Life as a Highly Sensitive Multipotentialite (with Emilie Wapnick)
Are you a highly sensitive person (HSP) with a range of multiple interests? If so, you may have felt sketchy for being unable to commit to one pathway through life.
Emilie Wapnick, founder of Puttylike, supports people with multiple passions in building sustainable and fulfilling lives.
Many highly sensitive person are also multipotentialites. I’d love this introduction to multipotentialism to help fellow gentle rebels consider ways to make this kind of approach to life work for us. Whether you want to make peace with your many passions, build a career that accommodates your sensitivity, or connect with others who “get it,” this introduction to Emilie’s work can help you make sense of life as a highly sensitive multipotentialite.
What is a Highly Sensitive Multipotentialite?
A multipotentialite is someone with multiple interests, talents, and creative pursuits. Rather than focusing on one area of expertise, multipotentialites are naturally drawn to explore and develop a wide range of skills. When combined with the traits of a highly sensitive person—such as deep processing, sensitivity to subtleties, and emotional responsiveness, this can present both unique opportunities and specific challenges.
Emilie coined this term to describe individuals who resist the pressure to “pick one thing” and instead embrace their many passions.
The Strengths of Being Both Highly Sensitive and a Multipotentialite
Multipotentialites who are highly sensitive frequently experience pressure from society to specialise in one area. Nevertheless, possessing both sensitivity and diverse interests can be a remarkable asset, offering a distinctive viewpoint for connecting with others, tackling challenges innovatively, and contributing an empathetic outlook in both work and life. Here’s how:
Creativity & Empathy: With sensitivity and multiple interest areas, you can approach challenges creatively and compassionately. This perspective is increasingly valuable in fields where emotional intelligence and innovative thinking are essential.
Deep Emotional Insight: As an HSP, you likely feel things deeply and may have an intuitive understanding of people and situations. This sensitivity can enhance your work across multiple fields, whether exploring the arts, psychology, business, or technology.
Flexibility and Adaptability: Multipotentialites often excel in roles requiring adaptability and quick learning. Combined with the highly sensitive trait of heightened awareness, you can pick up nuances others may miss, enriching your work and personal projects.
Navigating the Challenges as a Highly Sensitive Multipotentialite
While the benefits are numerous, there are also a bunch of potential obstacles to consider.
Struggling to Find a Fulfilling Career
Emilie emphasises the importance of choosing a path that offers variety and meaning. For a highly sensitive multipotentialite, finding work that aligns with your values and offers emotional satisfaction is crucial. This could mean embracing the Slash Approach (holding multiple part-time roles), which allows you to engage in various interests without feeling bored or stuck.
Overwhelm and Burnout
Highly sensitive multipotentialites can struggle with overstimulation and burnout from juggling multiple projects and the processing demands from their sensitivity. Emilie advises embracing a flexible career path that allows you to switch gears without feeling overwhelmed.
Pressure to Specialise
Society often values specialisation, but multipotentialites may find that forcing themselves into one area feels stifling. Emilie’s concept of the “Renaissance Business” (also known as the “Group Hug Approach”) offers a way to merge multiple interests into a cohesive career. For example, if you love art, therapy, and teaching, consider a creative career path incorporating all three, such as art therapy workshops or coaching.
Practical Strategies for Highly Sensitive Multipotentialites
Based on Emilie’s approach and advice, here are some tailored strategies to help you thrive:
Integrating The Strength of Your Sensitivity
Highly sensitive people often excel in roles requiring empathy, creativity, and detail.
Connect With a Supportive Community
Connecting with other HSPs and multipotentialites can ease feelings of isolation. Finding people who understand the dual nature of your sensitivities and varied interests provides a sense of belonging and encouragement.
Explore Work Models That Offer Flexibility
Emilie’s career models for multipotentialites might help you discover what feels best for you.
The Group Hug Approach
Integrate multiple interests into one job, such as a multi-faceted small business.
The Slash Approach
Have several part-time jobs or side projects that satisfy your diverse skills.
The Einstein Approach
Choose a stable day job that leaves time and energy for personal projects around the edges.
The Serial Approach
Focus intensely on one interest for a period, then switch to a new field.
Passion, Meaning, and Balance
The standard advice to “find your passion” often falls short for highly sensitive multipotentialites who may feel passionate about many things! Emilie encourages people to think of “passions” (plural) rather than trying to choose a single “calling.” Your passion may evolve, and that’s okay! Allow yourself the flexibility to follow what feels right in that moment and remain open to shifting directions.
Does this sound familiar to you? Come and join the conversation inside The Haven community.
Watch The Conversation
This conversation was recorded in June 2014, in the early days of The Haven. I spoke to Emilie again in 2017 about her book, How To Be Everything.
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