4 challenges of my scanner personality that I still encounter regularly (and how I try to deal with them)
In 2018, I discovered the idea of a certain personality type, one called “scanner” or “multipotentialite” by various authors.
Here are the other articles in this series:
On Being a scanner personality (Scanner Series I)
6 Strengths of being a scanner personality (Scanner series II)
5 Patterns and tips for scanner personalities (Scanner series III)
4 challenges of my scanner personality that I still encounter regularly (Scanner series IV) (you are here)
Even though I’ve accepted the scanner personality in my life almost three years ago, I still struggle with various aspects of it, or haven’t fully integrated them. Here are four of these points.
Getting my stuff “out there”
I’m super motivated to start new ideas, but when it comes to getting feedback and putting things “out there”, I feel like I fail miserably. Getting praise for my work is not my main motivation, since I do the work regardless of feedback and getting some recognition, especially online, seems to be a gamble. I’ve posted stories on Reddit that were ignored for days, then posted the same story a while later, maybe at a different time of day and the feedback was incredibly positive. I’ve posted to Instagram using some tags and got about 10 upvotes, other posts with the same tags got about 80.
I know that the number of likes and upvotes is not a measure of the quality and worth of my work. I’m still trying to figure out how much feedback is “necessary for me” and what channels I can use to get my work to people who might like it. Simply to share it.
Rushing through projects
The downside of my achievement to finish in smaller steps has been the development of an underlying anxiety when working on projects. I often feel I don’t really have time to focus, having sliced off some hours on weekends or after work.
My stories could often use a more relaxed pace, and I know that some artworks could be improved if I spend more time on them. It’s as if I’m afraid that my interest in any idea could vanish if I don’t act on it!
I’m experimenting to be more aware in my work, breathe steadily, and give myself time and room to focus on the project at hand. Sometimes, it also helps to look at what I’ve achieved so far to remind myself of my own rhythm.
Leaving potential behind
Ideas by themselves are not worth too much, it’s the execution that counts. But accepting that I can only ever pursue a small portion of all ideas can be awfully hard. I often must leave potential behind, like leaving a tasty dessert at a buffet. Prioritizing what to do next and where to spend time and energy can be difficult. I’m trusting my gut on most decisions, but the nagging feeling is hard to control.
Always be starting
It’s one of the main strengths, to be able to start and learn afresh, one that I cherish. As I get older, I can’t help comparing myself to people who are the same age but spent their careers in one field, running senior and management positions with ten or more years under their belt.
Seeing mastery in work, for instance on art networks, is daunting — each artist has spent countless hours on perfecting their art, guitar techniques, or film making. Meanwhile, I’m always only the enthusiastic amateur in those fields.
The urge to compare is often strong in me and it takes awareness and conscious effort to tell myself: those people have focused on a small slice of knowledge and craft; they probably can’t do everything as well as this.
With most of our lives spent online, I try to learn from them to advance my own understanding without chastising myself for not being as good.
And finally, some book and talks that talk about the “scanner” personality
For further reading on different aspects of the scanner personality and leading a creative life, I’d like to recommend those books:
- Barbara Sher: Refuse to Choose
- Emilie Wapnick: How to be everything (book) and she has several cool talks as introductions on scanner mindsets
- Margarte Lobenstine: Renaissance Soul
- Elizabeth Gilbert: Big Magic
- Programmer and (I’m sure scanner personality) Dylan Beattie has given his talk “Art of Code” on several occasions. It’s not about scanner mindset per se, but it show what I think is the essence of the scanner mindset: a deep and child-like curiosity and fascination about the world.
Thank you for reading all or parts of this. If you found it useful, let me know in the comments or feel free to reach out to me!
