Renaissance Soul

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So as I stated in previous posts, I sometimes feel like a hybrid of many interests that I love: sort of having my feet in 12 different interests and feeling the pressure in society to pick just one passion. But, I have noticed that when I just focus on art or the world of education, I feel this giant void of passion and community in my life that Austin Kleon of Steal Like an Artist calls "a phantom limb pain.

After writing that post, I started reading Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One. This book was written for people like me that feel like the narrowing down of 12 passions to just one feels like the world's idea of a cruel joke. However, in the book the author educates the reader on finding the four interests in his life that the reader should pursue further through a series of exercises in the book:

Here is my list:

1. Networking in the art and education/technology world for opportunities to learn more
2. Study for my Art Education Certification Test to fully engage and blend opportunities in both the art world and education world
3. Find time to photograph
4. Time with my community

It's funny, after I made this list I realized how much my friends and family were already embedded in my Renaissance style life. I do art with my friends. I photograph my family. I have developed community with other artists and teachers. I am friends with teachers of the visually impaired and technology specialists. I did these things the whole time I was worried about picking just one thing. My 4 passions are starting to seep together into a beautiful mosaic called meaning and purpose with my family and best friends as shining stars in the process. They are in it with me.

Anyway, the more I have tried to put my life into different categories, the more I realize when I bring my community (family and friends) into my passions with me, the more alive I feel. :)