I spent most of my life jumping into projects the second an idea struck. It feels great at first, but it usually leads to a messy art studio and a lot of unfinished work. I realized I was fighting against my own multipotentialite brain instead of working with it. I needed a way to manage the chaos without losing the excitement.

I decided to treat my creative work in the same way a chef does in a professional kitchen. A chef has a staff to help them prep and clean before the actual cooking takes place. The kitchen master is responsible for the kitchen itself, making sure everything is clean and the tools are sharp. The sous chef gathers the appropriate tools and handles the mise en place so that everything is prepped and ready. Finally, the master chef uses their skills to actually cook the meal.

I wanted something similar for my studio. In my case though, I would need to fill all the roles. I decided to create three distinct roles: the studio assistant, the art director and the lead artist. The studio assistant keeps the space tidy and ready. The art director handles the planning and prep, while the lead artist is the one who finally gets to step into the flow and just create.

I perform all three roles separately. When I step into my studio, I decide which role I am playing in the moment. It really sharpens my focus and I get things done a lot quicker.

What I’ve found acting as an art director is that it requires a bit of emotional detachment. So I use a process I call hypnotic rehearsal to visualize every step and every tool I will need. This helps me avoid that frustrating moment when I’m creating art where I have to stop everything just to go look for a pair of scissors.

This role play method has helped me finish more projects and feel less scattered as an artist. Shifting gears between these roles actually refreshes my mind and supports the way I naturally work. If role playing sounds like something that might help you, listen to my podcast episode here: https://creativeshoofly.com/e/role-playing-for-multipotentialites/