When I submit guest articles or speaker bios, it usually ends with something like this:
Cory Huff is an actor, storyteller, director, and photographer living in Portland, Oregon.
What does that mean? I thought I’d share a little more with you.
Actor/Director
I’ve been acting since I was in 4th grade. In high school I was in a touring Shakespeare troupe that performed all over Utah. I’ve done plays, films, commercials, and web tv shows. Theater was my introduction to the arts. I still perform regularly and will be playing Bottom in an upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I also direct plays probably once a year or so, and I hope to be doing that more often.
Storyteller
When I moved to Portland in 2007, I encountered personal narrative story telling through Portland Story Theater, and began telling stories with them and other groups. In 2012 I wrote and performed my first hour-long one-man show. Story telling is different from acting. It’s more honest and requires more improv skill, and I love it.
Photographer
My interest in photography took off when my wife and I started traveling more. That image of the pigeon pooping on the statue is one of my favorite photographs (yes, I still have a 12 year old sense of humor). I’m hoping to do my first solo show in 2017. I’ve been hesitant to show my photography here because so many of you are such amazing photographers and I’m such a newbie, but I do identify as a photographer.
A few of my favorite images (click to enlarge).
Of course, on top of the artistic things that I do:
- I run The Abundant Artist
- I act as dungeon master for my gaming group
- I’m a husband
- I volunteer with youth at church
- I have an obsession with food: cooking, eating, writing reviews on Yelp
All of the things that I do are fulfilling in their own way, and I don’t want to give up any of them.
In 2008 I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do to make money. In my life, I have held MANY different jobs. A coworker tried to say that he’d held more jobs than me. I laughed. In my life, in addition to my artistic pursuits, I have done the following jobs: roofing, fast food, roadie for bands, secretarial work, handing out promotional materials at concerts and conventions, putting up posters, and several sales jobs in utilities, advertising and software. I’m probably forgetting a few things.
So why am I sharing these things with you?
I wanted to let you know that I get it. I’m a scanner, or renaissance soul, or multipotentialite like you. I’ve had so many artists tell me that they can’t get over the idea that they were meant to be more than one thing, and that’s great!
You don’t have to pick one thing. You can make a living from one thing, or multiple things. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do. Its up to you to decide.
The Multipassionate Must-Haves Bundle is Back
Every year for the last 4 years, I’ve teamed up with Michelle Ward and Emily Wapnick to promote a bundle of stuff that every multipotentialite would find useful.
Here’s how it works: 10 of the most passionate, successful multipotentialites that I know will be contributing an individual product to the bundle. I think the total value this year is going to be over $1500!
Your cost will be $97. $10 of that goes to Michelle’s anti-cancer team sponsored by Avon.
The sale lasts for 72 hours, starting May 12, 2016.
Contributors for the bundle are some of my very favorite people, including:
- Tiffany Han, business & branding coach, and hilariously awesome person
- Scott Barlow, career coach at Happen to Your Career
- Jennifer Lee, the Artizen Coach
- Mayi Carles, a “tiny artist with a T-Rex Heart”
- Beth Maiden of Little Red Tarot
- Amy Ng of Pikaland
- Michelle Nickolosian, creater of The Freelancer Planner
- Paula Jenkins, life coach and founder of the Jumpstart Your Joy podcast
- Jason & Jeremy of Internet Business Mastery Academy (Jason is a close personal friend and a hugely influential mentor)
- Jennifer Louden, personal growth pioneer
- Michelle Ward, aka The When I Grow Up Coach
- Emilie Wapnick, founder of Puttylike
- Me, Cory Huff!
If you want to be on the early notification list for the bundle, click here:
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Emily’s epic TED talk on why you might not have just one true calling. It’s been viewed more than 2.7 million times.
I watched this video and the Ted Talk video with Emily. What this young woman had to say has just now, at this very moment changed my life. I didn’t see anywhere or, here what her last name is. I would love to know that. I now proudly label myself as a multipotentialite! Not understanding this about myself….I’ve unknowingly allowed this to be one of the things holding me back. I’ve told many people that unless you are willing to recognize/realize, explore, and, acknowledge the problem areas or faults in your life (to yourself) then you will never be able to overcome or eliminate them. I keep hearing the lyrics in my head now…another one bites the dust. Thank you Cory and, thank you Emily.
Emily’s last name is Wapnick. You can find her at Puttylike.com.
I’m a multipod too, always have been. I have too many passions to list here but most of them are some kind of creative 🙂 I’ve gone against a lot of business coach advice by refusing to focus on only one thing. It isn’t in my nature, I get frustrated and bored if I try.
Really love this post, I think this is one of the most important things any creative mind can and should read.
I am so passionate about wildlife, conservation, activism, history, travel, health, wellness and psychology (newly added to actually help me). To pick One thing to do, Only, seems like such a sad decision.
Over the past few years I have combined art with wildlife & conservation. They are my two biggest passions in life. However, understanding health, wellness and my own psychology helps me be not only a better artist but overall citizen of the world.
Having a mind that is non stop, seems hurtful to pick only one thing to do. The only thing I have found difficult, in a good way, to do is focusing on one thing at a time.
Always learning. Always growing. Never stopping.
I was a martial arts coach, advertisement writer, author, creative director, tourist guide, mosaic portrait artist… The worst advice I have got from a top qualified lifecoach was, to focus on one thing! I did it for a year and this was the most miserable year of my life. The point is, what you Cory pointed out, one thing can lead to another one and this is so true. You should more often speak and write about this topic, because your insights are really cool. Best regards from Slovenia!
Thanks Robert!
Funny…
I first wanted to be an archaeologist, then a veterinary, then a violin builder, then an engineer. I went to work twice with a vet, and some of what he did to cows made me drop theidea… I became an engineer. I loved it. Started a business, stressed out, went bankrupt… i have taught french classes, cooking, imported andsold jewelry from sout america… Now I teach martial arts, zen, and do mosaics, the latter strongly influenced by roman mosaicists, so I guess somehow the first influence of archaeology…
Very interesting! Love your story and thanks for sharing!
Hi Cory! I’m so thrilled to be a fellow MPMH “bundler” (is that we’re called? LOL!) and multipotentialite. I can relate to all of what you’ve said about not picking just one thing. I am a life coach AND podcaster and love improv, oh the list goes on.
Yay! Paula
Very cool to know; particularly for parents.
Very cool to know; particularly for parents! Thank you!
I’ve always felt to tug of different interests and different projects, this definitely ramped up when I became more involved in church, and again when we started a family!
Thanks so much for your articles and podcasts on this topic, they inspired me to write a post over on my site:
http://www.tolcraft.com/?p=416 if you guys are interested.
well this video removed all my doubts about myself completely m much happier now 🙂
This is a great post! I’ve held tons of jobs too and I think the various experiences has helped me in future positions. I’ve worked in radio on the production side, then retail, then call center for satellite tv, bank, brokerage firm, worked front desk at a hotel, claims adjuster, and soon to be estimator! In my spare time, (yeah right, I have no spare time), I’m working to promote my husband’s art, which is what drew me to your site in the first place. Then I saw that you live in Portland, Oregon, which is where me and my husband grew up. We are calling Oklahoma home for now and realizing that his art does not fit this community at all. So now we are trying to do online marketing. Do you have an email list? I’ll add you to my bloglovin and I did post your 18 sites to sell art online onto my Pinterest.
Wow, what a great talk! I had no idea this had a name or that there were so many others like me. All my life I have been interested in so many different things! I’ve always been strongly drawn to creative pursuits (painting, photography, pottery, jewelry making, fiber art) but in school I majored in health and wellness. Very interested in the human body, mechanics, exercise, and yoga. In my professional life I’m a research analyst. LOL. What can I say, I love to learn new things!
Thanks for your post. I can totally resonate with what you speak too. There are no hard and fast rules to life. Apart from not hurting one another. I’m a multi-passionate, multipotential person. I’ve come to embrace this unique identity, and celebrate all that I am. Rather than fraction my life, into bits and laser focus on one area. Because society says so. I’m a poet, writer, medic, artist, healer, coach, dancer, yogi, vegan activist, eclectic spirituality, and so much more. Life is more blissful and enriched when we live and honor all of our passions, as best we can.