it all. at the end of the day, all of my interests and paths intertwine with one another, one complimenting the next. a multifaceted person is one with many skills. they aren't great at one thing, but continue to thrive in multiple trades.
we have been taught to find what we love and to go after that as a lifelong career. once upon a pretty recent time, we were encouraged to graduate from a highly accredited college with a degree in something that one is not only adept at, but enjoys and will make them money - which, let's be honest, rarely do these three things line up. and for so many of us, that lovely painted picture is not our reality. our reality is messier, more beautiful and chaotic than the white picket fence lined with hydrangeas. it's carefully placed lines next to spattered paint, covered in plaster; its a mixed media masterpiece that encompasses all of our loves, our passions, and skills.
so what do multifaceted people do? well in Athena's case, she is an author of two books: one a cookbook as she is a chef, and the other is of interiors and home designs as she is also an interior designer; among also being a mother, a designer and curator.
multifaceted people have more than one title, and a slew of ways in which they work and make money. this term is one that needs to be preached to our educators, youth, and society as a positive characteristic. so often those of us without one clear path feel that we do not fit the mold, as if that's a bad thing... branching out, building and growing as a person often includes changing our direction or adding in something else and finding ways to build our brand. as our society continues to cultivate new jobs with our ever changing needs, it has become clear that our model for success must also grow, change, and adjust to current times.
as someone who is easily bored with routine, i need multiple ways to express my creativity, to develop my skills and interests and then share them in some aspect. my fitness platform parallels my social presence, sharing meals, other workouts, and means to adopt a balanced lifestyle from physical to mental and emotional. i have crossed paths with so many different people, with varying professions that i've been lucky to work with or learn from. and in building this network, i build my knowledge, my craft, my ability to construct and add more facets to my current lineup.
as we continue to navigate challenging times right now, my hope is that for those who are struggling whether it be financially, creatively, mentally, etc., that this sparks some interest in turning the page, providing an alternative perception to the one we've been taught is 'right' and paves the way for a new facet in one's life.
Comments