“Experiment” is my word for 2024, encouraging play and curiosity of routines.
July intermixed collages, mixed feelings on changes in my career and schedules, and mix-ups. Some intentional, others less so. But I am grateful.
One of the highlights of the last 30 days was making art with my partner. After setting a prompt, heading to the thrift store for materials, and having an excellent taco dinner, we stayed in. Such a spread of paints, stickers, newspaper clippings, and so much more led to a collage for me and a painted mask for him.
Just making time was exactly what we both needed. Some laughter, some spills.
Ever a mixed method learner, qualitatively, I see small shifts to how I view myself, too. This includes how I create different routines. As I enter year two of my career change to archive and library land, I am empowered. I am asking for additional responsibilities within the positions I started this year. Even if I have mixed feelings about changing roles. For example, I knew I’d enjoy curating exhibits, like the library exhibit I made on taking play seriously, but I did not know how I’d feel about other roles, like supporting reference and the help desk.
Thanks in part to turning such a seemingly contradictory word of “mix”, I am embracing both personal and professional changes. But it’s not as simple as accepting change. Especially differences outside of my control.
Some mix-ups were not intentional. But that’s part of this grand ol’ experiment that is life. And so, I want to react to such changes graciously, not just in the extreme.
- For example, my watch broke, and so now I go from extra-caring about getting my steps in – even wearing my watch as a keychain – to not thinking about movement at all. I need to find the middle ground. Pun intended.
- Or as another example, I started turning off notifications for my phone, and so spent most of the month away from texting. I inevitably missed many potential hangouts but gained some time back.
- Finally, recognizing that I am still new to the archive/library space, such greenness makes me an excellent candidate for both processing and writing fresh perspectives (which I am!) but also still training takes time.
By embracing the inevitable mix-ups, I am evolving, and so that will be my word for the next 30 days.
How can I embrace evolution in the next 30 days? While there’s still a quarter of 2024 left and a month of summer, there’s much I want to do and who I want to be:
- Spiritual evolution: Applying philosophy from Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, not only am I regularly keeping up with the Japanese words as my friends and partner chant(!), but I also want to keep praying for others in my Christian path
- Career evolution: On top of starting a host of new positions in 2024, I was dog-sitting most of summer, and while it brought me joy, it’s almost time to return to classes, and so I need to spend more time with people (myself!) than pups, and therefore say, “no”
- Creative evolution: While the regular publishing every 10 days here is excellent, I also found much joy in curating for the library and writing for an archival magazine, and so I want to keep pushing myself to use words, mixed media, and music to create
Evolution ultimately means movement. Humans evolve, and sometimes these changes push progress… in different directions. As I grow, I do not need to be everything for everyone, and so I need to keep finding me within it all. It’s assuring to remember I am still me, in all these different spaces (I am a multi-passionate person, after all). Hopefully, you are still you.
Acknowledging that shared humanity is all too real. I believe we all change, grow, and evolve. Yet we all want much of the same things: Happiness. Serenity. Meaningfulness. Usefulness. That’s why the above ideas start with the spiritual. Because it is simultaneously an individual and collective endeavor. To change, risk, learn, and evolve.
Physical growth may be easier to write or talk about, because it is more obvious. If I am not paying attention, I lose sight of how and why I am here (in these new positions, in a loving relationship, in a space of saying “no” sometimes, in Colorado. I could go on with so many changes.)
Both mix-ups and even entropy, instead of evolution, usually are caused by being too hurried. Certainly, the excitement of going from one project or role to the next creates novelty, networking, and a noodle full of skills and knowhow. But it’s also a lot of back and forth. And if you’re anything like me, that’s a lot of time in a car that demands to be cleaned.
If I don’t find the balance of different kinds of evolution, I lose sight of spirit. Sure, spirit is energy. But an awoken, evolved spirit also knows when to slow down and savor, so now I am re-reading posts (all lessons!) from mix (July-August) and play (March-April). Pondering, playing, and pausing.
Evolving is a lot of small choices, hopefully in forward movement and often behind the scenes (screens), to make change. How are you evolving? What changes can you control? How can your Higher Power guide you?