But in the spirit of holiday abundance, I wanted to spread a little of that luck and intentionality around to you, dear colleagues. I've been lucky (or intentional?) enough to have some tremendous mentors over the years, from a board president who taught me the meaning of patience and negotiation; a board treasurer who showed me how to think about financial statements as narratives; folklorists who helped me understand the deeper meanings and values of communities; an entire range of colleagues in Ukraine who made it possible for me to understand that complicated place; my own visual family, Drew and Anna, who always encourage me to look closer and so many more.
Every career path is unique, but I do think I've learned some lessons over the years that I could share one-on-one with colleagues. So here's the deal: I'll be choosing one person to work with as a mentor in 2013. We'll set out a plan for the year, meet monthly via Skype, and explore where you want to go in your career and how you might get there. I'll make introductions as I can, recommend resources, and provide a listening ear for those thorny work problems. This is open to anyone at any stage in their career: you can be a student, an emerging professional, or a mid-career staffer trying to figure out what's next. And of course, in this ever-more global world, you can be anywhere in the world. The only thing I ask in return is that, over the course of 2013, you write three blog posts for the Uncataloged Museum.
If you think this could be a useful process for you, here's what you need to do. By January 4, send me an email with following:
- Your current position and a brief description of how you got there
- A memorable, outside of classroom, learning experience at any point in your life
- Two or three key questions you'd like to address during the year and how you think I might be helpful
- Brief responses to these few questions below from Twyla Tharp's Creativity Inventory:
- What is the first creative moment you remember?
- When you work, do you love the process or the result?
- At what moments do you feel your reach exceeds your grasp?
- What is your ideal creative activity?
Questions? Of course, be in touch!
Image: Set design for Holiday (act 2). Philip Barry. ca. 1940. Peggy Clark Collection. Music Division, Library of Congress.
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