Welcome to Multifaceted, a weekly newsletter about finding direction, delight, and fulfillment in a multifaceted creative life. ✨
Here, you’ll find no-nonsense advice on channeling boundless creativity, Q&A interviews with thriving multi-hyphenates, and vulnerable stories from the creative path. Plus, groovy collage art!
Together, we’ll explore:
Your “why” – How to define your artistic “why” when your “what” changes all the time.
Your value – How to value and validate your multidimensional creativity within a culture that wants you to pick a lane and stay in it.
Your process – How to get started, embrace your style, and make progress on the projects you care most about.
Your time – How to quiet the voice of resistance and prioritize your creative passions.
Your sanity – How to deal with questions that buzz around your brain at all times (like “Am I really an artist?” or “Should I turn my hobby into a side hustle?”).
Here’s what Multifaceted readers are saying:
“I’ve been relishing your newsletter – the creative images, the vulnerability, the genuinely insightful content. Today’s just struck a chord that really moved me.”
“This spoke to me in more ways than one. Really enjoyed reading this!”
“A friend of mine loved how wise this piece is. She called to catch up and the first thing she mentioned was how much she enjoyed your article – she wants to share it with her daughter, too.”
“I read your article and it was really cool because I thought, ‘This is exactly what I need to help get me going!’ I wanted to thank you very much for that.”
Want to become a free subscriber?
As a Multifaceted subscriber, you’ll receive one new article each week on a Tuesday or Wednesday.
Get your inbox ready for some good stuff:
No-nonsense guidance and words of encouragement intended to get your creative butt moving.
Approachable thought exercises and prompts to help you more deeply understand your creative nature and more confidently navigate your non-linear path.
In-depth Q&As with thriving multi-hyphenates – including artists, writers, business owners, and folks who do all those things and more.
Vulnerable stories and snippets from my own journey creating both professionally and as a pastime in various capacities, from writer to designer to creative team director.
Groovy collage art I make to illustrate each post. (I’m a multifaceted creative, after all, so I can’t just write, right?)
Want to be one of my first paid subscribers?
Multifaceted is currently 100% free to read. But if you’ve been enjoying my work, I invite you to join the readers who have pledged future paid subscriptions for when the time comes.
Who is Multifaceted for?
It’s for Renaissance people and jacks of all trades. Scanners, multi-hyphenates, and multipotentialites. Serial hobbyists and side hustlers. Multipassionate dreamers and doers who just love trying all the things.
In other words, this newsletter is for anyone who juggles several creative interests and wants to know they’re not alone.
And, to be totally transparent…It’s for 20-something me who struggled to find her way through the college and early career years – when we’re supposed to do the impossible and pick a focus. (Quarter-life crisis initiated!)
During that period, I found comfort and clarity in resources like Margaret Lobenstine’s The Renaissance Soul, Barbara Sher’s Refuse to Choose and I Could Do Anything if I Only Knew What It Was, and Emilie Wapnik’s Puttylike blog.
Writing Multifaceted is my way of continuing the conversation, sharing what I’ve learned, and connecting with other creatives who are figuring it all out, too.
About the author
Hey there! I’m Jessica Barker – you can call me Jess.
I’m a multifaceted creative who can't stop writing, art-making, sewing, and following my curiosity. Some of my “hats” include editorial director, professional writer, fine jewelry designer, theatrical costumer, and published fashion historian, among other things. (You can learn more about my work here.)
I've taught, managed, and mentored creatives (from grade-school kids to senior writers) in a variety of settings (from an art center in Chicago, a costume shop in NYC, and a lecture hall in Paris to virtual meetings with guests around the globe). These days, I write from a cozy blue velvet couch in a historic cottage that’s just a train ride away from Chicago, Illinois.
Along the way, I've been inspired by a bunch of really cool, multi-talented people who have carved out their own paths.
There's a lot of material there – enough to help you push through your uncertainty and confusion to launch feet-first into your next creative adventure.
Thanks for reading – drop me a line in the comments section if you’re new here. I can’t wait to meet you!
