Saturday, July 27, 2013

Finishing

When you are trying to complete a long-term project, there needs to be "juice" in the engine for the long run. You can begin and then you need to keep going. We quit so many times in the middle. It's imperative to keep going through illness, job changes, divorce, kids leaving home, even death. There is a a HUGE satisfaction when the project is completed. I learned today that no matter how many stops you take along your path, you need to keep putting one foot in front of the other and don't stop. Take a break, take a 'breather'. Stop if you need to. Call it a "stop" "hiccup", "detour", whatever you call it, take that time that your body, your family, your job, your life needs. Then, get back on the road again. It's your road, and only you can travel it. But, realize that you are never alone and there are always those on the sidelines to cheer you on. Yet, there will always be distractions and naysayers to tell you it can't be done. Keep going. It's the only way. It's not over until you are 6 feet under or in a beautiful vase on someone's shelf.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Just returned from Spokane and what a trip it was! Stayed at the Burch dorms on the Gonzaga campus. Learned a lot about people and things and weather in June in the Northwest. Highlights included much self-reflection, much time alone which is always time well spent! I was thinking that there are no coincidences, and things happen for a reason. Maybe not the reason that you think it happens in the first place. I have a lot to consider from the Arts Impact Training. It was fun, engaging, and exciting. I learned a lot. I met a lot of wonderful people. This sounds like the typical conference. But it was not typical. It was above and beyond, something that gave me a lot of time to think and reflect on what I'm doing personally and professionally. When that happens, it's always time well spent. The rainstorm on Tuesday night was especially unusual for June weather here in the northern hemisphere. Quite stunning, that storm was. I was perplexed by mom nature, but she is always one to present exciting surprises. I have decided today that I wish my personal life to be dull and boring, without drama. I wish my art life to be exciting, tremendous, filled with extremely high-highs, and big, audacious, hairy goals THAT are REACHED! I wish my art life to be filled with high drama, and along with it, high value funding with high value people. I guess the words that stuck out for me at the conference were: conflict, the color yellow, Kek, immigrant and outsider. I think I learned more about me that anything...don't forget the power that is within. It's the greatest power there is.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Sometimes I Feel So Guilty

Oh well, it was my big mouth that is now keeping me up at night. I said something to someone I shouldn't have, but it's the last week of school before Christmas break, and I had to say something. The backdrop wasn't being painted, the decorations were not being put up, no one was making the gym look like anything Christmas-y was happening there in a few short days, so I asked the AmeriCorp worker, Susan, and the other worker, Christina, "do you know that the program is Thursday?"

Then I watched as it slowly sunk into their heads that they were abysmally behind the ball. But now it's keeping me up at night, thinking, was I wrong to say that?

Susan replied, "every year, it's the art department's job", a dig at me. I didn't say anything to that. Then she went on, "when do we have the time?" The backdrop she began to paint which was only started on Monday, was a very complicated affair, so it was going to take a super-human effort to finish it by Thursday. Then there is the problem of the unicycles!

Went to the teacher's meeting. That was fine. The principal is very fair, a great person, and she is trying very hard to make it all work.

Also, now I will get paid a little something for the yearbook. Last year it was a volunteer effort, and I spent gobs of time on it, and it was great, but really a pain to produce with the computers that they had. Now they have newer IMACs, so it should be a lot better.

Thinking about Christmas and all that it entails, family, friends, eggnog, music.

I'll just be glad when it's Friday and I can relax. Then there is Chelsea! And don't forget The Fat Tones! But there is always Jackson Hole, which will be a dream come true, that will go really well.

As I travel through time and space.