First and foremost, I’m a storyteller. That’s my art. For the most part, this gets manifested in my writing. However, that’s not my only art and skill.
Over the past few years, I’ve developed an increasing ability to create websites. While I’m still primarily about site layout over graphic design (I’m a very limited graphic designer), I’ve gotten a lot of experience. I’ve built and maintained websites in WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace. Mostly, I enjoy this work.
In college, I minored in Audio Production. This was during the early 1990s. Hence, the editing I learned involved cutting and splicing reel-to-reel. We had 1 digital machine in the entire college, which happened to be in the theatre department (theatre being my major). I got to use that unit once before it was stolen.
As the world has increasingly digitized, I’ve learned to do audio recording and editing digitally. I cannot sufficiently express just how much better and easier this is to work with than the analog way. I’ve recorded, edited, and produced multiple podcasts and several audiobooks of my own work.
As an authorpreneur, I wear a lot of hats. I’m the boss when it comes to my self-publishing (Argent Hedgehog Press), formatting, paying for editing and art, marketing, advertising, and all the rest.
As if that’s not enough fun, I’ve also been working as a virtual assistant and doing other jobs along that line for the past few years. This has honed and developed multiple skills for me.
Rather than being a jack-of-all-trades (and not a master of none), per a conversation with my dad, I’m using a new term. Swiss Army Knife.
Different tools, different uses, one source
Have you ever used a Swiss Army Knife? Even the smallest has a great variety of useful tools, including a blade, toothpick, nail file, and screwdriver. The bigger ones – still pocket-sized, mind you – include multiple blades, a corkscrew, pliers, wire crimper, magnifying glass, and more. These are amazing, durable, multifunctional tools.
Like a Swiss Army Knife, I have a variety of tools at my disposal. What’s more, I have a degree of skill in each that I can utilize. Some are more accomplished than others. Yet I am always open to learning, growing, experiencing more, and even adding new tools along the way.
Take AI, for example. I recognize that to many, this is the devil. Yet in and of itself, AI is just another tool. I’ve used generative AI writing tools (such as Claude.ai and ChatGPT) to help me create stuff for my virtual assistant work. Note – used them to help me, not do the work for me. AI writing, unchecked and unedited, lacks natural structure in the writing a person does. A tool I can use for the right thing, in the right way, at the right time.
See? Fits right into my Swiss Army Knife analogy.
However, as a human being, I’m not limited by my size and overall design. I can make some pretty significant tangible and intangible changes at will.
As a fan of Doctor Who, one of the things I’d love to have – more than my own TARDIS – is a sonic screwdriver. What an incredibly useful, handy tool that would be! Come on, a tool that can alter computers, unlock electronics, and save the day on a regular basis? Yes, please!
The point here is that this would make an amazing addition to the arsenal for a Swiss Army Knife. Hence, if it were a skill that I could learn, I’m capable of doing so.
I know that I’m very fortunate to have the ability to be so many useful implements. Not everyone has multiple skills and abilities they can employ.
Over the years, learning that multi-tasking is largely not a thing (save inherent genetic multitasking skills cis-females have), I’ve learned a few things. First, that it’s less about doing more than one thing at a time and more about shifting from one to another. Secondly, that mastery isn’t necessary for every ability/trade/skill you possess. Thirdly, for anything and everything that I know now there’s lots more to learn.
I’m striving to be the best Swiss Army Knife that I can be. Because that means there’s more that I can do along the way.
Why am I sharing this? Because I need to remind myself of a few things. It’s okay that sometimes writing takes a backseat to editing or website work. There are times I need to give my other skills the forefront, so that I can get done what needs to be done in the necessary order. And it’s okay to have a variety of abilities, and I’m not more of a weirdo than I already know myself to be.
I share because your journey might not be so unlike mine. It always makes me feel better knowing I’m not alone in this crazy world.
Be the best Swiss Army Knife that you can be
Unitaskers can be extremely useful. But no matter who you are or where you come from, as a human being, you have inherent skills and abilities at your disposal. But even better than that, you can learn new ones at any time.
Change happens. While it’s the only Universal constant, and thus inevitable, you can choose it as well. Not content in your life as it is? There’s always something you can choose and decide to change.
You can be who, what, where, how, and why you desire to be. Most of the limitations to this are either temporary, environmental, situational, or some other artifice. You’re capable of amazing things. You can choose a Swiss Army Knife. Or a Leatherman or Gerber if you prefer. But you can learn new things, develop new skills and abilities, and be the best you that you desire to be.
Easy? Seldom. Worthwhile? Always.
Thanks for reading. As I share my creative journey with you, I conclude with this: How are you inspired to be your own creator – whatever form that takes?
Please take a moment to check out the collection of my published works, which can be found here.
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