We were lucky to catch up with Caleb Woo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Caleb, appreciate you joining us today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

Multipassionates often hear the phrase “jack of all trades but a master of none” in a way that is far from encouraging. Being a multi-passionate whose interest areas range from public health to film acting and music, that kind of social input is something that makes you question your love of numerous fields. It also stifles the fact that, through ideation, multiple interest areas can be synthesized into a beautiful tapestry of a profession. In fact, the full quote by Shakespeare is “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”

I first heard this full quote shared on social media. After I reshared the information, I heard from other multipassionate creatives on how freeing this was! As an aside, I think this is a beautful facet of multipassionate creatives: we create and invest in many areas despite what others say because of an addiction to wonder and curiosity. But we equally struggle with imposter syndrome and satisfaction in what we do because the “a jack of all trades” quote lingering in the back of our minds.

Among the various areas that I pursued (healthcare, public health, filmmaking, music production…) I was introduced to the concept of design thinking. This process of thinking utilizes the question of “how might we [solve a specific problem]?” When applied to multipassionates, the question could look like “how might I integrate multiple fields of interest into a thriving career?” This summarizes how I went from wrestling with multiple passion areas to understanding how to synthesize interests. I was told some interests were hobbies and the others were “actual careers.” But, God designed us to be dynamic and I think limiting what can and cannot be an “actual career” limits the life we live.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a singer, actor, film composer, and candidate for a master of public health in global health. I grew up telling bedtimes stories to my younger siblings, listening to radio dramas, watching my favorite movies, and even writing my own stories about a bear with super powers. I constantly look for ways to apply the power of storytlling and narrative design to life. This background enriches my skillset of music composition and acting when I work with filmmakers and other creatives to tell compelling and impactful stories.

I have been able to work with so many amazing people and this has led to numerous projects in my portfolio ranging from short films educating audiences on mental health and drug addiction, to singing in productions of broadway shows, to using my skills on other projects related to the health of specific communities (like overdoes prevention). Through whatever project I work on, I am applying narrative and design as well as concepts from public health to ensure that the final product is effective at reaching people and making an impact.

Additionally, I have worked with hundreds of teens in lab sessions I created to cover the concepts of design thinking and innovation. In these lab/workshops I focus on empowerment through creativity and teach groups on how they can use design in every area of life to be dynamic professionals and generate positive impact. I have seen uncertainty blossom into confidence and blank pages turned into stellar prototype designs. Participants not only learn about design, they engage in learning how this applies to their everyday life. When they leave, they have a toolset to continue on their professional journey.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to show that multiple areas of interest can converge into a beautiful and dynamic profession if we are intentional about it. The key word that drives my journey is intentionality (Learn intentionlly, consume intentionally, and apply or create intentionally).

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

the key is consistency and following what you want to create and not just what the trends tell you to create. If you want to make it, MAKE IT. Don’t wait for pop culture to tell you that you should create something. As creatives, the algorithm can be a scary thing. But you can make it work for you by simply having a plan and staying consistent (I posted every Tuesday and grew from several hundred to several thousand followers).

Also, your niche is you. Be you and create what you were made to create and the people who should see and support your your work will see it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://caebwoo.wixsite.com/caleb-woo
• Instagram: @calebwoo
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-woo-04591015a
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe8x_gfbW_gApSFOii_WcPw
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3zAcoldDxg06hvnKeLASxu?si=Kce6UjIKTreSZcTtMATnuQ
  Substack: https://substack.com/@calebwoo
  Labocine: https://www.labocine.com/habitat/calebwoo

Image Credits

Selenica Bruce (piano photos)