The term creative dabbler sounds a bit slippery. Almost like an anti-definition or non-committal “yes” hanging out in the ether as a potential rather than an action.
The idea of being defined as a creative dabbler can also elicit strong emotional reactions within people who see it as a put down or reminder that certain talents are still only living possibilities.
In the most general sense, a dabbler is someone who tries lots of things. Sometimes interests and activities are connected by an overall theme or talent, sometimes not. Said dabbling holds the potential to result in a specific career, life path or direction, but it’s not required. Lastly, people defined as dabblers are often seen as wishy-washy, non-committal or as a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
I’m going to step outside of this very stale, presumptive, limited definition to align the term dabbler more directly with creativity. Why? Well, I think you already know. Creative types can seem unsettled to others because they like to dabble – a lot. This can appear to be a direct challenge to the sense of order many use to run their life.
Creative energy is also spontaneous and unpredictable, and that brings up a whole lotta….stuff. Like fear of change, feeling unsafe or facing the potential of failure.
But why is the term creative dabbler seen as kind of a dirty word? Why is having the desire to experiment, explore, try new things or live a multi-passionate life after a certain age seen in a negative light?
Well, people often get so focused on creating things that don’t end up bringing them a sense of joy and fulfillment, they forget that whole point of creativity is to dabble and play.
And when you don’t conform to a defined, understandable category, it’s hard for people to “get” you. Thus, the funky energy around being seen as a creative dabbler.
The Creative Dabbler in You Wants to Come Out – So Are You Letting It?
I believe there’s a creative dabbler within everyone. You just need to own it.
There is no specific path to take. All paths are essential to a life journey, offering a deep dive into what the soul wants to share and express. It’s through owning your inner creative dabbler you are able to truly craft a loving, inspired way forward on your terms along the way.
Dabbling in and of itself is also a skill. It helps grow confidence in managing unexpected situations, conditions and attitudes in ways that are unique to you. What’s better, to be true to who you are and find ways to deeply explore it, or never venture off the map or reach for those hard to reach diamonds?
For some people, the identity of a creative dabbler is their fullest personal creative expression. They desire to learn, expand mind and heart and connect with the stories and lives of others in a way that enhances understanding for the world at large. These creatives act as igniters who can show up at any time to spark a change in you and the way you think about anything and everything.
But what about mastery. Is dabbling the opposite of mastery?
No. And here’s why.
The Hidden Powers of Creative Dabbling
Opening up the creative dabbler within helps you discover new ways to be your true, dynamic layered self. It’s a journey into fearlessness and deep truth. The strengths and aptitudes you discover along the way as you learn and grow through relationships, bad jobs, creative experiments and failed attempts at joy are all meaningful and hold value.
A creative dabbler perspective can help you see the experience of life as a whole and take it in stride, tuning into the mindfulness behind the madness as you step outside the corporate ladder and social norms. It also invites in an innovative perspective; a very valuable gift.
But staying a creative dabbler is also often seen as an avoidance of mastery.
I believe that mastery does not allude the dabbler, they can choose it at any time. The point overall is that mastery is not the goal, but a side effect. Mastery develops along the journey of self-discovery and is held together by the honest attempts to understand the self and what’s possible. There may come a point when a person can more clearly see how the dots connect, but creative dabbling was the way in and through to see the details more clearly.
At heart, the dabbler is a master because they trust themselves most, intuitively knowing the beat of their own drummer and better yet, being brave enough to follow it. They also learn when to let something go.
In my experience, curiosity calls me more than aptitude because in those moments of creative dabbling I’m drawn by pure-heart centered interest and gut instincts. I view it as the act of me remembering what my inner self knows to be true in my very cells, and where it needs to go. By following my heart in those moments, I can trust the rest will fall into place.
The Desire to Justify a Playful Path Towards Learning and Being Yourself
Does there have to be a unifying theme to make creative dabbling worth it? Or is that just societal judgment and pressure forcing to you to feel like you need to “justify” a playful path?
It’s up to you to decide.
Deep down, we all want to feel our work is worthy while also having the freedom to experiment, play with things outside our “career path”. We also want to zero in on what it feels like to connect to what we really want and are capable of creating by developing skills beyond a general aptitude.
The true skill in being a creative dabbler is discernment; knowing when to allow things to grow to a new level by putting something out in the world that may not be “perfect”. Then it can evolve past an idea or playful experiment into something meaningful that can be shared and inspire others.
Remember, a career path is just one of the many ways you express yourself or “dabble”. What are some other ways you express the more dynamic or diverse sides of yourself?
If you feel inspired by this post – that’s great! If you want to connect with me for an intuitive reading or creativity coaching session to dive in a bit deeper, let’s do it! If you want to read some more posts on similar topics, check out Myths About Creative Mastery: Which Ones Do You Believe and Practice? and Creative Confusion and Finding Your New Center. If podcasts match your mojo, check out Flirting With Enlightenment where I cover topics to help you tap into your inner wisdom more deeply.