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Did you know that your about page is probably one of the most popular pages on your site?

Most visitors will want to know the person behind the website or blog, so they’ll click your about page. If you have an entertaining and fun about page, the person will probably stick around, remember your site, subscribe to your blog, and/or sign up for your email newsletter.

How do you know if your about page makes a great first impression? It needs some work if:

• You stuck up an about page when you started your website, and you haven’t revised it since.
• You only wrote a boring bio in 3rd person. Don’t do this—we all know that you wrote it! {Don’t feel bad if you made this mistake. I used to have one of these boring 3rd person bios as my about page.}
• You have a long drawn out story that’ll take someone 20 minutes to read.
• You haven’t broken up your about page into a list or sections, so it isn’t easy to read or skim. If you have big chunks of text, most people will just leave without reading.
• You didn’t include any pictures or videos. We want visuals.

If you’re cringing because you know that your about page needs some serious work, don’t fret. Here’s where we change it. Below you’ll find 7 ways to inject fun into your about page:

1. Include at least one professional-quality picture of yourself.

You need to have at least one picture that you feel really good about that others can use when you write guest posts, when they feature your products on their sites, and to enhance interviews. Your readers want to be able to put a face to your name, and it’ll make them feel more connected to you. Professional-quality doesn’t equal uptight—but it does mean that a picture that your friend took at the bar after you drank three rum and cokes doesn’t count. Your pictures should show your personality, so get creative. For instance, if you’re a painter, include a picture of you painting.

Want a great example of someone who uses pictures really well on her about page? Check out Mayi Carles’ about page.

2. Tell a story.

But, don’t take up 14 paragraphs explaining how you played softball for 8 years—unless your blog is all about softball. Even then, 14 paragraphs is overkill. Include small bits of story. For example, this is straight from my about page: “In sixth grade, I begged my grandmother to take me to get a perm and I ended up looking like a poodle.” I don’t go into detail, but this piece of story from my life gives you some insight into my history.

When telling a story, remember to get to the point and show your personality. Throw in some humor if possible.

3. Include a list.

Lists are easy to digest and make your about page easier to read. It’s also an easy way to show your readers who you are without writing a novel or getting too technical. Here are some list ideas to get you started:

• 10 Reasons Why I Became an Artist
• 15 Things You Might Not Know About Me
• 5 Things I’ve Done That Made My Parents Proud and 5 Things I’ve Done That Made My Parents Cringe
• 8 Decisions That Changed My Life
• 7 Things You Should Know About Me
• 6 Things I Love About Knitting

You can check out my about page to see how I broke up information into a list.

4. Add a video.

Want your readers to have a way to instantly connect with you? Show them who you really are with a video. In the video, tell a story, talk about the reasons that you started your blog, or talk about what led you to become an artist. Definitely keep the video under 10 minutes, and it’s even better if you can keep if under 5 minutes. You don’t have to share your life’s story in the video. Pick one thing and go with it.

5. Figure out a way to include the facts.

If you studied art in college, have had your products featured in Somerset Studios, or have traveled to over 20 countries for photography, you want to include that stuff in your bio. I have a short section where I include my educational background and a few places I’ve been featured. It’s important to include this information, because some people will read your bio before buying from you and it’ll help them make their decision. But, if you include a 3rd person bio, it shouldn’t be the majority of your about page. You want to show off your personality, and a bio written in 3rd person isn’t the way to achieve that.

6. Break it up with interesting subheadings.

You might ask, “How does this make your about page more fun?” It makes it more fun, because I can quickly find what I want, and if you write fun subheadings, they will pull me in.

Let’s say that you don’t want to use a list and you want to tell stories and information about yourself. For goodness sake, break it up with subheadings. That way if I don’t want to read eight paragraphs about your childhood, I can skip down to the story of why you do what you do. This makes it easy and fun for your reader. It allows her to find the information that she really wants to read, and if she enjoys it, she’ll probably read the rest.

7. Use humor.

If you’re not a naturally funny person, don’t try to push it. Humor done wrong is just plain bad. But, if you’re a funny person, include your humorous side on your about page and let us know that you don’t take yourself too seriously. If you’re not sure whether or not your humor hits the mark, ask a few friends to read it and give you their honest opinions.

Your about page is one of those pages on your site that you should update regularly. Mark it in your calendar to reread your about page and make changes at least every six months. Add new pictures, achievements, and information.

Do you have any tips for injecting some personality and fun into your about page? Are you going to make some changes to your about page after reading this post? Leave a comment below and let me know.

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“What do you want to be when you grow up?” my third grade teacher asked the class.

As we went around the circle, I was amazed at how all the other kids picked just one thing. Then, it was my turn.

“I’m going to be a teacher, an artist, a writer, a person who trains dolphins, and maybe some other things, too,” I said.

My teacher looked at me disapprovingly and said, “You need to pick one.”

“Why?” I asked.

I don’t remember her response. But, this has always been my life.

I’ve always wanted to explore many careers and many more hobbies. I changed my major in college from fashion design to early childhood education to human development and psychology. And, I would have loved to stay in college even longer to get more degrees. Unlike many of my friends who were excited about graduation, I wished that I could be a lifetime student.

I pursued social work for my master’s degree. I spent thousands of dollars on that education, worked incredibly hard at my internships, and then practiced therapy for 3 years while my fiancé got his law degree. I thought I had found my “it” but other interests kept pulling at me. I started writing, and soon made more money with freelance writing and editing work than I did as a therapist.

When I first realized that I didn’t want to practice therapy anymore, I felt defeated and lost. I wondered why I couldn’t pick one thing and just stick to it like a lot of other people.

For a while, I thought I was alone. It seemed like everyone else had it figured out. They all knew the one thing they wanted to do every day for the rest of their lives.

Of course, now I realize that isn’t the case. A lot of people struggle with their vast interests and passions wondering which ones to follow through on and which ones to let go. One of my first revelations that there are many others who struggle with this same issue was when I delved into the creative community.

Can you be an expert at multiple things? Or, do you need to do the same thing every day in order to master it?

These questions have been on my mind for a long time, and this idea is constantly discussed. My parents taught me that I needed to be really good at one thing and do that one thing each day. This was the mindset that they had grown up with, and they wanted me to be financially stable. They thought that consistency was the key to financial stability.

With my parents’ generation, you worked for the same company your entire life building loyalty and working your way up the ladder. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work out, especially with the economic issues we’re dealing with now. People who’ve worked for the same company for years are being let go.

I know that doing the same thing doesn’t equal financial stability—BUT, do you need to do the same thing to be successful? Some say yes and others say no. I’m reading two books right now that basically have opposite viewpoints.

In The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp argues that you need to practice your craft daily. She says that you need to pick one thing and constantly practice in order to be one of the best, and she uses Mozart as an example. Mozart knew what he wanted to do as a child and he was one of the best at what he did.

In The Renaissance Soul, Margaret Lobenstine argues that there are lots of successful people who do multiple things. One of her examples is Ben Franklin who was a printer, inventor, scientist, author, and diplomat. Another is Leonardo da Vinci who was a famous painter—but also built canals, designed bicycles, musical instruments, and weaponry. He studied many things including geography, music, and botany.

After contemplating this myself, I’ve decided that you can be great at something without making it your only life’s work.

When I finally allowed myself to believe this, I felt relieved. Thank goodness I wouldn’t have to pick just one thing. But, I also felt anger. Why couldn’t I be one of those people who knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life? That seems easier.

But, I’m a renaissance soul. And, if you have a really hard time choosing between your passions, you might be one, too.

If you struggle with multiple passions and picking between hobbies, get bored with an activity once you’ve mastered it, and feel sick to your stomach when you think you’ll have to do the same thing every day for the rest of your life, you’re probably a renaissance soul. And, if you struggle with how you can make good money, which activities to choose, and managing your time due to your renaissance soulfulness, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of The Renaissance Soul immediately.

In the meantime, I’ll give you a few tips that have allowed me to take my multiple passions and turn them into a strength instead of a weakness.

1. Narrow your focus for now.

It’s hard to narrow your focus if you believe that whatever you choose has to be your focus forever. But, it’s a lot easier if you tell yourself that you’re allowed to change. And, when I say narrow your focus, I don’t mean that you have to choose one thing. Instead, narrow your focus to two to four things.

Once I realized that I could pick four things to focus on and still make it work, the pieces have fallen into place. My four things {for right now} are: Blacksburg Belle/ARTrepreneur, writing fiction {one of my most favorite things}, photography, and working out at least 4 days per week. You might be surprised by my four things if you’ve been following me for a while, because I didn’t include making jewelry or mixed media on this list. I’ve realized that I enjoy making jewelry but not enough to make it one of my focuses. I’ll still do it, but only when I have extra time. And, I realized I loved photography so much while photographing products. It’s not something that I’m trying to develop into a career, but I do want to make an effort to take pictures every day because it lights me up.

Can you narrow your focus—at least for now? Remember, it can change. There was a time when my focuses were: Blacksburg Belle, nonfiction writing and editing, making jewelry, and setting up an Etsy shop. Things can change.

2. Don’t fight it.

I’m at my absolute worst when I try to fight and resist that this is who I am. My passions and interests are varied. When I embrace this, I get a lot done, enjoy my life and career, and feel fulfilled. When I try to fight it and pick one thing to focus on, I get bored and crave change. I also give myself a hard time instead of rolling with it.

When I decided that I wanted to change my career and stop practicing therapy, I had multiple meltdowns, because I was fighting it. I kept telling myself that I just needed to work past “the rut,” because I had put so much time and energy into building this career. That made my life miserable for months. If I had accepted it for what it was, I would have been much happier.

This doesn’t mean you should quit your day job if your interests have changed. I spent close to a full year saving and planning before I quit my job as a therapist. And, sometimes you can make your day job more fulfilling, especially when you allow room for hobbies and other focuses.

3. Make your diverse background a strength. Use all of your skills.

I use a lot of the skills that I learned when practicing therapy in my consulting practice now. I also use the knowledge I absorbed during that career to help creatives deal with their inner critics, push past barriers, and work through issues such as poor time management and lack of focus.

Even though I’m not making jewelry regularly or working on my Etsy shop regularly anymore, I learned so much from doing those two things. I know what it’s like to sell on Etsy, so I know how to help people who sell on Etsy. I know what it’s like to sell in a saturated niche, so I can help others who sell in saturated niches. I’m taking all of this knowledge and using it as I move forward.  I’ll continue to sell on Etsy and do one craft show per year, but it’s not one of my main focuses. At this moment, I just enjoy other stuff even more.

And, I’ve got more for you.

This topic is not one that I feel I can completely cover in one post. And, I’ve received tweets and emails asking me for advice on choosing creative business ideas and new projects, so I’m putting together a free class for you: 10 Questions You Should Ask Before Starting a Creative Business. You can also apply this to new projects.

This class is for you if:

• You don’t know where to focus your creative business
• You don’t know if you should start a creative business
• You don’t know if you should start a big project within your creative business
• You struggle with completing projects
• You feel stuck in your creative business and want to make some changes.

The class will be available next week. Make sure that you sign up for my email newsletter list in the upper right corner if you want access.