Are you a multi-passionate writer?

Are you a multi-passionate writer? 

I certainly am and life for us can be tough. 

When you’re a multi-passionate writer, it can be difficult to find a writing community. In fact, that’s why I started See Jane Write. 

When I moved back to my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, I was looking for a women’s writing group for someone like me who’s a Jane of all trades. I’m a journalist but also a blogger, an essayist, and a poet. I also love teaching, coaching, and public speaking. After two years of searching for my people, I decided to start a community of my own in hopes that my people would find me. 

And it worked! See Jane Write is a community filled with other multi-passionate writers. Our members include poets, novelists, screenwriters, playwrights, journalists, and bloggers. Many of our members are also entrepreneurs starting things like T-shirt businesses or greeting card lines. Some of our members are visual artists too. And we’ve grown beyond Birmingham with members from across the country. 

What is a multi-passionate writer?

A multi-passionate writer is one who has and pursues several different types of creative interests. This may include dabbling in different genres of writing and/or trying out different forms of creative expression. You could, for example, be a writer who also loves to dance, draw, or make music. 

There are many advantages to being a multi-passionate writer. We tend to be very resourceful. We can learn new skills quickly and we know how to turn our passions into profit. It’s because I’m a multi-passionate writer that I have multiple streams of income, which allow me to have financial stability even as a full-time freelance writer. 

Life is rarely boring for the multi-passionate creative because we’re always juggling so many projects. And we usually know how to handle a busy schedule with grit and grace. 

We’re also less likely to fall into creative ruts. For example, one See Jane Write member who was having trouble with a script she was working on decided to take a break from that project to work on some poetry. After spending some time on her poetry project, she was later able to return to the script with renewed motivation and inspiration and quickly finished her first draft.

Being a multi-passionate writer, however, has its downside. You may easily fall prey to shiny object syndrome, so you start projects but never finish anything. Because your attention is so divided, it can be difficult to excel, too. You’re a Jane of all trades but a master of none. 

But See Jane Write has shown me that we multi-passionate creatives can accomplish great things. The members of our community have landed book deals, written for big-name publications, won awards and more.

How to Succeed as a Multi-passionate Writer

Write the vision and make it plain.

Get clear on your long-term vision for your life. What do you want to do, be, and have in the next 5, 10, or 15 years? What role does your writing play in that vision? Use this vision to set specific goals, goals that will help you make your vision a reality. Having these clearly defined goals will help you stay focused and keep you from chasing every proverbial squirrel that crosses your path. 

Start with why.

After you’ve written down your vision, take some time to reflect on why you want these things. Journal about it. And return to this journal entry whenever you need some extra motivation. 

Operate in seasons.

You can have it all, but not all at once. You can do anything, but not everything – at least not all at the same time. Follow Mother Nature’s lead and operate in seasons. Focusing on one goal at a time will help you accomplish things faster. Then you can move on to your next aspiration. 

Get a hobby.

I know what you’re thinking – I’m a multi-passionate. I don’t need another hobby. I’m not suggesting you add something else to your to-do list. Instead, I’m recommending that you allow yourself to let some of your pursuits simply be hobbies. You don’t have to monetize everything you do. It’s OK to do some things just for fun. So maybe you write essays in hopes of getting them published but you write poetry just for yourself. It’s fine to sometimes write simply because you can’t help yourself. 

If you’re a multi-passionate writer looking for a community, consider joining the See Jane Write Collective.