Letting our multitudes sing

Somewhere along the lines, I never quite decided who I want to be when I grow up. Sure, I’m an academic scientist. But at various times and places I’m also a writer, a voice actress, a public speaker, a programmer, and even a barn hand. Amanda Palmer sings that we are all bigger on the inside and that truth resonates a low base note in my soul. Bob Dylan’s voice catches as he says he (and we) contain multitudes and their diverse voices lead me in every direction. My body may only be able to do one thing in this moment, but over a lifetime we can do and be so much more than what any one moment can contain.

Most of us, however, pick someone to be. Most folks live their lives inside the box of expectations, making ourselves small as we conform to external boundaries. I like to think I don’t make myself small, but I got an earful from @StellarSquirrel who pointed out I tend to not really talk about all the things I do because I don’t want to make others uncomfortable. I just go off and do all the things, letting each of my inner voices find their way in the world. This leads to a weird reality where people randomly get to meet my multitudes unexpectedly, and I find myself saying, “Ah, yeah — that’s me… that’s just another thing I do.” This most often happens when I narrate for EscapePod, but lately it has begun to also happen with my art.

Yes, I do art.