PJ Kirby: Jack of all Trades Blog#1
Jack of all trades master of none - a saying that has plagued me since my teens. Growing up, I liked to dip my toes into different disciplines but never wanted to fully submerge myself for fear of missing out on some magic elsewhere. We’re given one life and I wanted to do it all baby. I was younger with healthier knees and a zest for life. Jumping from one obsession to the next wasn’t necessarily reassuring my parents that I would have a stable career, but I couldn’t stop. Starting a new thing was exciting, and for a second I had the potential to be the best in the world at it, that was until I found out about the whole 10,000 thing (you have to spend 10,000 hours at something to achieve expertise) which really threw a spanner in the works. How could I be the best at everything if I had to dedicate so much time to becoming an expert in it? For those who are wondering, yes, I’m a capricorn.
Years went by and the crushing pressure of having to be the best at everything began to dissipate as a new obsession took over. I fell head over heels in love with dance and the way shaking my silly little hips released endorphins in my brain. As I pursued a career in the arts I quickly realised I had to wear many hats. Both literally, especially if it was a Bob Fosse number, and figuratively. I directed how I wanted my routines shot, put together marketing campaigns for my shows and designed websites for my portfolio. When doing these other jobs I felt guilty that I wasn’t focusing all my attention on dancing. It was around this time when I also found out that jack of all trades was not originally a shady dig but an actual complement to describe the one and only William Shakespeare. The playwright was known for hanging around the theatres helping with sets, costumes and directing leading people to start using the full phrase “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” which was shortened over time. This new information kind of unlocked something in my brain. If good old William allowed himself to branch out, why couldn’t I?
Dance was still my number one but I allowed myself to have a few side chicks at the same time. A polyamorous relationship with my creativity if you will. I started writing, acting and playing with different mediums. I started podcasting and performing my own work. Behind the scenes I was learning how to edit, direct and advertise. By no means am I saying I was good at all of this but by casting my net wide I learned where my strengths were and where they weren’t. The jobs I really like doing and the ones I need to build into my budget proposals.
As artists we need to be jack of all trades. Not to specialise in everything but to at least have an understanding and appreciation of everyone's role on a project. In my FRINGE LAB workshops that are powered by Squarespace, the all-in-one platform empowering Creatives with the tools they need to bring their ideas to life, I hope to help artists explore the other roles that surround and support their art.
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