The Sad Reality Of Being A Multipotentialite

Everyone has an interest or passion or two under their belt. Maybe you love singing and theater. Or perhaps you enjoy dance and gymnastics. Whatever it may be, having a couple of passions and talents isn’t entirely an uncommon phenomenon.

However, there are quite a few of us who have more than one or two interests, passions, and talents that we may excel in or have the potential to excel in. This most accurately defines the term “multipotentiality”.

I want to make it clear that this is in no way me bragging or being ungrateful about being multitalented. This is simply me sharing my experience with the more overlooked part of having potential in such a myriad of career paths that many people may also experience or be completely unaware of.

Growing Up

Growing up as a multipotentialite was one of the most interesting yet frustrating experiences. Unlike other kids in school who knew exactly what it was that they wanted and had the proper support systems to actually pursue them, I was never able to zero-in on a singular path. I loved singing, dancing, storytelling, writing songs, writing poetry, drawing, painting, designing clothes, crafts of all sorts, helping people, helping animals, and much more.

Because I loved English and language and I always excelled in my English classes and assessments in school, I naturally found a passion in writing my own songs, poetry, and stories and I would often share what I created with those around me. Like English, I excelled in art and I took a great interest in it at a young age. My love for art was also intensified by my parents’ passion and talents in arts and crafts. I loved it and I was good at it. Whatever I created in class would always get my teacher’s or my fellow students’ attention. I remember taking my art home to my parents and they would even show other people the art their daughter did in class that day. My love for singing and songwriting was also intensified by my parents’ passions in both. Looking back, my parents were quite a large part of my creative upbringing.

My family and friends would always say things like “You should be an artist” or “You’re so good at helping people! You should be a doctor!” Even today, my mom will tell me stories about me singing and dancing at a young age and having others around her encouraging her to put me in proper classes because I was born to perform. My talents and potential were acknowledged by myself as well as others to quite a degree. And with these acknowledged talents of mine came big dreams. But there were just too many things I could do — there were too many options.

Little me never really knew which way to go. Was I to choose the path that is guaranteed to make me the most money? Should I choose the path that is the easiest? Or should I just close my eyes, pick one, and hope for the best? Many people will say “Just do all of them!”. In a perfect world, that would be the way to go, but it is definitely easier said than done.

The sad reality is that the system leaves many of us hanging. The world is set up in specific format, especially when it comes to the world’s education system. You go to school, get decent grades, study one or two subjects, (give or take electives and such), get a degree, and find a job in the path that you’ve chosen. Although it’s formulaic and seemingly straightforward, this system doesn’t take into account those who may have the potential to excel in a large variety of career paths.

Are we to study everything we are passionate about even if that means being in school for 10+ years? Are we to choose the least creative of the bunch and pursue it because it’s the most “realistic”? And after we choose just one passion, are we to simply discard the rest despite our love for them? How are we supposed to reach our full potential in everything our hearts desire?

Where I Am Today

Sadly to say, 21-year-old me has yet to land on the perfect answer. In fact, choosing just one thing to pursue was such an overwhelmingly daunting task that it actually played a huge part in my decision not to attend college, despite my being an honors student and having the proper credentials to achieve higher education.

However, I can say that since graduating almost four years ago, I have reconnected with my passion for singing, dancing, art, and writing. I am now a freelance writer who makes money writing for clients and businesses online. I also still study art and dancing with a passion and have even started posting some of my art online. And six months ago, I picked up my old guitar and started practicing, singing, and even writing songs again. I am still writing poetry and novels here and there, and I hope to eventually publish my work in the future.

Of course, I’m fully aware that I am still young and I have time to do a lot. I can easily go back to school to study and take classes if that is what I wish to do. However, I am actually quite content with where I am today and where I’m headed.

Admittedly, I will sometimes try and trace back to the main thing that prevented me from doing everything I wanted to the capacity that I wanted. Sometimes I resent my parents for not paying more attention to my creative nature and pushing me to be even better than I was. Other times, I wonder what it would have been like if I had blindly flipped a coin and gone to college despite my uncertainty. But in the end, I know that everything happens the way that it’s supposed to and that there is a reason for it all. These days, I’m learning the importance of being my own cheerleader and pushing myself to attain the future I so clearly envision.

All In All

Despite my sadness of having not reached my full potential in everything that I wanted to accomplish growing up, I have this theory — We’re not meant to reach our full potential in everything.

Even those who perhaps don’t consider themselves a multipotentialite often have passions that they never fully explored or pursued. Maybe it’s not taking that tour opportunity with your band 20 some years ago because you decided to take over the family business or turning down a full-ride athletic scholarship to study law — We often don’t reach our full potential, even if we naturally excel in our passions.

Though there is a more apparent euphoria in actually achieving your dreams, there is also something euphoric about the dreams you missed out on. Not acting on your dreams somehow has a way of keeping the dreamer inside of us alive because we still have something to dream about. To dream is to live and there is infinite beauty in the unexplored.

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