For the record, “monomaths” is a word that we totally just made up on the spot. It means someone who only does one thing at a time, who doesn’t split their interests, and who resists learning new things.

In fairness, we don’t think it’s that common. Very few people are true monomaths, we’re mostly certain, but a painfully high percentage of people believe that the only way to be successful in life is to be strictly monomathic: to focus single-mindedly on one career, one art, one skill.

BOOOOOOORRRIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGG.

The Joy and Fall of the Polymath

Once upon a time, people were applauded and encouraged to explore as many disciplines and interests as their twisted little hearts desired. All the greats – Newton, Asimov, Lovelace, Lamarr, da Vinci – dipped their toes in more intellectual and artistic pots than a person could easily count. Studies in both sciences and art were considered necessary for a well-rounded education, so all the greatest thinkers throughout history have contributed in multiple ways to our culture.

The word “scientist” was originally coined in 1834 as a slight joke at Mary Somerville, a polymath who advanced our understanding of physics, astronomy, and chemistry, among others, because prior to her publications (plural), the term was “men of science” or “cultivars of science” – distinctly masculine titles, don’t you think? William Whewell thought exactly that and made up the phrase to accommodate his more delicate… er… colleague.

And then, industrialized education happened. Schools were established that provided curated curricula based on individual interests, and those lessons were presented over a specific period of time and with specific gauges of success for each. People spent years, decades, studying one thing, and when they said, “I’m a scientist,” the next question was, “What kind?” And then they’d name their singular discipline.

ADHD Brains Hate Monomathy

We crave novelty, but we also crave mastery, so it’s not uncommon to see people with ADHD and AuDHD taking on dozens of different types of projects and arts and skills (sometimes all at once) and collecting hobbies like some people change their underwear – once a week.

(We said “some people”. You know you know who.)

Deges has dived into both fiction and non-fiction writing, including deep science research, and in her non-writing times, she knits, sews, sculpts, paints, and fosters neonate and infant kittens and puppies. She also does a little micro-farming, woodworking, works on cars, and could set a bone, suture a wound, and deliver a baby if needed. She’s started to get tickled at doing more handiwork like embroidery, applique, and hand-quilting, too, because why not? (It’s in her genes.) She even does emotional and spiritual advising plus makes divination sets over on her site, Alchemias.

Sarah is similarly broadly talented: she knits and crochets, hand-binds journals, and has on occasion made the odd stuffed animal and extremely fuzzy purse. She has most recently been getting into making a widening variety of cat toys (becoming a first-time cat-mom will do that to you), designed with different life stages and interests in mind. (Cats are, after all, fairly unique individuals when it comes to fashion and taste.) Because she goes “both ways” with her yarn fixation, her work is found over at Ambicraftia.

Ash has been more dedicated to a comparatively narrow skill of sewing, but she’s far from being a monomath about it. She can make (and teach you to make) shoes, purses, bags, quilts, and other sundry organizing items. She’s also an incredible technical editor who works with some big names in the fabric and quilting world, and her foundation paper-piece quilt, “Deco at Dusk”, was the raffle quilt for the Quilt Plano show in 2025.

It’s much bigger than you think, and even more impressive in person. The person who won that is one lucky SOB. Find her patterns, purses, and more over at A Stitch and a Kiss.

The point is that the world would be sad and boring and flat and flavorless if we only limited ourselves to one skill or one craft or one discipline.

We are the Ladies of the Might because good luck trying to stop us, and also, you never know what we might be up to next.