When I found out that a law firm bought the building my studio was in and I had 30 days to move out, I was devastated. My studio had been my safe haven for the past two and a half years – especially during this recent period of transition and loss.

I’m sure you’ve experienced curve balls like that in your life and business. While they can be disappointing and disorienting at first, if you let them, they can also be opportunities to see things in a new light. As Project Runway’s Tim Gunn says, “Make it work!”

Maybe you had to take a temporary job to pay the bills. Or maybe your biggest supplier stopped selling the materials you need for your best-selling product. Or perhaps you’re being forced to use a new system because your current one use is no longer compatible with your other essential tools.

Rather than fixate on the frustrating aspects, find ways to move on and make it work for you. Here are the steps I’ve been taking to move through this latest transition:

Bring closure. I knew it was important for me to acknowledge the loss of my studio before I could move on. Before I turned in my keys, I spent my last afternoon there journaling, meditating, and leading myself through a gratitude ritual as I touched each wall, thanking them for holding sacred space and recounting the marvelous transformation that happened for me and my clients in every nook and cranny. During my reflection I realized that the biggest gift this studio gave me was a strengthened creative practice (which I can take with me anywhere).

Make it work. Get innovative as you work within your new limitations. What are alternative solutions? Think out of the box as you brainstorm. Perhaps the new options aren’t ideal, but if you make sure your basic needs met you’ll be just fine. My absolute must-have was a large empty wall somewhere where I could paint big – and thankfully there is one in my garage.

Find the silver linings. At first I was so bummed by the lack of good lighting in my make-shift studio not to mention that I’m surrounded by unattractive boxes and random, extraneous stuff. However, the more I started to look for the positive, I realized how convenient it is not having a commute (even if it was only 5 min before!), and how awesome it is to pop into the garage even for just a few minutes of painting. Also, because the surroundings aren’t as beautiful, I have full permission to get super messy. It’s okay if I get paint on the walls or the floor (whereas I worried about that at my rented space). Now I feel even more liberated! What positive surprises can you identify in your new situation? Identify at least 3 things that you can be grateful for.

Open up to new possibilities. For the near future, I’m going to keep things simple and just stay put for now. But I’m also letting myself dream about what it would be like to have an art shed or maybe even add a studio on to our house at some point. When you have to make a change, suddenly so many other options are possible! What can you open yourself up to?

Is there something in your life or business that you’re being forced to change? How can you make it work? I’d love to hear!

My friend Emilie Wapnick’s new book comes out TODAY May 2nd. It’s just the thing for you if you have multiple passions and aren’t sure how to make it work. In Part 2 of my interview with Emilie she talks to us about productivity hacks for multipotentialites, how to get over Imposter Syndrome, and how to lead with your gifts. You can check out Part 1 here to learn about her four multipotentialite work models.

Emilie’s Interview

Jenn: I hear from many creatives how frustrated they get when they feel like they can’t get anything done because they always have so many ideas and interests. What are a few productivity tips that you can share with us?

Emilie: Here’s my favorite “productivity hack” for multipotentialites:

• Write down all of your passions and projects.
• Pick 1-4 projects that you really want to focus on right now. These are your priority projects. Write them out on a separate page. Hang them on your wall as a reminder, if that helps.
• Make a long list out of all of your other passions and projects. This is your list of projects that are waiting in the wings. Add to this list whenever a new, shiny idea pops into your head.
• When it’s time to get down to work, take a look at your priority projects and pick one to work on. Once you lose steam, take a break and/or switch to another priority project.
• If you’re ever itching to play with some of your projects that are waiting in the wings, take some Tinkering Time. Set a timer for 40 minutes (or whatever length feels appropriate), and have at it. Go down the rabbit hole, explore to your heart’s content, be “unproductive,” have fun! You set a timer, so there’s no risk of losing the whole day.

It’s important that multipotentialites give themselves the freedom to explore, otherwise we can become resentful of our priority projects. At the same time, we want to make progress on our core projects. This technique allows you to balance those two competing needs.

Jenn: It’s quite common in my community of creative entrepreneurs for folks to dabble in a lot of different areas and sometimes this triggers people’s “Imposter Syndrome” fear to kick in. What would you tell someone who is suffering from this limiting belief?

Emilie: Imposter syndrome is a belief that deep down, you are a fraud, that you shouldn’t be here, and that one day everyone will wake up and realize it. Everyone experiences imposter syndrome from time to time, but I think multipotentialites feel it more because we often have unconventional backgrounds or are “outsiders” when we begin exploring something new.

First, know that if you were truly an imposter, you wouldn’t be feeling this way. Imposters are liars, bent on tricking others and profiting from that deceit. Come on, does that really sound like you? True imposters don’t feel imposter syndrome. If you’re feeling a little unsure of yourself, that means that you’re genuine, that you are doing something that matters to you, and that you are maybe stepping out of your comfort zone a little: all good things! Plus really really successful people have talked about experiencing imposter syndrome. I’m talking about folks like John Steinbeck and Jodie Foster. In fact, imposter syndrome might be a sign that you’re doing something very very right.

Beyond realizing that everybody feels this way sometimes, the best way to get past imposter syndrome is to refocus on the work itself. Instead of thinking about how other people perceive you or how well you measure up, just get back to it. Show yourself, through your actions, that you know what you’re doing.

Jenn: It’s so important for us to live from our strengths and as you discuss in the book multipotentialites actually have so many gifts to tap into. What advice do you have for us to lead with our multipotentiality?

Emilie: If you think you might be a multipotentialite, know that there’s nothing wrong with you. In fact, being oriented this way is kind of a super power! Your diverse background and unique skillset can help you stand out in a professional setting and allow you to contribute to the world in refreshingly unique ways.

To lead with your multipotentiality is to embrace and own it. Don’t apologize for having many projects; share those projects with enthusiasm. Design a life that allows you to be the biggest and best multipotentialite you can be. It is absolutely possible to embrace your many passions and having a thriving career at the same time.

Thanks so much for sharing your unique gifts so that we can embrace our puttylike nature. How can we find out more about your work?

Thanks Jenn! You can learn more about my new book at HowtoBeEverything.com. And if you’d like to check out the community and blog, head over to Puttylike.com and say hi!

Emilie Wapnick is a writer, artist, career coach and community leader. She is the Founder and Creative Director at Puttylike, where she helps multipotentialites (people with many passions, skills, and creative pursuits) integrate all of their interests to create dynamic, fulfilling and fruitful careers and lives.

Emilie has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, The Financial Times, The Huffington Post and Lifehacker. Her TED talk, Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling has been viewed over 3 million times and translated into 36 languages.​

My friend Emilie Wapnick’s new book comes out on May 2nd and you can pre-order yours today to get some cool pre-order bonuses! I had the chance to interview Emilie about how to make having multiple passions work for you in this Part 1 interview. Part 2 will come out next week, just in time for her official pub date!

Emilie’s Interview

Jenn: Lots of creatives I know tend to get down on themselves for not being able to “just pick one thing.” Can you talk to us about what it means to be a mutlipotentialite and how it’s actually a valuable quality to have? I’d love for you to talk about your term Puttylike as well.

Emilie: A multipotentialite is someone with many interests and creative pursuits. We’re curious about a number of unrelated subjects and often move between domains in our career and over the course of our lives. We can be hard to pinpoint or categorize because we’re into so many different things.

“Puttylike” is an adjective that describes a multipotentialite. I got the idea from thinking about silly putty, and how it’s malleable and changes shape, kind of like us. So you could say, “Suzie is a total multipotentialite! Did you see the music video she wrote and produced that explains the laws of Thermodynamics?!” Or you could say: “Suzie is so puttylike! Did you see the music video she wrote and produced that explains the laws of Thermodynamics?!” You get what I’m saying.

Conventional wisdom pegs multipotentialites as “jack-of-all-trades, masters of none,” in other words: ineffective and unsuccessful dilettantes. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Multipotentialites are creative, out-of-the-box thinkers who possess super powers like idea-synthesis (combining two ideas that don’t normally go together–the basis for innovation), rapid learning, adaptability, big picture thinking, and the ability to relate to all kinds of different people and translate between them (an important skill to have when you’re working with big, cross-disciplinary teams).

Jenn: Being a multi-passionate person can feel overwhelming especially when you don’t know how to make it work for you. I love that you offer some great frameworks for structuring your passions into a fulfilling life/career. Can you give us the highlights of your four multipotentialite work models? I’m also curious to know which one are you?

Emilie: While doing research for the book, I interviewed about 50 multipotentialites who self described as being both happy and financially comfortable. Then I surveyed a couple thousand more. I wanted to really grasp how multipotentialites make a living.

At first it was a little frustrating because everyone had very different careers. There were artists, doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, architects… I thought: if multipotentialites can be happy in pretty much any role, but what works for one multipotentialite doesn’t work for the next, where the heck should people begin when designing their careers? What I eventually realized is that, even though the participants’ specific jobs were different, there were four work models I saw people using again and again. Each of these approaches to work allows you to get the variety you need as a multipotentialite into your work and life:

1. The Group Hug Approach: having one multifaceted job or business that allows you to wear many hats and shift between several domains at work.

Imagine your interests coming together in one big group hug–It’s like that. To give you an example of what this looks like, I interviewed an Urban Planner named Jimena Veloz who told me that over the course of a single week, you might find her: researching, mapping, conducting field visits, interviewing people, working with communities, drafting reports, organizing events, planning the implementation of policy, designing, communicating to the public, advocating for a project to be approved, and evaluating completed projects. Talk about a perfect job for a variety-seeking multipotentialite!

2. The Slash Approach: having two or more part-time jobs and/or businesses that you flit between on a regular basis.

This is the programmer/teacher/stand-up comedian (see those slashes?). Unlike the Group Hug Approach, where you combine your interests in a single job or business, with the Slash Approach, you are keeping them separate and distinct. You have a handful of part-time work projects, each of which appeals to you for a different reason. Most of the Slash Careerists I spoke with enjoy each of their “slashes” a great deal, but wouldn’t want to do any one of them full-time. Moving between unrelated projects creates a fun, dynamic work week and allows you to diversify your income.

3. The Einstein Approach: having one full-time job or business that fully supports you, while leaving you with enough time and energy to pursue your other passions on the side.

Albert Einstein worked at the patent office for many years. He was essentially employed by the government and had this stable, secure day job. He actually developed his theories on the side. Multipotentialites who use the Einstein work model have what author Barbara Sher calls a “good enough job”: a job that takes care of your financial needs but that also leaves you with enough time and energy to pursue your many passions on the side. (By the way, you can also have a “good enough business,” where you have one narrow, lucrative business that pays the bills and then you explore everything else outside of work.)

The Einstein Approach definitely isn’t for everybody. But the multipotentialites who use it told me that it takes the pressure off of having to monetize every little thing they become interested in. Having your financial needs taken care of can be quite freeing. My favourite example is a guy I interviewed named Charlie Harper. Charlie is an IT manager by day, but come 5pm, he leaves the office and goes to musical theatre practice. He also sings in an a capella group and he builds furniture and boats on the weekend.

4. The Phoenix Approach: working in a single industry for several months or years and then shifting gears and starting a new career in a new industry.

Some multipotentialites like going deeper in a single industry for longer periods of time. At a certain point, they begin to feel like they’ve learned and experienced all they need to, and are ready for a new adventure. At that point, they begin building their skills and connections in a new domain that has piqued their interest, and eventually transition to the new field.

The phoenix is a good metaphor for this kind of multipotentialite because it’s kind of like they reach the end of their “life” in a particular career, burst into flames (or decompose slowly, depending on the interpretation of the myth) and are reborn from the ashes to embark on a new career.

By the way, it is totally possible to be a hybrid of two or more of these work models. Feel free to mix and match these approaches and customize them to your heart’s content.

And since you asked, right now I’m using the Group Hug Approach (my business/online community, Puttylike, is extremely multifaceted. I feel like I’m switching hats all week long, going from writing to speaking to developing courses, to coaching, to design… I also get to focus on topics as varied as work, creativity, mental health, fear, etc.), but I definitely have phoenix tendencies, too. Check in with me in ten years and I bet I’ll be doing something very different (wink wink).

Jenn: Thanks so much for sharing your unique gifts so that we can embrace our puttylike nature. How can we find out more about your work?

Emilie: Thanks Jenn! You can learn more about my new book at HowtoBeEverything.com. And if you’d like to check out the community and blog, head over to Puttylike.com and say hi!

Stay tuned next week for Part 2 of Emilie’s interview where she’ll talk about productivity hacks for multipotentialites, how to get over Imposter Syndrome, and how to lead with your gifts.

Emilie Wapnick is a writer, artist, career coach and community leader. She is the Founder and Creative Director at Puttylike, where she helps multipotentialites (people with many passions, skills, and creative pursuits) integrate all of their interests to create dynamic, fulfilling and fruitful careers and lives.

Emilie has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, The Financial Times, The Huffington Post and Lifehacker. Her TED talk, Why Some of Us Don’t Have One True Calling has been viewed over 3 million times and translated into 36 languages.​

I’m dating myself, but when I first started my business in 2003 there wasn’t social media like we know it today. Facebook didn’t exist yet (gasp!), blogs were just starting to help folks find kindred spirits online, and there was no iPhone to give us instant access to anything under the sun right from the palm of our hand – geez, how did we ever survive?! 😉 haha.

In order to find my community and clients I did tons of in-person networking. While it was draining for this introvert, I enjoyed making some wonderful connections (some that have lasted strongly to this day, including friendships and referrals). It was about the quality not the quantity.

Yes, it’s super-awesome to be able to connect with people from around the world. I’m ever so grateful for the relationships that have blossomed in our global right-brain community.

There’s something to be said, though, about periodically powering down and hanging out with people in real-life, too, right?

If you’ve been feeling caught in the frenzy of our fast-paced world, isolated despite your plethora of Facebook “friends,” or distracted by the never-ending feed of enviable Instagrams, viral videos, or political posts, you’re not alone.

I’ve been talking about this topic a lot lately with clients, cohorts, and colleagues. It seems many of us are yearning to kick it old school and slow down, savor, and connect more deeply with others.

Besides, it’s good for your creative spirit AND it’s good for business.

When you’re in real-time, face-to-face conversations, you can more readily gauge how your core message lands. You can develop more intimacy and trust in a shorter amount of time, especially when there’s safe space for vulnerability and authenticity like in a workshop or retreat. There’s a shared visceral experience that seeps into your bones in a way that doesn’t always translate as profoundly online and that can create a powerful shorthand for future interactions both virtually and in-person.

Plus, it’s nourishing at a soul-level to relate heart-to-heart and be truly “seen.”

With all of the chaos and noise going on right now, how can you make time for more real-life connection either with clients, friends, colleagues, or even strangers (who knows they might become pals or even customers at some point)?

To help spark some ideas, here are a few things I’ve been putting into practice. I invited a few friends to do vision boards with me. I’ve been going on walks with friends and meeting up for lunch or tea. I signed up for art classes at a studio just down the hill from my house. I’ve worked with a couple of clients at my studio and I’m also planning to do some workshops.

You could also write a client or a friend a handwritten note to share your gratitude rather than sending an email or text. You could attend a networking meeting or a class and aim to just make one heart-felt connection. You could volunteer at a local non-profit for a cause you care about.

What kind of in-person connection are you craving? And how can you bring more of that into your life and business?

With the end of the year upon us, I highly encourage you to carve out some quiet reflection time to acknowledge your learnings, accomplishments, and milestones from the year. I’m sharing one of my favorite year-end review tools – the Exploding Box.

You can click here to sign-up for a replay of a fun, interactive video I did awhile back that walks you through this creative activity.

I’ve made this project super-easy for you (no measuring required!! Yay!). The accompanying booklet includes a supply list, simple cut out templates, coaching questions to help you reflect on your year, and step-by-step instructions to make your Exploding Box.

Even if you’ve done the Exploding Box exercise before, it’s worth coming back to because you’ll end up with a wonderful tangible keepsake of your year.

By the way, if you do make a box, please send us pics or tag me – I’m @jennlee on Instagram. Looking forward to your celebrating your year with you!

Thanksgiving is coming up and that means I’ll be indulging in some yummy food and reflecting on all that I’m thankful for.

Practicing an attitude of gratitude is a great right-brain booster and helps me appreciate all of the good stuff in my life, especially when I’m going through a rough patch or life feels more challenging than usual.

Here are a few fill-in-the-blanks to help prompt your attitude of gratitude:

• I’m grateful for…
• I don’t know what I’d do without…
• My life would be dull if it weren’t for…
• The following people make my life richer…because they… (these could be people your personally know or people who simply inspire you)
• I appreciate the following things about myself…
• This year I’ve been blessed with…

I’d love to hear what you’re grateful for! Either share in the comments or email me at info@artizencoaching.com.