Is it ok to be multi -disciplined? Sure, but you may fail at some of it.
Small watercolor flower available.
Trying and Failing doesnt make you a failure.
-I’m no singer. It’s a fact.
There are certain creative hobbies that I’ve tried over the years that have simply failed. And that’s ok. Some mistakes had to do with pure lack of skill. Like singing, for instance. In high school while in the chorus of the musical, The Mikado, the director pulled me aside and suggested I simply “mouth” the words rather than actually singing. Insulted and ashamed (I never told friends) I smiled wide and lipsinked the entire show. Later, as an adult auditioning for a local Maine theater I thought I’d try expanding to musicals again and hired a singing coach to prepare for auditions. After all, too many artists are stopped by childhood rejection and can discover their talent later. After several weeks of singing lessons, my new teacher politely suggested I stick to comedic character roles in musicals. Hmm. At least she didn’t tell me to mouth the words but I began taping our sessions and realized, “Oh my God, I’m a horrible singer! I’m totally off- key and sound totally different than in my head.” I quit and joined a community Shakespeare theater pulling upon my comedic skills as suggested.
But I had practiced a lot. I had invested money and time into this. Was that a waste? It wasn’t as if I gave up in the first round. I’m not an advocate for giving up after the first try. Failing at singing taught me to recognize my strengths and accept my gifts. Comedy, my love of Shakespeare, and the thrill of live performance outweighed my image of being a musical starlet.
Why talk about failures and missteps?
So often when we are young we get stuck on some criticisms someone said that made us think we were the failures. By trying singing the second time, I wasn’t relying on the high school director to direct me. I had to see for myself if I could do it or if I even wanted to do it. As an adult failing at singing and tossing aside some other creative pursuits helped me zone in on what really excites me and helped me work out what pursuits I think are worth sweating and striving for.
Failing isn’t a defect of character, it’s a polishing we need in order to shine.
Trying hobbies, sports, and even jobs before settling on the one that really grabs us and demands our full attention is not wasted time and energy. Kind of like dating before your marry. You might date a little but at some point for some reason you decide to commit to that special someone. Then you do the daily stuff it takes to nurture and defend that person or that pursuit. And you might find a better love later in life. Interests change over time. Maybe it’s skill, past love affairs, curiosity, and timing that brought me to painting.
It wasn’t pure passion. Passion and inspiration can’t be sustained every hard day. I enjoy painting and writing along with an occasional bout of craft- making (around the holidays) and although I sing and dance around my house, I stick to writing and painting daily so that my relationship with these pursuits deepen. I’m no singer. I’m no green thumb. Not a great cook. I can hardly sew or knit a straight row. I’m not ashamed to admit it. But I’m glad I’ve tried all the same. During the time I spent with singing lessons I shared with others, laughed, and learned more about music and myself. So failing isn’t about being a failure. It’s about learning. Mulitdiscipline is all about learning, too.
Sometimes it’s even hard to know what to try.
Ask 3 questions that can give you clues to choosing what to pursue:
What activities excited or interested you in primary school?
Who are you jealous of or who do you admire?- Why? What are they doing?
What creative skills have others in your family or circles of friends complimented or noticed? What are some skills or strengths that can be adapted or applied to this activity?
It may be cooking, gardening, writing, drawing, decorating, painting, dog grooming, dancing, pickle ball, ice skating, learning languages, making ceramics, photography, sewing, knitting or singing. Try it. Give yourself some time, step back, and decide, How do you feel about it? Do you enjoy it? Is it worth investing your time, energy, or money? What has it taught you? Do you want to learn more? Tweek it? Go deeper? Or shift and try something else? It’s okay. There’s no high school director to tell you to be quiet. It’s your life.