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Life Design

Integrating the personal, professional, and social aspects of my life into a cohesive design that more fully aligns with my values rests on the three focal points outlined below. While I enjoy periods of independent work and quiet reflection as a creative introvert, I find more meaning and fulfillment in anything I undertake when it connects me to others in ways that enrich our mutual experiences. By focusing on these three aims, I can build a life founded on my values of kindness, curiosity, and appreciation for excellence that connects me with others by combining my strengths of empathy and intellection with the hands-on work and artistic interests that engage and energize me.

Feeding the Body

Food is my love language. Few things provide me as much fulfillment as helping nourish others with the fuel they need to thrive. More than twenty years of residing in Indianapolis, including some of its food deserts, has given me a taste of the difficulties many of our neighbours face in accessing affordable, nutritious food. While many organizations excel at solving the logistic challenges of moving food from areas of abundance to those of low availability, the supply chain issues experienced during the COVID pandemic highlighted a need to examine how to make food growth and production more accessible to urban residents. Ways I plan to help physically feed our communities include:
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  • Continuing to volunteer with organizations that distribute food and prepared meals, such as Second Helpings and Gleaners
  • Volunteering with and advocating for community garden and other urban food growth initiatives, including Bloom Madison County and Growing Places Indy​
  • Exploring container gardening as a means of making food growth possible for residents without land access and teaching workshops
  • Researching and implementing sustainable urban growing methods to feed my own family and share our surplus with the community
  • Establishing and caring for bee colonies to help offset population declines in the pollinators most relied on for food production

     

Feeding the Spirit

My highest value is appreciation for beauty and excellence. Uncovering and honoring what is good in the world, in each other, and in seemingly mundane tasks gives life meaning and makes its challenges worthwhile for me. This appreciation for beauty and excellence underpins why I value kindness and curiosity and drives my interest in artistic expression and social connection. Feeding my community's spirit as well as my own will look like:
  • Spending time in the natural environment and participating in responsible stewardship so its beauty endures for everyone to enjoy.
  • Joining maker groups to forge relationships with other artists and foster a community of inspiration, idea exchange, and support
  • Continuing to explore bookbinding, paper making, and print making practices, focusing on environmental preservation and sustainability by using natural, renewable, and upcycled or found materials and low-impact processes
  • Facilitating and sharing artistic experiences that encourage others to find their voice and share their stories, whether through after-school programs, community workshops, library programs, or other contexts more readily accessible to the general public
Paper Making Tools
Team Collaboration Scene

Gathering to the Table

I have been blessed to know a myriad of amazing people and organizations who, in turn, know other amazing people and organizations. The first step to building supportive and cooperative community is learning who our neighbors are and connecting through common values, goals, and interests. I can utilize the creative, communicative skills and network connections I've cultivated to participate in this building process by:
  • Connecting people to causes they care about using a blended communication strategy in a non-profit public relations or social media management role.
  • Using the power of storytelling through a variety of media to build relationships and motivate people toward positive action in our communities

Continued Learning

While my innate curiosity drives a lifelong love of and commitment to learning, prioritizing education in the following areas will best aid me in realizing my current life design:
 
  • Online graphics design and front-end web development courses - a background in traditional art media has given me an understanding of composition and color theory; now I need to build competence in the guiding visual principles and technological tools necessary to communicate effectively in a digital age
  • Urban growing workshops and learning opportunities - getting involved with the Indy Urban Growers network and signing up for their shared class offerings; volunteering with non-profit community garden and urban growing organizations such as Bloom Madison County and Growing Places Indy​
  • Beekeeping training and certification through the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program
  • Assessing in 3-5 years whether I can further serve our communities by seeking graduate entrance to IU-Indianapolis or Purdue to pursue a Master's degree relating to community engagement, advocacy, education, or another subject of need identified by my continued journey
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