Flow to Go and Multi-Passions
A personal post on why I decided to embrace multiple passions on this website.
A Week of Flow to Go
Last week was hectic. In Australia, August is the month where the coldest snaps run through reminding us that we are still in winter, while sunny days mislead us into thinking spring has already arrived.
Unfortunately August also is at the end of the Northern Hemisphere long summer holidays. In a rush to make the most of this before dealing with new school semesters, a lot of content creators decide that mid-August is the time to go live with virtual summits, new classes, discounted classes and community challenges.
I am currently signed up to two week-long art summits offering up to 40 classes dropped on a daily basis, two full week writing summits or challenges, and several other classes I purchased on early bird or sales discounts. Aside from these, there are short stories and art projects I must produce for local groups.
And of course, there are the usual issues of timezones, and the irritation of everyday chores and appointments.
It sounds...catastrophic. And in most weeks it might well have been.
Despite the sheer busy-ness of the week I felt incredibly in flow. In fact, looking back a few days later I understand how all those tasks naturally aligned into some interesting outcomes in art, writing and thinking.
There's a term which many artists and seniors use, related to that found in several hot tropical countries of 'Island Time'. Another name for this may be to 'Go with the Flow'. Artists know all about flow, especially when they can't find it.
But this last week was something different, a flow which was more about moving quickly from one task to another at a whim, drawn to do something and doing it, dancing between several, using others to rest with.
Rather than going with the flow, I feel last week was more about flowing to the go. I flowed along where my heart wanted to go, and for this week, it worked.
What’s that got to do with this website?
When I first began to actionate creating this website to blog again, I sat a little thunderstruck. Strictly speaking, as a writer’s site, it should be about my books or at least— my writing in preparation for those books. That's the industry, that's the expectation of an author brand.
But that's not me. And without one doubt I knew if I confined myself to that one avatar or side to myself that I would soon lose passion over it. Like many women of a certain age, I'm mindful that my identity is something I must protect and maintain. Previously identity was the label I inherited through a task or a financial need (motherhood or career). Now that I have the time, I choose things (and labels) which make me happy and passionate to continue with. Those are what I now am.
If I'd stopped myself last week from flowing around a multiple of events and tasks, I may have fallen prey to spending effort on prioritisation, planning what I thought I should do, or being too bothered over finishing up one task before starting another.
A lot of the work started last week may not have been started or thought of at all.
For me, the week proved and reminded me of the following -
Embracing my multiple passions leads to a feeling of success, happiness and a sense of balance
Overthinking and overplanning hinders starting new projects and embracing the collision of ideas
I trust that diverse passions will naturally align and therefore reduce my stress
Singular focus - for me - can and does work in particular tasks, but there is room to allow multiple focus for fun, exploration and possible surprises. There is no need to choose one focus over the other. Not if we understand our own flow.
This is why this website contains a lot more than writing. I am the person in front of (not behind) the brand. I reject the social pressure and advice to niche down. Because it's important for me to be whole in front of you.
