Are You a Hedgehog or a Fox? Flow Arts Personality Types

Hedgehogs specialize while foxes have broad interests--so which is it better to be in the Flow Arts world? There's definitely a difference in personality types between folks who want to spin all the tools versus people who focus on just one or two, so what are the pros and cons of each?

I'm borrowing an idea from a Greek poet named Archilochus, who described personality archetypes in a dynamic of broad interests versus one or two narrow ideas. The idea was resurrected by philosopher Isaiah Berlin and political psychologist Phil Tetlock.

Short answer: I think we need both to have a well-balanced community. Here's why.

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[EchoNightfield]

I'M just some weird hybrid of Fox and Hedgehog. I want to learn many, but I want to learn it well! Started on long staff, made the decision to learn more (slowly) but I mainly stick with the staff

[jordanaguirre]

I started with flowersticks 3 years ago and recently just dropped the hand sticks because it felt better. I went from struggling to do 10 minutes some days to taking my prop literally everywhere and feeling sick if I don't get at least an hour in. I've tried a few other props but none within the stick family so I just wasn't too interested. Long staff, escrima, sword, and nunchaku all seem like good candidates that might help me see a trick I already know a bit differently but it's not really a priority as I still have countless hours to put in mastering this prop. Need summer to get here so I can be outside with zero distraction days, house too busy sometimes to get deep into flow.

[wavestorm]

first time I've ever liked and subscribed

[djvorlagenblitz]

I'm hedgehog with fox tendencies. Poi is my, Ian but I am dedicated an hour a day to hoops and doubles. I would also like to add and hour for juggling pins and juggle tech next. I work 6 hours a day and flow 6. Prince was a fox with hedgehog focus, he could see how every instrument was tied together and mastered them all. I feel like if there's is enough dedication you can be both. Not all foxes are not dedicated

[TheSoftCircus]

Great topic! Did your experience at flame bring this up? I'm a fox 1000% even though I've been hooping for almost a decade. I find that I really love dancing with or without props and seeing the way each new prop interacts with my body is really fun. I also love how picking up different props changes the possibilities I see with my main prop. I also think many of you hedgehogs were never that comfortable with the idea of dancing in the first place so drilling stunning manipulations is a way to make up for what one lacks in the groove dept. just some more thoughts, thanks for the interesting topic!

[thesoapmasterful]

i feel like i'm more of a hedgehog, but that's mostly because any time i try something new i get frustrated and then go back to poi because i enjoy the feeling of being good at something

[BloodsongT]

so... contact poi came from foxes, then? ;D couldn't decide between contact juggling and poi spinning, so let's do both!

i enjoy both of those arts/skills/toys/tools, but i wasn't interested in trying to mix them. although now, i may be beginning to change my mind... i think my next poi will be contact poi.

good talk, drex! :)

[KittyBlendz]

I am Jack of all trades master of none