Slowly, but Surely
How all the things are possibly starting to come together ...
Art history, reading, and books!
Toward the end of last year I responded to a need in the elementary school book room (associated with the library, but its own entity; focus is on sets of books for classroom reading groups). It's the same school where I already volunteer with S.M.A.R.T., so it was a great opportunity to do more. I am happy to say that I am still involved, and helping out with the data entry, labeling and organising is a great way to be around books in an educational environment.
I also started helping with their art appreciation program, which is taught by the wonderful artist Sarah Dooley, who I know from our community garden, but actually met by a serendipitous coincidence of getting to know an artist named Turquoize Moon Dancer. Turquoize (who is in her seventies), was with a group of friends from the senior center at the Interactive Gaming Museum one day when we happened to stop by, and she told me about the school art group, as well as inviting me to an A.T.C. (artist trading cards) craft class at the local stamp shop. I also found out that Sarah has art classes in her home studio, and have since enjoyed lots of great and inspiring time doing something I practically forgot I loved so much!
Fulfilling old promises
It also turned out that the mom of the owner of the gaming store was a favorite customer from the drugstore, and I knew her from seeing her on a regular basis. After she passed away, I had promised to do a drawing or painting for her sister, but never got further than some sketches. Meeting, and eventually recognising, her son gave me the push I needed to finally get to work on her portrait, and I was finally able to present him with something I felt good about. It wasn't great as a piece of art, but it felt good to do, and captured some of her joyful essence.Just a catch up 'mini rant' on what happened; for closure.
So I did work for a couple of weeks as an 'office assistant' for the woman with the art school in the strip mall. It didn't work out; for either of us. She wanted me to use her Mac email system, which was all kinds of disorganised, and write in her voice to various friends, people who might participate in fundraising, and to clients who had past due fees. She had me write in first person as her accountant once, seeking some overdue payment for some instruction and materials. That was disturbing, but I did it anyway. I would not do it again. It was too weird. The whole thing was weird, actually. She used to work at a private school as a volunteer, then started teaching, then opened her own school. She's a well respected community person, drives a Mercedes, dresses in beautifully tailored designer clothes, and seemed like an amazing children's teacher. But the whole place is a non profit, and it seems like the kids are all from pretty wealthy families (the fees were really steep, and the kids I saw were dropped off and picked up by an Au Pair). There was talk of providing scholarships for art classes for free to kids in need, but I didn't see that in my short time there. She got regular donations from Blick, but still charged for the materials. Mostly, I had to send e-cards to her friends and acquaintances, based on hurried and vague dictation. I don't pretend to understand all the workings of a not-for-profit business, but it didn't seem to be run very straightforward. In the end I just realized that I wasn't going to be happy as an office assistant, when I really feel more at home teaching and creating myself. And she realized (based on her micromanaging and frequent criticism) that she needed someone to boss around, rather than a colleague. Basically she just wanted a clone of herself, but professionally astute in her favorite email program. I'm going to do a whole post on the subject of 'Bosses' one day, but for now I will just say it's both frustrating and annoying when someone tells you to do something and says just do your best, and then tells you how wrong you did everything! Phew!Updates and a new (temp) job!
After I discovered that the reason I wasn't receiving substitute alerts was because I needed to update my online testing for the school district, I remedied that, and began a (still ongoing) stint as a fill-in kitchen helper at an elementary cafeteria. There was also a notice that I could qualify as a licensed substitute, meaning more pay and more classroom job opportunities, if I could pass some tests and do some paperwork. I am very interested in this, but I don't yet understand the details of the program. So, I am actually working now, which is very cool, although it is only for three hours a day. I do hope it helps with the new food stamp regulations which say one must be working, or in a work seeking program in order to continue receiving assistance. Because of food stamps, and also health care, I finally feel more like a real human being, and more hopeful for a positive future!I hope everyone had some time off over the holidays, and is working to do the work they love and feel some success for a productive New Year. Cheers! Peace out.
