The Renaissance Woman: Truth or Lie?

I dreaded forcing myself and my eyes to look up the term Renaissance woman and read the definition because although I suspect I already knew what it meant I wanted it confirmed, like bad news.

Being proficient at many things was something I saw as a negative aspect to my character especially as I am only greeted with shock and fear: “I didn’t know you are a …” insert whatever. “Is there anything you can’t do?” “What else are you doing?” “Why do you do all these things?” “When do you do all these things?” It is because of that terrible saying Jack of All Trades and Master of None. Also, that ridiculous term ‘juggling’ is often bandied about. I have no reply to these kind of questions because they are rhetorical questions and leave me speechless.

So really, I have to face the music. It’s time to give you the facts.

Of course there are my dear. How can I do more than 4 things at once? I really only do architecture, writing, sewing and play musical instruments. I don’t do pole dancing, sports, any sports, plastering, electrical work, plumbing, maintenance or fixing of any mechanical or electrical item such as motors, anything involving a solenoid or AC supply, valves, anything medical, ice skating, skiing, did I already mention sports, spreadsheets, databases, accounts. There are too many. Do you really think that all skills belong to all?

Doesn’t matter what it is or if she is terrible at it. “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” (have you heard this saying?) This is actually the motto of the Renaissance woman. Giving it your best shot. You have one life. Make every moment count. This is the moment. This is the day. etc. You have heard it all before. They are all cliches. Even things I am terrible at: housework, cooking, baking, ballet – I do a thorough job of it, or not at all.

She fights colds, craves sugar and feels fed up like everybody else. And one day when she is dead she hopes some admin staff will still be running this page or at least a page that says Error 404 Page Not Found, so that you will know that everybody eventually dies, even the Renaissance woman, because after all she is not a superhuman nor immortal. The house is always dirty or messy because one cannot do it all. Something’s gotta give and it’s not Hollywood.

There is no question about it. You have do do time.

Architecture – 30,000 to 60,000 hours as I have only been doing it since Uni, and I say only but because of how long ago since I qualified in it and practised in it, it has clocked up that number of hours. I can’t understand people who (obviously don’t know me) ask me ‘How do/did you do it?’ I am a professional! Time is how you do it.

If you spent at least 10,000 hours playing tennis since childhood you would be a tennis champion.

There is no magic. If people think you are born with God-given talent and then suddenly you’re a whizz at everything at an adult age, they must be crazy and must be subjected themselves to 10,000 hours’ training in something.

Naturally, being a busy, hardworking person, mother, wife, worker, writer, architect, seamstress and musician and having spent 10,000 hours on the main things, one cannot be expected to not enjoy one’s downtime with hobbies. The Renaissance woman has lesser activities in order to relax. These usually have nothing to do with the main courses. These are just snacks or desserts for example ballet, makeup art, decluttering, re-organization of rooms, cardio exercises and the aforementioned items in 2/ which she is not so good at. For example I only very recently started cardio, guitar and ballet, therefore I am still terrible at them and totally not proficient.