My friend Janet, who also doubles as an unofficial mentor, has for a long time been talking to me about portfolio careers. On a very basic level, I’ve always like the idea of not putting all your eggs in one basket. It seems prudent and feels less vulnerable if one of your activities suddenly goes awry.
Staleness is an enemy of creativity. A portfolio career gives you variety in your work, and allows for the notion that you might have several kinds of expertise too.
Now that I have my own portfolio career, I find that I thrive on the challenge of turning my hand to a bit of journalism, some concept work for the launch of a new festival, thinking creatively about transport and culture and writing a children’s story. It is straightforwardly invigorating that every day brings something new.
Spoke with my accountant today, who is very thorough (not to mention glamorous) and has done an excellent job of detailing my choices as a portfolio person. So much detail, in fact, that I felt like sobbing. Accountancy is most definitely not one of my portfolio skills.
Peter Kenny: a writer's notebook 