| Sometimes I feel like Waldo, you know that character that people are looking for but can’t find and so they ask, “Where’s Waldo?”
Okay, maybe you’re not looking for me. But during the last seven years I’ve moved six times and lived in three different states. For a person who stayed put for fifty years this is considerable. With this most recent move, however, I feel like I’ve come full circle. I’m back where I began and greatly enriched by my experiences.
But I do fear my moves and career decisions have looked a little cra-cra from the outside. Heck, they sometimes feel a little out there on the inside too. And that’s why it’s taken me a while to write and share all this with you. I had to get over myself, because honestly the person doing the most judging of me, was me! I kept thinking, “Jeesh, Natalie will you make up your mind and focus on one thing.”
For thirty years I did focus on marketing and design and built a fabulous career. Yet, a huge part of me yearned to spread my wings and try new things. I thought it meant I needed to change careers, so when I moved to Sedona in 2013, I followed my heart and threw myself into learning everything I could about the metaphysical world and energy healing, and became a full-time practitioner. As you know I became quite good at it and now teach my own process, the Reiki Release Emotional Healing Method (new workshop in Kingston, NH next month, check it out!). Then the COVID quarantine happened, giving me gobs of extra time to paint and create. Since then, I’ve sold five original paintings, a bunch of art prints and half a dozen notebooks with my paintings on them (yippee!!).
Ironically, the COVID quarantine brought me a lot of clarity. I quickly discovered that rather than working full-time at a center providing sessions all day, I was much happier working from home doing my thing, designing websites and marketing stuff, doing intuitive energy healing and readings online, and my newly rediscovered love, painting.
Invigorated by this new clarity, I moved back to New Hampshire in June.
My pal Tenny & me leaving Sedona with all my stuff.
While Sedona will always be my happy place, New Hampshire is home to my family.
We arrived to NH and celebrated with a quick photo.
My niece Gabrielle, me, Tenny, my sister Kelly and our dogs.
It’s also a more affordable place to live and allows me some breathing room to focus a little more time on painting. Now that I’ve had time to acclimate, I’ve made a big decision about my career and which passion to follow.
My big decision is this…. I’m choosing them all. Rather than niche down and focus on one thing, I’m embracing all of my expertise’s and passions. I’m going to continue doing freelance digital marketing and design, intuitive energy healing and readings, and painting. These are things I’m good at and enjoy, and doing them makes feel like I’m contributing something of value to the world. I guess you could say, I’m finally embracing my inner renaissance woman.
And, you know what? I learned that there are a lot of multi-passionate, multi-talented people in our world, such as:
- Natalie Portman – Actress, model, dancer (still takes ballet classes), went to Harvard University when her acting career was in full swing and graduated with a psychology degree in 2003, and she has been published in multiple scientific journals. PS: We share a name and a June 9th birthday, and I hope the rest of her talent and smarts rub off on me, lol!
- Steve Martin – Comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer, novelist, songwriter, banjoist, and art curator.
- Barbara Streisand – Singer, actress, director, and producer.
- Julia Cameron – Author, poet, playwright, composer and lyricist.
- Jamie Lee Curtis – Actress, author of several children’s books, art kits producer, and an accomplished painter.
- Benjamin Franklin – Writer, printer, politician, scientist, inventor, humorist, and diplomat.
- Babe Didrikson Zaharias – Was named “Woman Athlete of the Half Century” in 1950 for her skills in basketball, track & field and golf.
- Jackie Robinson – Played major league baseball, tennis, basketball, football and track.
I also found this super cute video from the multi-passionate and super charming millennial, Shain Aleis ~ How to Manage Your Multi-Passionate/ Multi-Talented Self! It totally made me smile.
Speaking of smiling. Waldo (a.k.a Natalie) has found herself. You can find her too, and all the wonderful things she does at: www.NatalieMarquis.com
Have a fabulous week, |
