I'm realizing how far behind I am on the podcast—yikes! But I'm glad you're still there in my ear while I care for my daughter. I had to chime in about your "big ball rolling around picking up things" analogy for how you research. That image hit home and brought three things to mind.
First, something I suspect you'll relate to from your own background: I majored in journalism in college mostly because it was the closest I could get to not declaring a major at all. Journalists get to poke into every corner of human experience, and that's what I really wanted. That instinct to follow curiosity wherever it leads is still core to how I move through the world.
Second, your analogy reminded me of the "holy trinity" in MMORPGs: tank, damage dealer, and healer. I always played hybrid classes, like a Druid in World of Warcraft—never the best at any one role, but able to shift depending on the need. Sure, a Druid healer might only be 80% as effective as a dedicated Priest, but the freedom to choose and adapt mattered more to me than peak performance. That flexibility, that curiosity, feels like the same energy you're describing in your research style.
And finally, I couldn't help thinking of our friend Joanna Penn. She often dives into a topic because she's curious about it and then writes a book as a way to learn it deeply. For her (and for many of us), writing isn't the result of expertise. It's the road to it.
All that to say: your observation really brought some things together for me. Thank you for putting it out there.
I'm realizing how far behind I am on the podcast—yikes! But I'm glad you're still there in my ear while I care for my daughter. I had to chime in about your "big ball rolling around picking up things" analogy for how you research. That image hit home and brought three things to mind.
First, something I suspect you'll relate to from your own background: I majored in journalism in college mostly because it was the closest I could get to not declaring a major at all. Journalists get to poke into every corner of human experience, and that's what I really wanted. That instinct to follow curiosity wherever it leads is still core to how I move through the world.
Second, your analogy reminded me of the "holy trinity" in MMORPGs: tank, damage dealer, and healer. I always played hybrid classes, like a Druid in World of Warcraft—never the best at any one role, but able to shift depending on the need. Sure, a Druid healer might only be 80% as effective as a dedicated Priest, but the freedom to choose and adapt mattered more to me than peak performance. That flexibility, that curiosity, feels like the same energy you're describing in your research style.
And finally, I couldn't help thinking of our friend Joanna Penn. She often dives into a topic because she's curious about it and then writes a book as a way to learn it deeply. For her (and for many of us), writing isn't the result of expertise. It's the road to it.
All that to say: your observation really brought some things together for me. Thank you for putting it out there.