Tuesday, October 23, 2012

On purpose, rhythm, and writing your own damn story



It hasn't escaped my attention that this blog seems a bit neglected as of late, but I hope you all will excuse me for the long silences because for the first time in what I feel like is years, I am going full force after something that I want: a goal, a purpose, a reason. And reaching for that almost unattainable goal, one that makes the tips of your fingers tingle when you feel as if you can almost touch it--it feels really good.

For those of you who don't know, over the past few years, I've been living something of a double life. Yes, there's the photographer and baker (and self-taught-muddling-through-it-sort-of-but-not-really graphic designer) that you know from this blog. But I am also a scholar, a linguist, and an academic (or at the very least, I'm in school to become one). And I am very serious about both lives.

But, the message that I kept hearing all around me was, "You can't do both. You have to choose one. People have one passion, one career, one love, one thing to give everything they've got to. Pick one." I was accused over and over again in academia for not being serious enough, for letting my attention wander (Thankfully, my advisor has never uttered these words to me, even if she may think them, and for that restraint and solidarity, I am incredibly, unspeakably grateful). In the food and photography world, I kept holding back, feeling guilty that I was doing two things, not putting my all into going where I wanted to be, into developing into the artist I wanted to fulfill in my head (My friends had an on-going betting pool to see how long it would take for me to quit academia for photography, which was fun to joke about but wasn't particularly helpful). This requirement that I eventually choose just ONE distressed me greatly, and I wound up wasting time not on scholarly or artistic pursuits but on stressing out, feeling completely paralyzed, that I just didn't know which to give up and that I didn't want to just completely carve out a whole, integral part of my identity and throw it away.

Right about when I was begrudgingly and reluctantly coming to terms that I had to make this hard choice, a few miraculous things happened. First, that workshop I was talking anxiously about in my last post? It was amazing. (I'm self-congratulating a bit because I co-organized it. :)) Though there were the tough moments, like the moment someone asked me the hardest question that you can ask me about my dissertation work (aka: the question you hope in your heart of hearts that no one will ever ask you), everything that happened at the workshop--the good and the ugly--all reminded me again of why I love linguistics and being an academic. It affirmed my feelings that I just do. not. want to give it up, no matter what nay-sayers were telling me. And more than that, it was inspiring: the determination that I came out of that workshop with was, do everything in your power to get there.

Then, a couple days later after the workshop, I attended this panel that was organized by a group for Diversity in the Arts at my school on being a career artist. I didn't go into it expecting much, and I had signed up for it a long time ago, before everything else had gone crazy, so I went anyways. The panel was mostly okay and not very applicable to me, until I met Pireeni Sundaralingam.

Pireeni Sundaralingam is a poet, an accomplished artist with publications, readings, residences at museums, the whole shebang. But crucially, Sundaralingam is also a neuroscientist, a legit, trained-in-the-sciences-at-Oxford-and-worked-at-MIT-and-UCLA-and-holds-an-academic-post scientist. She, my dear readers, is TWO things at the same time. And doing amazingly at both, to boot.

I spoke one-on-one with Sundaralingam as soon as I possibly could after hearing her tell her story at the general panel. I desperately wanted to know, "How is this possible? How do you go through your life and choose BOTH, not settle on just ONE, like everyone tells you to? How do you do it!" Here's what she told me (though I can't recount them as eloquently as she said them):

  1. Make your own story. Just because everyone else might think that there are certain paths that you must take from point A to point B, be your own pilgrim and blaze your own path. It is your story to tell and no one else's, so have the courage to live your own story. And, Sundaralingam said, everyone behind you will thank you, because as you turn around, you'll see that you've just cut out a new path from point A to point B for others that are in the same situation as you.

  2. Be unapologetic. There will always be the nay-sayers. But again, don't let them write your story for you, and don't let them make you feel bad for writing your own story. At the end, you'll be the one who's won.

  3. Find your rhythm. Balancing more than one passion isn't going to be easy. It's harder than just having one thing. But, as evidenced by Sundaralingam, it's achievable. The key, according to Sundaralingam, is to find the rhythm between the two parts and to rely on that rhythm.

Meeting Sundaralingam and hearing her advice was invaluable to me. It's so rare to meet people who are practicing academics and scholars but who also have something else that is an equal part of their identity. I am sure these people exist--and that there are more of them than I realize--but it's rare to meet them and to discuss these things publicly since to have two (or more!) parts of your life that you're 110% serious about is so stigmatized. Wherever you all are, if you're out there, I want to hear from you, because we need each others' support!

So where does this leave me? After these few roller coaster weeks, here I am, learning to unapologetically go for what I want, the life that I want to live. Of course, I haven't found my rhythm yet! Psh, that will take years, no doubt, and patience is something that--though it doesn't come so naturally to me--I need to remind myself to have. I hope you'll all have patience with me and with this blog, too, as I try to figure things out. For the first time in a long while, I don't feel paralyzed anymore. I feel as though I know what I have to do, and that Purpose (with a capital "P") is so empowering. So, I'll be back. The photographs and the desserts (and the sort-of-crummy-but-I'm-learning design) will be back. Just be patient. I'm working on that rhythm.

x, Stephanie


83 comments:

  1. Emma @ Poires au ChocolatOctober 23, 2012 at 9:21 AM

    I LOVE THIS. For obvious reasons! I'm so pleased I'm back at Oxford and decided to (try to) balance too.


    I'm also thrilled that things are loosening up for you. & of course we'll be patient - your posts are always worth the wait.

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  2. I'm cheering for you. What an inspirational read - I have no doubt you'll succeed at finding your rhythm and leading an incredibly fulfilling life. :)

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  3. Ahh! I hear you in this post!

    I've always been a user experience designer and a writer, all at once, and I've felt exactly the same. In my time as a UX Designer, I've always thought I wasn't quite good enough for it; like some part of my personality didn't fit "the mould" (whatever that is) that a UX designer should have, that I wasn't serious enough about it (though I was), and that my peers looked down on me for it. Amongst my UX Designer friends in school, I was always frowned upon for being such a stickler for words, phrases, and how we verbally communicated our projects. In that world the only form of communication that's valued is your final project - the design itself. Things like words and photographs are always second place, and so who cares?

    At the same time, I've always been a writer, but it's something I have trouble owning up to. It's always been a strength of mine, and I've been able to pursue it professionally with some success. However, in the times I've worked as a professional writer, I've always caught the nagging thought in the back of my mind: "couldn't you be using this time to become a less horrible UX Designer?" And so, I don't do anything - no writing, and no designing - because I feel too guilty.

    I've more or less come to this same conclusion on my own. Seeing all the people around me as UX designers, and as writers, who have another passion made me feel less guilty about it. It's completely normal. I write for a blog, and my co-author is not only one of the most gifted writers I know, but a crack web developer. One of the best designers I met in design school was a geographer.

    The key, I think, is realizing how one passion informs the other; what Sundaralingam refers to as the "rhythm" of your passions. For me, the more I write, the better a designer I become. When I write, it gives my mind a rest from designing - without allowing my mind to fall into a dormant, nonworking state - which allows me to take a second look at my designs with a fresh mind and set of eyes. And surely, it's the same for you. In the design world, we call this putting an idea "on the back burner" so to speak, while you cook another pot. It's not a bad thing at all. It's a really healthy thing!

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  4. This is so inspirational! I am so young and in my final year of university, deciding which path I will take is so difficult.. I wonder whether to pursue my dream in patisserie or keep it as a hobby.. But this is an eye opener, thank you :)


    Firdaus

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  5. I am a molecular biologist, I work full time in a imaging company in the
    South Bay, I write a food blog and have the naughty-ist toddler and grumpy husband at home
    :-) But I feel I learned to manage things around me ( it took a while but I think I am swimming my way against the waves) and once a while a
    pep talk from achievers like the Dr. Sundralingam would make me feel better. So thanks to you for this post.
    Even you are someone whom I look upto in the blogging/ photography world. I have heard such great things about you and had a chance to glance
    through the Sated magazine. What an amazing work!!!! Your friends and
    family must be so proud of you.

    I really needed to hear this. I have heard people tell that to me too. Choose one or you may not succeed in anything. I have been through phase where I doubted my ability and whether I am overdoing things beyond the limit I can handle it.

    So cheer up and I am so certain you will succeed at all your ventures. Warm hugs!

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  6. I loved reading this post! I've struggled with this too, as I sometimes wish I had "one thing" that was my identity - but I have too many interests. I find Sir Arthur Conan Doyle inspiring, because not only did he write the Sherlock Holmes stories, but he was also a physician, historian, whaler, athlete, war correspondent, spiritualist, did his own detective work, etc etc. I'm sure you'll conquer both because you love doing both!

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  7. I can't help but reply YAY! to this post. I'm a PhD candidate but I'm also a blogger/baker/writer/photographer/crazy person. And defining myself as one without the other is just pointless. I read an article once in Intelligent Life about polymaths and the genius of people like Edmund Halley. I decided after that I was going to aim to be one. Never mind the naysayers.

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  8. I've been a bystander reader for a few months, but this post was so genuine and heartfelt that I had to comment. I also feel that pull between a professional (in my case, academic in yours) and artistic/creative direction in life and am trying to find the balance between the two. Maybe they will intersect at one point in my life or they may continue to exist in separate lives, but I completely believe that diverse interests and skills give you more depth and strength overall. Kudos to your Purpose and I look forward to following along with your baked goods and self-discovery!

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  9. Good on you. I say if you have more than one thing you love then you are very lucky. I do a job I don't like because I'm too practical and perhaps too scared to change. I would love to work in the artistic field but I kind of talk myself out of it. I've never really known my true direction so for you to have two things that you love doing - what a bonus. I wish I was brave enough like you to follow my dreams - eg quit work, study photography haha.

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  10. Thank you for this post, this is exactly the position I'm in at the moment! I didn't know how to get a job using my degree (which I complete next year) as I'm torn between following a 'sensible' academic path, or going and trying out something that will be less stable but that I'm truly passionate about. After chatting with an advisor at uni I thought why not do both, what's stopping me? So now the aim is to get a job where I can do the sciency things I like and am good at, while taking a shot at my writing and cooking during my free time. You shouldn't have to give up on things you love, they all add up to make you the unique person you are! Good luck with them both! Alex xx

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  11. What a great post! I am so pleased that you now feel free to follow both of your passions.
    I believe that we should all do what we are passionate about and if you have more than one passion then they both need attention for you to feel whole. In my experience if you turn your back on one it will keep nagging you until you take notice. I'm sure that you will find the rhythm soon.

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  12. Anita@braisedanatomy.comOctober 23, 2012 at 2:33 PM

    I feel you Steph! It's so easy to want to fall into an established paradigm, not necessarily because it works better but because people are adamant that you can't do it your unfamiliar way. But it is exactly that, doing what no one else wants to try, that makes the new memorable things no one's ever heard of. I'm trying to write a blog post about a similar thing, having some trouble coming up with the words but this post is inspiring! <3 Thanks big blog sis.

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  13. I love this post and how raw and true to yourself you want to be, and already are. I have full faith and confidence in you and am very proud of you. Can't wait to watch you find your rhythm. :)

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  14. I've been a longtime follower but never commented until now, because your post rings true for me too! I've just left a "traditional" career path that I disliked (it was my second time in the field, too - and I disliked it the first time, so you'd think I would have learned!!) and am instead pursuing my true love of art and photography. However, I also have an academic background in literature and have struggled with feeling like I have to choose one - do I become a scholar, or do art? (And the field I just left has nothing to do with any of these things, but felt pressured to do it because it was a traditional, "normal" sort of path). So instead, I'm combining my studies and thesis work with art, and find myself just exploding with new ideas the further I get into it. I'm able to better understand the concepts I've studied through my artwork, and vice versa -- I think it's very much like the rhythm you talk about. Simply finding your path and sticking to it, regardless of what other people think. It's SO hard to go against status quo - and unfortunate that that's the case - but so worth it. The world can only benefit from the authenticity, honesty and integrity that comes with doing what you're meant to do. Good luck to you! I adore your work -- and thanks for sharing your thoughts.
    cheers

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  15. this is a wonderful post and I'm so glad you didn't give up on one path for the other. Your photography is inspiring and I'm sure you're equally successful in your other passion.

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  16. I just wanted to say that a photography teacher at my school, who was filling in last fall, is a fashion photographer AND an astrophysicist. :) And a professor at the university. And equally brilliant at both. Just wanted to share. And your photographs are beautiful and inspirational! Amy

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  17. oh I can so much relate to this!!! i work in the finance sector, have a personal fitness and nutrition business on the side and write my blog (http://fitundgluecklich.net - where I share mostly recipes) - its hard to balance it all, but I just can't decide which one I like most to settle for just one thing!! you are definitely on the right way IMO!! ;-) have a great day!!

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  18. Dear Stephanie, you can't imagine how happy reading this post of yours has made me this morning. I'm also in my way to be an academic, and I do also have lots of other passions. I love writing, cooking, drawing, surfing...I feel everyday just the same pressure you talk about, but I guess I succumbed earlier, and for a few months I've let the academy be mostly my focus relegating everything else. Although, on the one hand, this has brought about a few conferences and publications, which is incredibly good at both the proffessional and personal levels; on the other hand, it has also made me feel anxious. I love the academic world, and I love my field of research, but I also think that it is really sad to consign your life to doing one thing only. I've been struggling with all these ideas/feelings and after reading your post, I've found the strength to go an try again to fulfill more than one dream. So thanks for sharing! And I wish you all the best! Hope to read you soon!

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  19. This post is so beautifully honest. It was a pleasure to read it and also all the comments. It fascinates me how many people are holding more than one passion and try to balance them all out. I thought I had to decide between PR and design, but maybe I find a way to live both of my talents?

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  20. i think if you read the comments.. you know there are a lot of us who feel the same way... and honestly that is what most of us aspire to.. how we succeed, and how we go about it.. is best answered by Pireeni Sundaralingam ...its all about "making your own story".... so.. thank you for such an honest post!! :)

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  21. The people who tell you that you can't follow your passions, whatever they may be and wherever they lead you, are just envious because they don't have them.

    Let us not forget that being able to explore our intelligence and creativity is a luxury. What makes the world rich and varied is their expression, particularly when its source is a person whose interests takes them to different places and thoughts.

    Bravo!

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  22. Sarah | Curious CuisiniereOctober 24, 2012 at 7:18 AM

    Beautiful, true words. So many of us are in this same place, being pulled by multiple passions and not sure how to "choose," as you say. I think for me it is the being unapologetic part that is most difficult. It can be so hard to keep pressing when others tell you that you can't. It is refreshing to hear about people like Sundaralingam who are succeeding in blazing their own path and encouraging to hear such honesty from you and the others commenting
    who are striving for that. It is so great to know that we are not alone
    in our search for more and that we can strengthen each other.

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  23. I love this post! Thank you for writing about a topic that influences so many of us. It is hard to pick just one but the truth is that many people aren't that diverse in their interests. They don't have multiple categories where they want to go 110%. My father often talks with great respect about the rare "10 ten people" who have many areas where they excel. His admiration for those people reminds me that it is unique to be gifted in many areas. It isn't something that should be a stressor but a desire. I think it is great you have decided to pursue both your passions. It is a shame you have been given so much grief about it by so many people.

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  24. Get it, girl! Great post.

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  25. Yo go girl! You have the talent and the drive to do -- and excel at -- both, and who knows, I'll bet that someday the two might even intersect.

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  26. Thank you for explaining us this. It was inspiring for people - like me - who are looking for their path to follow :)

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  27. Thank you sooo much for sharing, Stephanie. Your post is important to those of us who have more than one passion. Albeit I'm a towheaded American, I spoke only Japanese until age 5. And the first 17 years of my life were spent in Tokyo. (Sprinkled in with summer trips to see my grandma, Nona and my tennis superstar mom in the US.) Serving as a cultural liaison of sorts via my NinjaBaking.com blog and my 'tween novel about a girl who loses her parents in the tsunami are both equally important to me. Juggling the task of learning about the business of blogging and devoting time to the hours dedicated to writing a novel has been a challenge. But a good one. It is wonderful to meet up with the rare yes-sayers like Sundaralingam. And David Hyner from the UK who has researched the patterns of the truly successful who apparently have the common pattern of rising above "practical goal setting" and set "big, hairy goals." Your photography and your writing are exquisite, Stephanie. Undoubtedly you are an equally talented scholar. 頑張って下さい。Go for it! =)

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  28. Pick one. The wisdom from the poet/academic you met is spot on. I am still steadfastly pursuing two paths at the same time. They have overlap now in my blog because I needed for them to live together, which thankfully is something they could do. What I think your desire for both involves is drive, discipline and stores of passion (as well as devices to kickstart the passion when the doldrums set in). I'm with you. I pick two.

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  29. Stephanie, my heart is just filled with so much love and admiration for you. I also am an artist and scholar and have faced these same issues since I was a little girl. I was always made to choose and never left to just live my life. I needed to read this. I needed to be reminded that just because my focus isn't on one specific thing, that doesn't mean I'm not living a focused life. I can't wait to see where life takes you!

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  30. yes! I agree with you completely about living a focused life versus only focusing on one specific thing.

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  31. :) emma-- we need to start a cross-atlantic academic bakers/writers/photographers club.

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  32. It's a relief to hear that I'm not the only one who's struggled with paralyzing guilt. I definitely agree with you that each passion will inform the other. It's a balance that is hard, but so, so important.

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  33. yay, I hope it was helpful and that you'll find your way!

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  34. Vijitha - I can't imagine doing everything you're doing *and* having a family! The whole family aspect always amazes me about strong women. :)


    I'm glad we met at the ScharffenBerger tour. Looking forward to running into you again!

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  35. <3 your reference to Doyle. If only we could all be like him! or even like Holmes. :)

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  36. Yay, too! I'm always so happy to meet other PhD students who balance other aspects of their lives. I think it creates much (mentally) healthier scholars.

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  37. Thank you for commenting and for reading! I'm rooting for the best for your multiple interests, too. :)

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  38. Haha, I am *far* from brave, but it's something I'm trying to actively work on. I'm always talking myself out of things, so I have to keep reminding myself not to do so. We can work on being braver together! :)

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  39. You're so lucky that you're in an academic field where it's 'sensible' to take the academic path! In my field, the academic path is so risky, what with the uni job market being the way it is. So even if I want it badly, I'm not ever guaranteed to have an academic career. :( But! I'm so glad that you're able to, and that you have a supportive advisor who says "go do both!" That's the mark of a great advisor.

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  40. Anita - I'm always amazed at you med students, balancing your food and blog loves AND learning how to save lives. :D

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  41. I've been neglecting my google reader lately but I happened by it today and this post caught my eye. I'm so glad it did. It made me feel reaffirmed. I've felt for an awful long time that "picking one" has to be wrong. How can I do just one thing? It feels one dimensional. For me anyway. And I think there are many many others out there who feel the same way. For the last three years I've been lucky enough to own my own business and earn a living from both of my passions - one of which I'm formally trained in and the other in which I'm self taught. And I've managed to make my niche in both of them with a third love: food. Everyone asks me what the hardest part of it is and I always answer "balancing". Goodness knows I haven't figured it out yet but it is getting easier and once you have that moment where you realize you can do both, it frees up your mind to get on with it - and that definitely helps. I wish you all the best with your journey. I guarantee it will be rewarding :)

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  42. What you said about the world benefiting from authenticity, honesty, and integrity = YES. I'm so happy that you're able to put together your background in literature and your love of art now! I keep holding out hope that one day my academic and artistic pursuits will coincide.

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  43. WHAT! Who is this amazing person?

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  44. Elena,
    Academia is a tough one. It sort of demands that you pay it all of your whole life and more, so I understand how hard it is to do anything but feel as though you've "succumbed" to it. But hopefully it's doable--to have more than just academia AND still succeed in the field. Granted, my conference and publication record is only oookay and could be much better for a candidate of my position, but you know--I think I'm okay with that. The work I have done is good, and I still feel as though I've lived a life that I won't look back years from now and regret not having done something more. Just keep on going, and hopefully it will turn out for the best for both of us! :D

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  45. Yes, I've loved all of the comments on this post so far! It's inspiring to see so many with multiple passions in life.

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  46. I love how many of us there are out there, trying to make our own stories. :)

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  47. Yes. definitely. It's so hard not to be apologetic, and it gets so overbearing to constantly apologize for just being yourself. We need to stop doing this so much and just own up to who we are! :D

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  48. I like the way your father thinks!

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  49. Yes! I'm hoping for that day. :D

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  50. Thank you for reading!

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  51. ありがとう! I need to go look up David Hyner's work!

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  52. I love hearing from people who are well on their way to finding ways to meld multiple passions into one life. It's comforting to hear that people are able to do it, despite all of the elbow grease and hard work and struggle along the way.

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  53. I appreciate this immensely. My own two love are airplanes (both mechanics and piloting) and a wide variety of the visual arts. Apparently, I need to think abstractly or in a straight line depending on the world I am in. It seems that people want to find their identity in what they do instead of bringing their identity to everything that they do. I think this is because so many people are not comfortable with the parts of themselves that they do not know. I do not always know how I will be both, but I take great pleasure in thinking of myself as an [female] artist-mechanic regardless of which one I am doing.


    The secret that many people ignore is to know yourself. Know your limits. Then, when someone comes with a definition of who you are and tells you 'this is who you are and nothing more or less', it will not matter very much because you know already if it is true or not. If someone sets a limit and it is short of what you know you can do, it will not stick. The danger is in ever accepting limitations given by people who do not know their own.


    Sorry, I get passionate about this and then I get carried away. Thank you for articulating so well this problem. You can totally do both, but it may be messy for awhile. Get 'em!

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  54. Coincidence or not? Either way I thank you for your post that I stumbled across today. It's helped me realize that I share the company of many other people reworking their careers and lives into something outside the traditional "one-bucket" definition. I started in chemistry and professional writing, worked many years in marcomm for various industries and now am back to being a student pursuing my passions in photography and food. I appreciate and understand your struggle in developing a new formula, to put all the parts of what you love into something that's understandable to others. I wish you the best in your efforts and can't wait to hear more about your ongoing evolution.

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  55. Stephanie,
    congratulations on discovering that you can take your own path, even if it means taking two roads at the same time. I was mainly inspired to comment, however, because of your comments about being a "sort-of, crummy" designer. You ARE a designer! I'm an illustrator and graphic designer (at least that's what my BFA degree says), and your graphic design juxtaposed with your gorgeous photography and delicious recipes are what immediately drew me to your blog, and I get excited every time I see it pop up in my inbox with a new post. Don't let anyone tell you that you're not a designer, including yourself! You are an artist, and a very talented one. Good luck with all that you are doing.

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  56. This is so awesome and inspiring to read! As someone who is getting overwhelmed by everything around her, this post just brightened my day and made me realize that if I want something in life, I have to go get it--and I can get multiple things if I just put my effort into it.

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  57. Great post! I'm happy for you :)

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  58. Dear Stephanie,
    Wow, I'm so happy that I (needing a break from my own dissertation) clicked over to your blog today (and it reminded me that I really should visit more often!). I so strongly identify with your situation being in academia myself, and, like you, accused sometimes of not being "serious enough" because I take a more artistic, holistic approach, and am always trying to balance my research with my passion for cooking, photography, storytelling, and such. I haven't yet found my own rhythm, though I too feel like I can't let any of these things go, I care too much about them all. So, I spend a lot of time feeling guilty instead of taking pleasure in the fact that I enjoy all these things. But, it's amazing both to read your post and the comments of others who are having similar experiences and getting the strength to try to believe again that I can carve my own path that includes many things I love, and that I can do it well without always being exhausted by worrying I should be focusing on whichever thing it is that I'm not doing at the time!

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  59. love it. Best to you, lovely lady! You'll be great at everything you put your mind to in this time. I just know it.

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  60. Elaine -- Thank you for this comment! I love your point about how people try to force identity rather than being true to themselves. Also: "The danger is in ever accepting limitations given by people who do not know their own." = YES. Or, even, in accepting limitations given by people who try to impose their own limitations on you.

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  61. Wishing you the best in your efforts, too!

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  62. ^^ Thank you for your super kind words of encouragement! With the design thing--I'm learning, but I'm just a newbie to the whole thing. :D

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  63. yay! You can do it! :)

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  64. Yay! I'm so happy that this post reverberates so much with you and others! Best of luck with dissertating--I understand the pain. :)

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  65. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your story. I've also been told to just pick one thing, but it's just impossible. There's just too much I want to do! My photography business is flourishing because I'm doing everything I can to grow it, but I'm not quite ready to let go of my full-time job. Best of both worlds! Best of luck with everything, Stephanie!

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  66. Bit late to this but wanted to also say i follow your blog and i love it but alaso agree its such a challenge to do both things well. I think the key is do your best but dont put yourself under too much pressure. Lots of love and luck with everything x

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  67. amelia from z tasty lifeNovember 1, 2012 at 7:13 AM

    gosh, how inspiring. I am late commenting here too, but have been on my own roller-coaster too... looking to decide what "my story" is... so this is timely and very inspiring for me!

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  68. GREAT post! I haven't ever had anyone tell me I can only do one thing with passion, but I think I probably tell myself that subconsciously, so it was ever so helpful to think about it consciously for once! Thank you for posting this.

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  69. I loved hearing your story! It's so inspiring - I feel like I'm living a double life too sometimes (as a food blogger and as a full-time lawyer). I especially like Pireeni's suggestion to make your own story. I'm going to start taking that advice :) Good luck!

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  70. Fabio Governato. :) http://www.astro.washington.edu/users/fabio/ as well as http://www.fabiogovernato.com/

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  71. here you go....
    www.stretchdevelopment.com
    www.davidhyner.com

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  72. Thank you for this post. Great thinks are always born in pain. If something is too easy can take away the satisfaction. You have a lot of reasons to have it after years of connecting passion and work.

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  73. Oh, hooray for you and hooray for this post. I am working on my Ph.D. in plant and soil ecology while running an art business on the side. I feel so often like an impostor, torn and not fully present in either. But I recognize that the combination makes me better, more thoughtful, and sane. And happy. And THAT is the key.

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I love hearing from you and reading your comments! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog. Happy feasting!