One downside to being a Jack of All Trades is the constant feeling of not really being good at anything. Not properly good. Not expert-like. Master of none and all that.
Of course, that’s generally because a Jack of All Trades has a tendency to get bored with a thing after a while and want to move onto the next new shiny thing. If we can pick it up and do it kind of instantly, we’re happy. If it looks like it’s going to take years of constant practice to master, forget it.
No one to blame but ourselves.
A Jack of All Trades has an arsenal of Kinda-Sorta skills.
I’ve always been envious of people who can say with utter conviction, “I am a….”. Singer, runner, welder, clown, whatever it may be, they are clearly it. And a bit.
As a Jack of All Trades, I’m not an It And A Bit, I’m a Bit And A Bit. A bitser of the talent world.
Bitzer from Shaun The Sheep
But there’s this: I never get bored. Whatever’s happening in my life, I’ve got some sort of interest or skill to fall back on. Active Me likes to go for a run, a ride, or a row, to climb tall mountains and walk ridiculously long distances. Artistic Me likes to sing, play, draw, act or write. Analytical Me likes to read science blogs and mess about on computers (and gets a small thrill out of realising that today’s date makes a mathematical sum: 7+7=14).
I’ve never entered a fun run, written a novel or developed an app. But I’ve completed Oxfam Trailwalker twice (foolish), maintained a blog for nearly a year (miracle) and set up an online booking system for our theatre company website even though I had no idea what I was doing (mystery).
Sometimes success is not so much in the skills we possess but in the willingness to give it a go, regardless.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to work on a song that started out on the piano, moved to the guitar and I am now trying out on the banjo. None of which I can play really but I Kinda-Sorta can. And that’s enough for this bitser.
Now that is an instrument designed for a Jack of All Trades.
Master of Something I'm Yet To Discover 
Two things.
1 Are you a Gemini?
2 Having grown up in a university, I was always aware that however good I was, someone would be better. Not good for the ego!
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1. Nope. Libran.
2. That’s tough! I always wanted to be at the top of something but it looked like too much hard work. Still looking for the one thing that comes effortlessly.
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Very cool.
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🙂
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“Sometimes success is not so much in the skills we possess but in the willingness to give it a go, regardless.”
I can relate. Big time. A dabbler, try this, master that (more or less) and move on…
Here’s something to consider: it’s the end of days… the zombies are just over the hill… who would rather have on your team? – someone who rocked them at the opera house, or someone who knows a bit about just about anything needed to deal with the crisis.
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Oh, I love that! From now on, whenever I get the urge to move on to something new, I’m going to say it’s because I’m building up my skills for the zombie apocalypse. Who’s going to argue with that??
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😀
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I relate – very well, maybe in different ways.
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I think there are more of us out there than we realise…
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I really love all the different yous you have. Am jealous. I don’t think I have as many yous as you do!
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I bet if you sat and wrote down all the things you do or have done, you would have more to you than you think you do. Oh look, Poet Me has made an appearance (she doesn’t come out often). 😉
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Yes, but I think I’m scared to do that…maybe I wouldn’t like all my yous! 🙂
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a Jack of all trades. As you said, life is never boring and I do believe it’s good food for the brain.
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Thanks! I’m learning that. I do think we live in an age of labels, though, and it can be hard to be undefined. People get uncomfortable. A polite “So, what do you do?” can lead to a 20 minute response. “Well….” 😀
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Do you have a Reader’s Digest condensed version? 😉
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“Read my blog.” 🙂
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LOL! 😀
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Huge fun, you bitser ! So many of us are like that – we cannot truthfully describe ourselves as anything at all. These days I lays claim to being a blogger; and surely you can do that too ? 🙂
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Is there a minimum timeframe, number or regularity of posts, number of followers you need to have to legitimately call yourself a blogger? Am I there yet?
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There are none of those. You just have to enjoy it and participate regularly (and fairly often, to be honest). 🙂
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I think I can tick all those so Blogger it is. 🙂 But my tax return will have to say Teacher so I can claim all those art and craft supplies Creative Me has been buying.
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Oeuf course !
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OMG – I read Maggie’s comment and laughed out loud. I love that image and I’m going to embrace it too …. I’m preparing for the zombie attack!!!
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Brilliant, eh?!
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