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Calling ALL Jack of all trades...masters of none??
Okay, so I do makeup, hairstyling, wardrobe styling, photography, photoshop, along with my own legal work, taxes, graphic arts, website building, and home decor, to name a few things. A Jack (Jill) of all trades... master of none... but working on it!!! Who are the other Jacks and Jills; and does it work for you? Feb 24 06 05:21 pm Link It only works up to a point. You should find one thing that's best for you and go for that. If you're a jack-of-all-trades, there will always be someone who is better at each of them. (Actually, even if you are very good at something, there will always be someone who is better!) Feb 24 06 05:25 pm Link I do my own clothing designs, pattern making, sewing production, manufacturing documentation, photography, web sites, PR writing, sales, marketing, and oh yes, modeling. And I have only been at this business for less than a year. Not sure I know any of it very well yet, - so that qualifies me for the "master of none" part  Feb 24 06 05:32 pm Link I have - written photographed matted and framed painted stained glass programmed delivered stuff washed floors - and been paid for it, I have - tutored danced been photographed programmed fixed tech stuff massaged - and recieved barter in return, I have - done my own taxes given stock advice made investments sculpted watercolored installed carpeting installed concrete walkways created artwork patios planted a garden given massages shoveled snow walked in the rain - all for free. Feb 24 06 05:33 pm Link Picture Perfect Makeup wrote: Sometimes, but it's not a good long-term plan for what I am doing. I will eventually need a team. At least I am getting a good understanding about the different facets of my business for when I scale things up. In general, you will get better work from focused professionals. But you will get more creative ideas from those who draw from a variety of talents. Feb 24 06 05:39 pm Link i can tie my own shoes... Feb 24 06 05:40 pm Link Ian Weintraub wrote: You can do more than that. I've seen your pics Feb 24 06 05:43 pm Link Jay Dezelic wrote: Thanks Jay... Feb 24 06 05:46 pm Link pw-gii photographics wrote: your point being...? Feb 24 06 05:46 pm Link photography (shoot and teach), web design, web programming, webmaster, zed/comp card printing, promo design, retired figure model, program coordinator, grad student, etc... Being a Jack/Jill of all trades ends up spreading you very very thin, and (IMHO) prevents you from exceling at any thing in particular - which I think may limit your success. That's my 2¢, adjusted for inflation... Wm Feb 24 06 05:50 pm Link My so so skills: I'm a graphic artist, photographer, teacher and fork lift operator. I have taught Quark Xpress, Adobe Illustrator & PhotoShop. I'm certified and can drive 3 types of fork lifts. I worked as: ice cream scooper, construction worker, file clerk for Chubb, lumber jack, shipping manager for Konika, shelf stocker for Costco, product photographer for 6th Ave Electronics, graphic designer for Billboard magazine and Miller Advertising in NYC. Feb 24 06 06:01 pm Link yes and on top of everyting else...I take care of 3 kids under 3.(primary caregiver) what I have noticed---its a lot easier to go on 3 hours of sleep...you can do so much between the hours of 12 and 4:30 am...no little helpers!!! Feb 24 06 06:04 pm Link brad miller wrote: As this is a "Jack of all trades" thread, I think that it is difficult for such people (like myself) to just stick to on one thing. For some it's boredom, for others it might be fear of obsolescence. - The resulting combination of talents makes it so that you can be the best in the your very own little hybrid niche. Feb 24 06 06:10 pm Link brad miller wrote: Fair question! Feb 24 06 06:18 pm Link Picture Perfect Makeup wrote: Hmm, well, I'm a cook, baker, candy maker, photographer-in-training, writer, and Queen of my domain. I also can: ride a horse, sew simple patterns, design jewelry, and make an attempt to keep up on my religious studies. The only two things I feel I can do really well right now are make truffles and care for horses but I still wouldn't consider myself a master at either. Does it work for me? Yeah. I enjoy trying new things out and having a couple things going at once. Feb 24 06 06:23 pm Link Heather Cole wrote: Truffles!!!! yeah.. uhm... when's the tasting party? Feb 24 06 06:40 pm Link It's a great advantage to have the Jack of all trades gene. You have the drive to learn a subject well beyond the norm and them try something else. You never unlearn those skills in case you need them again - and you also understand that if needed - you have the ability to learn a multitude of new things. I'd have skills as a - Prospector and treasure hunter Fair building framer and damned good roofer Concrete finisher American Brilliant antique cut glass buyer and dealer Writer Civil war researcher Gunsmith You always have things to fall back on as a JOAT - A dragonslayer is in deep trouble when the last dragon falls - He's the one going to be stuck wearing a paper hat and asking if they want fries with that. Times get hard - I can roof for a living - and if I see a Hawkes "Tusk" divided cut glass candy bowl in a shop for 50 bucks I can buy it knowing its worth 1500. Etc - VintageV Feb 24 06 06:47 pm Link I dabble in various things for different reasons: namely, to cater to another side of my personality. I'm not a one-layer person. Also, within an industry, such as this one, I like to look at things from different angles. As far as whether or not it's worked for me, in my opinion, it's worked thus far. If I just stuck to painting, I would've never been able to step out and discover photography. But I don't want to be a jack of all trades, nor do I want to be a master. For me, I will never be a master because to me, that's the glass ceiling. I don't believe in glass ceilings. I'm human and imperfect, therefore, there is always room for improvement. Knowledge is power. Feb 24 06 07:41 pm Link I'm a makeup artist, recently a photographer, a stylist, a beauty writer, I paint portraits in acrylic, before that I dabbled in acting and modeling - does that make me a Jill of all trades? Not really since it's all related. I'm also a wife and mother of two children, both home-schooled by me. Many people, especially creative people, have many interests; sadly most do not pursue nor develop those interest and they are the ones who usually refer to people like us as Jacks of all trades. I like to think of myself as an interesting person with many interests. Feb 24 06 07:56 pm Link Jennifer hon, we have worked together remember? You have lots of talent and energy. The world has no idea about you yet. You'll master more then one thing enen if you don't want to. Now as for me, I'm not going to list all my talents. I will say this, I have a friend who said that her Mother had more talent in her little fingure then she could ever have. My response to her was that I said the same thing about her and I. It was then said about me and a friend of mine. On and on it goes. I think if we are blessed to be multi-talented then with each thing we learn and do, it brings us to who we are today. Prepares us for tomorrow. Been told oh you should find one thing and stick with it. My answer, I'm still looking. I just think it's a Gemini thing!!! R- Feb 24 06 10:22 pm Link Music and Alt/Vintage fashion photography, Im also in a band so thats all kind of related. I do know html and graphic design, but the industry kind of forces you to, otherwise you're reemed by huge webdeveloping costs. Feb 24 06 10:26 pm Link Truffles!!!! yeah.. uhm... when's the tasting party? You'll get your truffles soon enough. Feb 25 06 01:33 am Link I can order take out, call a ride, and spend other people's money quite nicely. Does that count?? Feb 25 06 01:38 am Link i am a model. i have been a photographer. i am an artist. i am a painter, inker, sculpter, designer..... i have a BA in biology, almost a double with English....i have worked as a lab tech, a vet tech, an animal care specialist, and a researcher...i have worked as an editor and a business writer; i have spent a lot of time writing poetry and prose and novellas i am a fire performer. i am the manager of an art gallery. i do all the writing: license and business and loan applications, contracts, press releases, artist and studio bios. i hang and take down shows and installations. i do PR and design fliers and business cards. i organize private events and shows. i clean everything. i hire and fire people occassionally. i even do occasional maitenance work. i do all these things well. the more you know about any specific thing, the more you realize how little you know. but i know how to learn. i know how to research. i am a chameleon. i am a renaissance (wo)man. Feb 25 06 02:48 am Link Let me see, where should I start.... I am: a photographer sculptor painter - (accomplished - sold 4 paintings in a major NY art gallery so far) illustrator visual artist poet (published) short story writer - (getting puiblished) I have been: a professional body guard a security guard a security patrol officer a special forces operative in the military (3 years in desert strom) an aircraft handler on an aircraft carrier an electronics specialist and repairman a computer builder (still build my own systems) A security system installer (video cameras and motion/sound/IR detection) an inground pool installer A roofer a construction worker a painter (houses and apartments) a landscaper an harborist (a tree doctor) a retail clothing store clerk a silk screen printer a machine shop - machine operater a taper (drywall) a dry wall installer a demolition tech -(the only one on the crew that could swing a 12 pound sledge hammer for 8 hours straight 6 days a week!) An assistant foreman in a produce market A lumper (someone who unloads semi-trucks for pay) A Semi Driver a body guard and driver a dispatcher for a security company those are all I can think of, right now. Feb 25 06 03:16 am Link Malchow Photography wrote: My brain hurts!!! Mar 02 06 11:23 pm Link |
