No More Well-Rounded People

Looking for jobs as a “creative type” can be really discouraging—outside of the fact there are not that many out there. Companies post openings and as you read through the requirements, you are mentally checking the boxes to see how qualified you are:

Bachelor’s degree. Check.

2-years of experience in professional industry environment. Kind of.

Excellent working knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, InDesign. Check.

Proficient working knowledge of HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, and other front-end web technologies. No.

Working knowledge of Final Cut Pro, After Effects, and Motion. No.

Solid communication skills. I hope so…

In a world that preaches a “well-rounded” upbringing pitted alongside a culture that values the ability to do a wide-variety of skills at a high capacity, it can feel overwhelming, especially for creatives.

Today, if you cannot be an all-in-one, one-stop-shop, clients will move onto someone more skilled. This causes many creatives to spend much of their time learning programs and techniques just to keep up with others rather than focusing on the skill set that makes them unique.

Enter Dr. Henry Cloud.

Recently, I listened to a talk by Dr. Cloud from this past year’s Leadercast. His talk revolved around the idea of simplicity in what an organization does by cutting things that might be good but are not the best for growth in the future. His big idea was a question that is difficult to ask in many organizations: what needs to end?

It is a scary question to ask, especially if you are a freelance artist. Because questions begin an assault on your mind:

If I stopped playing shows at the local bar how would anyone ever hear my music?

If I cut the time I spend editing wedding videos how will I ever add to my reel?

If I don’t teach painting lessons anymore how am I going to pay rent?

The questions are real, and that is what makes them scary.

But what if, instead of trying to “keep up with cultural norms,” we decided to reinvent them? What if we reimagined the way creatives approached how we were wired?

What if, instead of trying to be “one-stop-shops” all by ourselves, we decided to create a community of artists from different spheres and joined a network of like-minded individuals who could play a specific role in the project?

What if, instead of being average at a host of different programs and techniques, we specialized in two or three areas? What if we put all of our time and effort into become masters of what we believed to be our craft?

What if our goal was to be the best creative in our industry? People would tap us not because we can do everything, but because no one else can do what we do better than we can do it.

The only way this can be possible is by refining the things we believe we should be doing and focusing on the things we ought to be doing. It is going through the difficult exercise of prioritizing my unique skill-set above everything else. Then, filtering everything I do through the lens of “Does that line up with my vision of who I am wired to be?”

This question forces you to acknowledge your strengths, weaknesses, skills, and future in light of every project or opportunity. It brings clarity and gives freedom to answer “No”— a word missing from many creative’s vocabulary.

Then and only then will you become better at what you want to do better, begin to carve your niche in the ever-changing market, and grow into the creative you are wired to be.

If you have never been given permission to say “No,” I want to give you that permission. If you have always held onto something because it was your safety net, I want to challenge you to let it go. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by the evolution of culture, I want to encourage you to take a breath.

You have been created to create beautiful, inspiring works of art unlike anyone before or after you. Discover what makes you unique and invest in it. If you do, you will be surprised how many people are looking for what you have to offer.

Let’s stop being “well-rounded” people. Starting now.