Since I can remember, I’ve always been skilled at many things. I was a great student at school. I’m a fairly good guitarist. I quickly catch on with new things.
I’ve always been good at “stuff,” but I’ve never been the best. I seldom had the best grade at school. I could never be a professional guitarist. And I am never the expert on a certain topic.
There have been many instances during my childhood where this has bothered me. I always saw other people being great at one specific skill, whether it was drawing, football, musical talent, or something else. I’ve always been envious of them, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not achieve that level of expertise. This often left me frustrated with myself.
Over time, I’ve come to accept this. I started recognizing that being good at many different things has its upsides. Attaining soft skills, finding synergies between skills, and being agile in a variety of situations are some of them. I’m also very easily excited about a variety of topics. I can keep an open mind and have no trouble motivating myself for any task.
That curiosity for the novel, combined with my broad interests, is part of why I believe studying architecture is a great occupation for me. Every project is different, and the practice of designing, planning, and building is so multifaceted that it always keeps me on my toes and is able to surprise me week after week.
PS: I was inspired to write on this topic after reading a blog post of Dan Koe: “The Rise of the Generalist”.
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