I'm multi-talented, Kiss My Ass So What!
I was having an interesting on my Twitter last week in regards to people being multi-talented especially within the UK and how I often get the similar assumption or judgment when you tell people what about your skill set.
In many jobs that we are currently in or aspiring to have, they will often give you a job and personal specification for the person that they are looking for. As the years have gone by, I have seen that list become longer and longer with more on the "essential" than the "desirable" section. I don't even know why they bother with the desirable section to be honest because let's be honest if you don't hit all their essential criteria, your application is going in the bin.
So why is that in a regular 9-5 job they can ask you to have a plethora of skills, experience and talents but when you are naturally born with those abilities within the world of business or creative fields...it's seen as illegitimate?
I have often spoken to you #Renegades about how pivotal my faith and my grandparents have been in my life. I was prayed for even before I was BORN and even in their last days of being on this earth, my grandparents prayed for others including me. So if my grandparents had immense faith which has been nothing short of the most endearing testament of their love for God and myself, who are you to question the talents that God (NOT YOU) has blessed me with?
Speaking of Beyonce, this woman can sing,dance,choreograph, song write, swing a baseball bat called "Hot Sauce" and slay whilst doing it and so many commend her for her endless talents. Just when you think you've sussed out Beyonce the betch comes back and smacks you in the bottom lip with something else that you wasn't expecting and we sweat out our edges in disbelief and gratitude! Now don't get me wrong, Beyonce has worked her booty off in order to get the recognition that she deserves and I am a huge fan of everything she's been achieving from Destiny's Child days to where she is now. She continues to reinvent herself, surprise her fans, push her artistry, her performances are legendary and don't even get me start on her vocal chords which we all wish we had (that's why most of us don't even attempt Love On Top not even on my best day) however I've NEVER seen anyone say or comment that Beyonce is "doing too much" or she can't possibly be able to do all these things simultaneously. But on the same hand the public questioned whether this same woman carried her own child! They applaud and buy her music yet throw shade and question her fertility in the same breath...fuck a duck.
That's the problem, people find it unfathomable that you can do it all. Especially if you are a woman, let alone being a BLACK WOMAN. You have to be hella ignorant or asleep to see that as black women we are constantly silenced from our struggles, our achievements, our sexuality and experiences. This isn't something that's been happening recently, unfortunately it's been something that has existed for centuries and we constantly have to fight to voice our opinions and dispel the attitudes and behaviours attached to being a woman of colour.
I saw a video of my 2nd birthday party and I'm happily sitting on my settee singing to some Rare Groove music (a tradition within any Caribbean household) and was blissfully happy whilst kids were running around on a sugar rush.
Music is in my DNA
I could write a whole book about my love for music, it has been there since my earliest memory, if I didn't have music I honestly don't know what or who I would be. It's more than something that I love...it is a huge part of me. I go to sleep listening to music, I get ready for my day listening to it, I write my scripts listening to music, my mother had music constantly blazing through our huge speakers at home. We all have fond memories of seeing our parent/parents carrying out house chores, cooking, cleaning with the radio or their particular favourite songs.
I was part of my Primary School choir, it was a Roman Catholic school so we had to go to our local church for mass on a regular. The only thing I loved about going church was the fact that we got to sing hymns (as well as being able to drink wine when I made my Holy Communion..don't judge me). My grandparents were Seventh Day Adventist and again I would sit there with the book of hymns and learn all the songs and had my personal favourites! My favourite childhood movie is Sister Act 2. That movie..changed..my...life. It was refreshing, current and spoke to me, so much so that to this day I still know the movie word for word and don't ramp with me when it comes to singing "Joyful Joyful" I know the choreography like the back of my hand..don't ramp with me!
The scene between Whoopi Goldberg and Lauryn Hill when she's given her hella attitude and Whoopi drops this bomb:
"I know you want to sing. See. I love to sing. Nothing makes me happier. I either wanted to be a singer or the head of the Ice Capades. Hey. Do you know who the Ice Capades are? Don't roll your eyes. They were very cool. I went to my mother who gave me this book...called Letters To A Young Poet. Rainer Maria Rilke.He's a fabulous writer. A fellow used to write to him and say: "I want to be a writer. Please read my stuff." And Rilke says to this guy: "Don't ask me about being a writer. lf when you wake up in the morning you can think of nothing but writing...then you're a writer."I'm gonna say the same thing to you. If you wake up in the mornin' and you can't think of anything but singin' first...then you're supposed to be a singer."
I was sold. In my #YearOfLavish I can't describe how much this quote is a mirror to my life. Writing and singing are the two things I always...ALWAYS think about. Both are synchronised into my brain, my life and what I will spend the rest of my life doing. So it really upsets my ovaries when people think that you can't possibly be good at more than one thing! Yes singing was what I fell into first, I was part of 2 choirs in fact, during my teens I became part of a streetdance group and later taught streetdance to numerous children in and around London, at 21 I began my blog and at 30 I am pursuing my scriptwriting and I will continue to do all of them KISS MY ASS SO WHAT!
I don't believe in this whole notion of "jack of all trades, master of none" because I can give examples for days of people in my life personally and within the public eye who are an exception to this rule. My belief is that as long as you have spending time to practice and perfect your craft then DO YOUR THING! Does that mean that sometimes you might not give all your talents the equal time it needs? Of course! I haven't made a song in nearly 4 years if I'm being real, but that doesn't mean that I don't single every damn day or feel compelled to go back to the studio and record my own songs, I'm just realistic that right now....it's just not a priority for me! In order for me to go studio, I need music from a producer which I don't currently have and money to book studio...betch I'm temping at the moment my bills come first! That's not to say I will NEVER go back to the studio because I intend to, and furtermore to have my own music in my productions (wink). As a creative I'm aware of what I can do and the things that I have no business in trying to learn because my patience is a myth. You will see that I don't often do YouTube videos is not that I can't..but I hate and I mean hate editing videos, nothing makes my nipples go in more. Can I use Final Cut Pro/Adobe Premiere Pro/IMovie/Windows Movie Maker damn right I can, but I just don't want to and I certainly don't have the editing skills of some professionals out there. When I put on my theatre production "Ex-periences" I had to wear multiple hats, it's a good thing I have a strong neck and backbone as it required me to be the writer, director, producer, Head of Marketing and Promotion, sound engineer, social media manager and many other things at the same damn time. I expected it because it was my vision therefore the creative control was entirely on me, that's not to say I didn't need help of course I did because my rage levels were real and sleep was a myth so my amazing cast and my friends stepped in when they could see that it was becoming a little overwhelming! This is why putting on my own theatre production was something that I had to do for myself because I wanted to know if I could. I learned so much about myself as a creative that has been invaluable and I will utilise moving forward for myself and to help others too!
It can be disheartening when that doubt comes from your friends and family because it makes us begin to question and doubt ourselves! Trust me I've been there, even recently one of my friends told me that I was in fact "ungrateful for the talents that I have because I'm not singing" and of course I became extremely defensive about this because their point was because I could sing and wasn't putting out music it meant I was ungrateful! The way I had to woosah and explain that although I love to sing, I hate the business side of the industry and I have seen friends and family who were/are part of that very same industry which will chew you up and spit you out whenever they see fit! This is why I have such respect for independent artists such as Childish Gambino and Stormzy who are not allowing these egotistical money hungry record labels to dictate and suffocate their craft and I hope to see more musicians do this to rebel against the norm. You guys already know how much I love being a rebel myself! But whilst I was explaining myself to this same person in my head I thought "Delia-Rene why are you even explaining yourself to this person?"
I wish that people especially within the UK would spend less time critiquing their own home grown talent and just support! They blindly support American artists without a blink of an eye but want to give their own a side eye. The next person to do so I'm going to poke them in the eye I swear.
Being multi-talented takes alot of time and I mean alot out of a person. Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to sound egotistical or ungrateful but others that are multi-talented know what I mean when I say this. We are our own worst critic, I cannot tell you the amount of times when I am writing a blog/script and I think "this is shit" and want to throw my Macbook out of a window in frustration (but then I remember how much it cost me at Christmas to buy this laptop I don't have Beyonce money yet!) or I have so many ideas in my head at the same time I feel like it's about to explode! When you're in a relationship sometimes it has been strenuous when your partner doesn't understand how much time/practice comes into being with a creative. That's not to say we can't maintain a relationship of course we can BUT your partner has to be both understanding and supportive of being with a business owner/creator because we literally pour our souls into everything we do, when you have found your purpose in life you commit 100% into it, I believe wholeheartedly I'm doing what God put me on this Earth to do and nothing and no-one is getting in my way!
So to my fellow multi-talented peeps out there never allow other's other limitations and lack of belief dictate what you can do! If they say that it can't be done, what they are simply showing you is that THEY CAN'T DO IT! They will be the same people that will applaud you when you make it talking about "I always knew that you could do it" *eye roll* so own that you have multiple NATURAL talents, don't waste your time explaining yourself because your WORK and SUCCESS will speak for itself, so let them doubt as your silently work tiredlessly on your dream, those that get it...will get it and support and those that don't? Tell them all to KISS YOUR ASS SO WHAT!
