A Call to Generalists & Serial Specialists
The main issue that has plagued me most of my life is being interested in many things. The human brain wants nice, neat, singular identities.“Hello, my name is Roxanne Darling and I am a [only one thing allowed].”It’s an impossible assignment for people like me. I first learned this on spring break, in 1970, my senior year in high school. My best friend’s family took me to the Bahamas. I put my head underwater and my mind was blown! Immersed in clear blues, fishy rainbows, swaying soft corals — and I returned home determined to abandon my plans to attend Georgetown University to study political science in favor of becoming a marine biologist. Some would call that flighty; others can see it as courage to listen to the muse, take a huge risk, and cast the known world aside.I’ll tell you in a future post about how I then ran away to California — to look at colleges, no less — because right now I want you to know this newsletter is about playing with life — eyes, heart, and mind wide open. To extend the metaphor, we who do this are definitely the fish who swim against the current. And now we have a place to just be our multi-dimensional selves.I never liked the term “generalist” as it feels bland and shallow. My life has been anything but! So a few years ago I coined the term serial specialist. When I find something I love, I dive in as deeply as possible. And it’s quite possible to become proficient in a ‘career’, even if you or I spend only 4-5 years doing so. To be sure, we won’t be at the top for long if at all, but only a few ever are, anyway!It’s my firm belief that right now, we collectively benefit as much or more from people who can speak and function cross-discipline, who are not isolated in their expertise bubbles, and who embrace curiosity with vigor.The most prominent harmful example I see of this specialization is the tech space. Young, primarily males, who code all day cannot possibly build the internet platforms we need (and you’ll see I rarely use that word, need) because they lack an understanding of history and empathy for human behavior. So to combat that, I am asking us renaissance people to come out of hiding and offer our skills and perspectives. (By the way, there are as many Renaissance WOMEN as there are men.) Fun fact: I almost named this Substack Renaissance Rox but I like the broadness of Mindset.Embracing my inner diversity of interests is how I quiet the voice of imposter syndrome that wants me to “just do one thing; it’s easier for others to understand and categorize you.” That’s never been me; I’m not about to start now. Here’s an overview of the many professions I’ve practiced, many of which gave me awards and where I could innovate and contribute. Oh! And experience so much JOY. That’s at the heart of things — not staying stuck in something because changing course is too scary. Feel free to leave a comment and ask about any of these!
- Student activist and anti-Vietnam War protester
- Marine biologist and B.Sc. degree at UC Berkeley
- Ballet dancer and performer with Palo Alto Dance Theatre
- One of the first aerobics professionals; helped write the first international certification exam still in use since the ‘80s
- Published author: 30 Days to Body Esteem and No Train, No Gain! plus many articles
- Public speaker on health and body esteem topics
- Producer of To Tell the Truth: Incest and Sexual Abuse Survivors Speak Out — featured in a one-hour documentary on CNN
- Community Health Trainer for over 100 Indigenous communities in the U.S. and Canada
- Certified yoga instructor
- Top-rated health coach for Johnson & Johnson
- Top-rated Marketing Consultant and Instructor for the Small Business Development Center
- Web developer and co-owner of a digital agency
- Early Co-Founder of the Social Media Club and founder of the Hawai‘i chapter (and recipient of many awards)
- Conceptual Artist with work in numerous juried exhibitions
So, take a guess and try to answer the question, “Who is Roxanne Darling?”I have some answers for that, and those too will be saved for a future newsletter. If you’re a serial specialist, I’d love to hear one or two ways you’ve made your way in this world. If you’re a singular specialist, I’d also love to hear how you’ve made your way in this world.Thank you for reading.Comments are open! Keep scrolling for a few photos of my past careers.Top photo: on sabbatical from UC Berkeley with my professor, Dr. Mary Lou Pressick, in the Virgin Islands; photo by the GOAT, Valerie Taylor.