Great Minds Discuss Ideas

I have this print in my office.

The new year brought a sense of stability and less anxiety as I transitioned from a consultant to a full-time Project Manager. Hooray! I even traveled to Philadelphia at the end of March for a staff retreat. I'm especially excited as I was offered the opportunity to focus more on sustainability + community development.

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I read this quote by Carl Jung a couple days ago...

"Loneliness does not come from being alone, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important."

I think it translates to the loss of someone you dearly love. It also strikes me to the lonely process of being unemployed or in transition. Being unheard. Sending out all those freaking resumesssss and wanting so desperately to be heard and valued.

I'm just so grateful right now.

Year Beginning.

Bookends.
A wake this evening.
A baptism on Sunday.
Epiphany pageant tomorrow.
Hellooooo 2011.



In the past I've made some lofty goals in January. This year, I'll try for these four ... with perhaps a few surprises in-between.

1. Take a vacation. One that doesn't stretch for one long weekend. Or sleeping on a friend's air mattress. It's been awhile. And we deserve it.
2. Go to more concerts. We both love music + live in the city. No kids yet. Make it happen.
3. Read more classic literature. I picked up a Charles Dickens novel at the library this week after being captivated by the BBC mini-series, "Bleak House." Oh.So.Good. Watch the trailer here.
4. Live with less. Declutter our apartment. Take inventory. Donate.

Number five was to find more meaningful employment... but I can check that one off the list. My consultant position recently developed into a staff position. Hooray!

Ready. Set. Go.

{mini goals clockboard}

New {professional} adventure!

I'm starting a new job next week! Though I went in yesterday to get my feet wet before the director left on a business trip. The organization is a great combination for me: architecture/historic preservation, community development and interfaith relations. So excited.

{San Francisco No. 18}

Main Street

Last week, I made around 30 cold calls to designated Main Street communities in the vicinity of Chicago. Main Street, I should clarify, is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

" The Main Street Four-Point Approach® is a community-driven, comprehensive strategy used to revitalize downtown and neighborhood business districts throughout the United States. It is a common-sense way to address the variety of issues and problems that challenge traditional business districts. "

I spent hours on the National Trust website, Googling community locations and creating an Excel doc of communities, names of directors and telephone numbers. I went down the list and just started calling. I spoke to directors about Main Street, their specific program and inquired about employment opportunities. I spent Earth Day on the phone- not exactly the most 'green' of activities. I didn't come away with a job offer but I did receive information one can only acquire from speaking directly to "the source." Conversation was fruitful and some directors passed along additional networking contacts. All the directors I spoke with are scrambling for funds. Today I read a story how the State Main Street program is on the endangered list, according to Landmarks Illinois.
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Is your community attempting to revitalize its downtown? Historic buildings? Neighborhoods? Or have things completely stalled due to the economy?

If progress is coming, is the city involved? Or are these more grassroots endeavors?

Are you involved with your local neighborhood and/or business associations?

What do you like about where you live? What do you dislike? Do you drive everywhere or do you use alternative modes of transportation [walking, biking, public transit]?

What do you see as your community's assets?

---> All responses will remain in the comments section. I'm not passing along remarks to any sort of survey. This is just for personal reflection and informal conversation.
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image: "town" ~ screenprinted fabric in leaf green on oatmeal cotton.

garden club

{vintage photographs via abby try again}

I met up with an old friend from architecture school in downtown Chicago last week. The weather was brilliant. Jenn and I reconnected on Facebook and hadn't seen each other in person for years. I was a little nervous about the meetup- mainly because of the lapse of time. Would it be awkward?

We met at the train station and walked + talked our way to the Art Institute of Chicago. Conversation was easy. The museum didn't open for 45 minutes so we sat in the Lurie Garden for well over an hour and talked some more. We rediscovered our common interests + learned that our husbands are both equally obsessed with board games :) Jenn recently resigned from her job. I'm looking for gainful employment. We swapped networking contacts in the sunshine.

We did eventually walk around The Modern Wing* for a little while. And then grabbed some lunch, sat in another garden space... before parting ways.

Relationships matter.

*{I bought a membership via Groupon last summer- great deal!}

possibilities

"It is difficult to trust that the pool of possibilities is bottomless, that one can keep diving in and finding more."
~Parker J. Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation.

{fine art photograph: Feels Like July}


Still life ~
.. winter sunlight
.. tulips from Trader Joe's
.. Fire-King glassware
.. temporary plush computer chair
(waiting on my order from Overstock.com)
.. job searching station

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Brad and I had dinner with two college friends last night. We've both been anxious about stable employment. I know we aren't alone on this topic. It was so refreshing to talk about professional development; more specifically our dreams and aspirations with people similar to ourselves. We are blessed with some really creative and insightful friends.
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I'm going to check out The Vintage Bazaar tomorrow. It's advertised to be a modern pop-up flea market ! Seems like a cool event to beat cabin fever :)

feeling restless

{restless}

portion of the artist's statement:

"... Know the feeling of having an unquiet heart and mind?

This ceramic art object is part of my ‘99 feelings’-project.
It derives from a project I did many years ago reflecting my self-portrait.
I called it ‘how the outside can tell how you feel inside’.
I started out with 9 feelings and then I suddenly thought of making 99 of them...
I like the fact that the number is uneven and that it leaves at least one feeling to complete to 100. That one unfinished feeling to make 100, represents for me all the feelings I haven't covered and that it can be anything... "

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job searching.
winter in Chicago.
creative funk.
restless.

"Darkness is not the whole of the story- every pilgrimage has passages of loveliness and joy- but it is the part of the story most often left untold."

~Parker J. Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation.

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{Print of an original illustration}

"The notion that our lives are like the eternal cycle of the seasons does not deny the struggle or the joy, the loss or the gain, the darkness or the light, but encourages us to embrace it all- and to find in all of it opportunities for growth."

~Parker J. Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation.

{Image}

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Update on an earlier prayer request... Friday was my last day as a nanny (they moved). I spoke with the children this evening to see how they were adjusting to their new home and school. They both shared such sweet childlike stories. My life has a new routine. I am going after a remarkable job opportunity that was by coincidence posted the day I found out they were moving (serendipitous, no?). I have my feelers out to a few other connections as well... thinking happy thoughts...

nerd talk

**Brad's board game pitch went okay. He was told it was a little too violent ... stele stones toppling over sheep. { Sorry Brad, I realize your game is much more involved than my pitiful description! } He has been play testing the game for quite sometime and no one has mentioned it to be "too violent." Hmm. Maybe the publisher is too sensitive- ha! Anyways, he's going to pitch the game to different publishers. {fingers crossed}

**Over Thanksgiving weekend, we played the board game Agricola. Gaming category: economics + farming. :)

**My presentation went smoothly enough. I spoke about community development and sustainability to faith communities. A former United States Senator from IL was in the audience. She was just a simple convention delegate- as was I- no fancy political agenda. Though I am following up with her regarding any possible professional development contacts. Networking is key- regardless of the current economy! She runs a private law firm and recently launched a line of organic and fair trade food products. During the Q&A session, we chatted about sustainable farming. {fingers crossed}

She & Him

She ~ Fine-tuning a PowerPoint document to present at a convention tomorrow morning. The subject: community development and sustainability.

Him ~ Attending the Toy and Game Expo to pitch an original board game design. 2 years in the making!
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take a listen ...

Coworking

{toothpaste for dinner comic}

Earlier this evening, I watched a clip about "Coworking" on my local Chicago PBS station. Do you work from home? Does the setting fit your personality?? The piece featured two groups in Chicago: The Ravenswood Coworking Group and OfficePort.

"The Ravenswood Coworking Group is a shared office environment for independent workers and entrepreneurs looking to end the “working alone” syndrome, without resorting to leasing an expensive private office ... Realizing that working from home is no longer awesome if you’re home pretty much all day, everyday. If you’re prone to extreme homesickness, or agoraphobia, this may not be a problem. For others, you quickly realize how much you miss being part of the human race, and being around others... Combining work and living space is sometimes an economic necessity, but separating the two can help you regain sanity and increase productivity. You’re at home to live your life. You’re at work to work, and nothing else—right? So why mix the two? ..."

I work as a nanny; I go to their home (close by). When the children are at school, I look for more meaningful work in my field of study, I volunteer and I work on odd consulting jobs. Though given the current economy, finding work in the consulting industry makes one think they are living in L.A.- hoping to "make it" as an actor. There is no routine. You're always looking for the next project, gig, research study, etc. I mostly work from home. Due to my current work situation, I generally wear my college clothes (ie, jeans and a t-shirt). No fancy work suits required (unless I have a meeting downtown, interview or if I'm networking at a lecture/ social engagement).

For someone that already struggles with grey periods, working from home is incredibly isolating. I like this idea of Coworking. A LOT, actually. I miss the closeness we had in the architecture studio. My nanny children are delightful but I miss the interaction with adults. Though I've also had several annoying coworkers. :) Hmmm.

How do you find balance? Do you like working from home? Do you go to the local coffee shop? Library? Are you the type that needs to get dressed for the day and travel to your work space? Thoughts???

Harvest

“He that has a good harvest must be content with a few thistles.”
~Spanish Proverb

We had a friend over for dessert and board games last night. The setting was medieval Spain and my Grande was victorious. A couple times a month, we gather for a meal, games and divvy out the contents of our CSA share. It's a remarkable thing to eat seasonally. And since we're in the season of Thanksgiving, I'd like give thanks to our farmer. I made a simple apple/cinnamon/sugar bake as a topping over French vanilla ice cream. Our friend brought {gluten-free} brownies.
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I am attempting to be content with a few thistles. I've applied to several positions as of late. Given the current economy, it seems like my resume is a spit in the bucket. I don't know if I can handle another response of "we've received many interested candidates ... thank you for your interest... you seem to be overqualified"... or some combination thereof. The entire process is hugely depressing, is it not? ugh. thistles... Though I am grateful for the kind hearts and playfulness of children. I went to the park with my nanny kiddos yesterday and the chilly autumn air was refreshing.
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Brad + I have been invited to a quaint Irish pub gathering Saturday night. I love that scene in the movie, "Once", when they ride the motorcycle along the stunning Irish coastline. breathtaking.


Take care.

Architecture 5¢

I heard an interesting piece on Morning Edition this morning {Click here)

"After getting laid off from an architecture firm for the second time last year, John Morefield knew something had to change. He could look for another job again — or set up a booth at a local market in Seattle and offer home renovation advice for 5 cents a shot. Now he's earning more than a nickel — and building a clientele."

John Morefield's website: Architecture 5¢

Bromance

My mind is still on job searching! but this program on Fresh Air got me thinking. {{Side note to the blogging community... do you have any professional development websites to share? Let's join forces together!}} Sooo, Terry Gross interviewed the actor Jason Segel- "who stars as an obnoxious best man in the new "bromantic" comedy I Love You Man". Did you catch the entertaining radio interview??

In part of the interview, Segel spoke about the differences men and women have when it comes to making friends. Yup, we're different alright- especially when we look at post-college life. For instance, I just joined this Sustainability Task Force and attended my first meeting last Thursday. I now have one new Facebook friend and I'm in communication with another "new friend" to meet for coffee this week. Just. Like. That. And then there is this little thing called blogging. I've "meet" several creative, insightful {new} people online.

I think Brad owes me an enduring THANKS! because it was Holt and I that initiated a coffee meet up in January, 2007. We talked for three hours on that first girly date. And as luck would have it, our husbands ended up liking each other, too. bonus! {*That is Brad + Tony on the Texas State House tour while we were in Austin, TX. Awww, boys and Christmas decorations.}

From my experiences, it always seems to be the girls that initiate these dinner parties, too. Now, don't get me wrong, my husband has several friends. Good friends even. But his circle doesn't seem to grow. He seems completely content on his circle of childhood and college buddies. Content isn't a bad thing. I'm using content merely as an observation. Going back to the interview, I just thought Segel's male perspective was humorous.
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I should note, my husband is going to an all-day board game meet up on Saturday. ALL. DAY. They met online and they camp out at this guy's church for hours! and play board games (and eat). Though I highly doubt they "discuss" the sort of things us girls talk about over coffee. Just a hunch. :)

A little thing called JOB SEARCHING

{comic via toothpaste for dinner}

Tada!!
New {growing} blog list on the left column: professional development
New post label: professional development
Network, network, network... chipping away at my list.

Sooo, blogging community- do you have any professional development websites to share?? Let's join forces together!!
{I know about Facebook. And LinkedIn. What else??}

I realize this is not cover letter formality. Think of this as a speed dating like summary...

-I am interested in architecture, community and economic development, urban planning, sociology and sustainability.
-I hold a Master of Architecture degree.
-I live in Chicago.
-I chair the environmental and social justice group at my church.
-I presently work part-time+ as a nanny (sometimes a little more).

(I have participated in an assortment of projects, workshops, etc. to keep my focus and skills current.)
(The church group has been a great resource for my resume... and my mental health.)
(We have launched several worthwhile initiatives in a short period of time.)
(I have considered consulting work.)
(I try to give my days a sense of routine.)
(I work on professional development while my kiddos are at school.)
(I also blog during this period as well.)
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I can also add "Member of Diocesan Sustainability Task Force" to my list of labels. I went to a planning meeting yesterday and was able to use my new calling cards.
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