Last July I began networking for my business. In one group, I had to select a single seat and label for my business. I landed on the most recent skill I had acquired – Graphic Design. And then I spent the next year trying to find ways around that label to talk about every other skill I have in my arsenal.
Graphic design is indeed what I have a degree in… but I didn’t obtain it until 2023. I went back to college in January 2021 to pursue that degree. Before that, I had been at a digital agency for nearly 20 years in various roles within the operations of the business. From office manager to traffic coordinator to implementation and training manager to the ultimate yet ubiquitous title of “Special Projects Manager”. And before I was ever at that agency, I had been a coder and a hacker, a database administrator and educator, and I had even studied secondary education in English and music performance on the trombone.
At first glance, those roles seem unrelated. But each one added another tool to my toolbox and another perspective to bring to the next challenge. I didn’t pick a career in legal or medical or education or engineering and follow it through the logic steps. I followed my brain to the next label, hoping it would finally be the one that filled my heart and used all of my skills. I always felt like I was leveling up in some way: learning something, adding a new skill, solving a new problem.
In 2004 I went to a paint and sip class and picked up a paintbrush. It was the first time I had painted with intention since high school. And that first painting as an adult reminded me I’m an artist. From there I dove headfirst in videos and more classes and becoming a self-taught painter. I’ve sold quite a few pieces and still have an occasional commission. My specialty became mandalas on abstract backgrounds. Pieces that really speak to both sides of my brain. Looking back, my career path is reflected in my art: symmetrical precision on top of beautiful chaos.
When I went back to college, I wanted to marry those two sides of my skillset: logical technician and creative educator. Graphic design seemed like the right mix. And it has been! I get to look at what a client is asking for, assess what they really need, and create beautiful pieces. But it’s not the full use of my abilities.
The other side of me loves a good mess. Give me a bottleneck, a confusing process, a communication breakdown, or a workflow that’s being held together with duct tape and crossed fingers, and I’m all in. I can craft solutions that may never appear in a marketing portfolio, but they create efficiency and repeatable processes. Those make me just as giddy as a mandala design that has unplanned complexity that neatly comes together.
Now, I’m shifting my freelance business to more fully embrace those sides of my brain and the skills I can bring to small businesses. Yes, I can still help with beautiful logos and marketing pieces that sell outside the business, but I can also help with the messy chaos of internal business and design flows, journeys, and processes.
Several years ago, one of my agency clients learned about the full breadth of skills I have plus all the artsy and athletic hobbies I have: community choir, handbell ensemble, belly dancing, disc golf, and kayaking. After hearing all of that, he called me a “Modern Renaissance Woman.”
Of all the labels I’ve been given over the years, that one has probably been my favorite. It recognizes both the precision and the chaos. It perfectly describes me and it doesn’t ask me to choose between the logical and creative sides of my brain. It doesn’t require me to leave skills behind. It acknowledges that all those seemingly unrelated experiences are part of the same story. And, yes, it’s why my freelance business is Strategic Renaissance.
If you’ve ever felt pressured to pick a lane, stay in your box, or explain yourself with a single title, realize that you don’t have to follow those rules. You might just be building a Renaissance of your own.
