heArtfully Searching

Sojourning at home is not quite the thrill as traveling the globe. It feels more like being lost in your own kitchen. 8 months into our re-entry and I’m still wandering, seeking meaningful work and my place within the Asheville community. I’ve had several people tell me that I’m fishing in a pond too small for my skills and interests. Yeah well, this is the pond we chose. Bob has important work at the WNC Alliance (http://wnca.org), and our kids are active in a great school; surely there’s a place for me in Asheville. Or perhaps its just a home base for my business. Who knows?  I must keep the faith.

While my place of employment has not revealed itself, my path is gaining clarity. In February I was selected as a NC A+ Schools Teaching Fellow. http://aplus-schools.ncdcr.gov  This is an honor and privilege for me. I have received wonderful opportunities for professional development and am now among a network of arts-integrated education specialists from all over the state. It has been enlightening to learn about the teaching artist profession – and to realize that I have been a teaching artist my whole career. I just didn’t know what to call myself. This epiphany fuels my journey. I remain thankful for the rich experiences I have had  and I look ahead with anticipation for opportunities to share, empower and inspire others.

I must begin to recognize closed doors (unrealized job applications) as clarifiers and not reflections of who I am and what I am capable of. Why do we beat ourselves up during transitional processes? I have re-read several chapters in Village Wisdom this morning. www.villagewisdombook.com I’m inspired by my own words this time. I am reminded that its the hard-learned lessons and up-hill climbs that build our characters, humble our spirits, and make us authentically human. Thank you friends and family who walk beside me during this transition.

2012 was a GoGiveLearn year – certainly not our first, but one of many times we have ventured abroad. 2013 is more of an Experience, Discover, Engage year. I am in the discovery phase…hoping to be fully engaged by the end of the year. You can help me by watching my electronic portfolio (or electronic press kit) and sharing me with folks in your network who might be interested in what I have to offer.