WHAT A PORTFOLIO CAREER HAS TAUGHT ME
Insights into a multi-careered life; from the naïve confusion of early adulthood to the liberation of knowing it’s possible to go against societal ‘norms’!
Photo Credit: (c) Vicki Knights
I was never one of those lucky people who grew up saying, ‘I want to be xxx’. Instead, I muddled through like a lot of people.
Talking to career advisors at school or recruitment agents after university seemed to leave me more confused than ever. Most employers, and even society in general, want to put me, you, and everyone else in a box that they can easily identify and understand.
Which is fine for the people who can confidently say, ‘I want to be xxx’. But what about the rest of us?
I for one, have never fitted the conventional mould.
I possess two possibly contradictory traits; I am artistic and creative whilst also being highly organised and adept at focusing on logistical details and efficiency. The latter set of traits is not always common in a stereotypical artist.
When I entered into the world of work, there were straight lined paths to take. Do I follow the art route or the organiser route? There was little scope to merge and blend the two because I had to fit the mould specified by a job title and role. I also had to consider the fairly undesirable fact that most creative roles in work environments are set along the digital route, whereas I prefer to be more hands on.
It’s not until all these years later, away from the bubble of employed life that I’ve been able to see life through different eyes . . . . .
Photo Credit: (c) Neil Cannon
In 2019, I did a wonderful course with CareerShifters called the Launch Pad, which is where I first came across the term ‘Portfolio Career’, and it was a MASSIVE lightbulb moment.
Finally, I realised that I didn’t have to choose which box I fitted into. I didn’t have to follow the age-old ‘rules’ of ‘I want to be xxx’ and fit into just one specific box.
In fact, I could be whoever I wanted to be, and if that meant I wanted to be a little bit of one thing and a little bit of another, then why not?!
Being self-employed, means you don’t have to get sign-off or approval from decision-makers above you who have an element of your life under their control. You also don’t have to judge whether any change in your ideas or personal direction fits in with the ethos of a brand that someone else has invented.
When you’re self-employed, you get to be whoever YOU want to be.
For me, this means I flit between multiple roles which suit my range of needs and desires e.g. sometimes I love working solo on my own projects, while other times I appreciate being part of an events team onsite. Having multiple career paths allows for a natural ebb and flow over time depending on where life takes me and how I shift and evolve my range of skills. Last year, I parked my artwork business in order to write my first romance novel because that’s what I felt guided to do. Knowing that I didn’t need anyone else’s permission, acceptance or approval to make that decision was pure freedom!
So, with a sense of liberation, I can label myself as an artist, a writer, a multi-directional creative entrepreneur, an events organiser, a logistics expert, an admin specialist and whatever else continues to come my way. The labels are just labels after all - I am whoever I want to be.
And it’s not a case of ‘Jack of all trades, Master of none’, in fact it’s quite the opposite. I get to make the most of my transferable skills while keeping my levels of passion for each role alive because I’m not selling out on just one thing.
Photo Credit: (c) Vicki Knights
Life is far more exciting when you have a mix and variety of things you love to do.
So, the question is: are you living from a contained box? Or is life calling you to expand beyond those walls?
If something hits you (or gently taps you!) in the gut whilst reading this, perhaps it’s time for a bit of contemplation about your future trajectory ….. after all, you only get one life ….. are you living it how your soul desires?