My mom sent me this today as an inspirational quote. She (and I) thought it was appropriate:
It is important to know when it is time to change course. No job, business, or activity will be perfect forever unless you are willing to constantly update it, for as you grow the things around you need to be revised. Sometimes a simple change will do. Other times the only way you will be able to go to the next level will be to let go of everything you have and start over with something completely different.
Quote October 27, 2008
First Stop: Cabin in the Woods October 27, 2008
Jake & Jen's Cabin in the Wood
Day 1, October 26, 2008-
My journey began with a juicy visit to the new home of Jake Roberts and his partner Jen, a radio DJ (and local celebrity) originally from Corning, NY (+Bella’s momma Kane, brother Bigby, and Leo, the new addition). Last night was their housewarming party and today Mike and I returned for a delicious Sunday brunch on their front deck looking out over a waterfall.
(The pics directly above and below were taken by Mr. Barletta. On a side note, he’s been taking some kickass photos. Visit his flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31376695@N03)
(waterfall
Leo owns the world
Jen feeding the fire
Tara and Mike sit with dogs
The cabin was built by the current owner when she and her friends were younger. Currently, she still owns the property, but lives in Denmark and rents it out for 11 months of the year. The inside is mostly one large space with a second story loft and a bedroom tucked into the side. A spiral staircase and woodstove occupy the center of the house, while an elevated stage area sits at the front. A deck wraps around setting the stage for the waterfall. Yes, their front yard is a waterfall. How awesome is that?
brunch by the waterfall
After a walk to the larger waterfall upstream with Jake, Mike and Bella, I finally said goodbye to all and hit the road, wandering down 79 (by the way Caroline- I drove through the Town of Caroline… it’s just outside of Ithaca…) towards 81. Now, at midnight, I end my first day of travels in Roslyn’s apartment in Hoboken. What a different world… to start out with a hike in the woods and end up in a metropolis. That’s a delicious first day to begin my adventure.
random art in the woods
a nonfunctioning keyboard sits randomly in the woods near the cabin
fall foliage
Jacob and the tree
Back to last night… a friend of Jen’s, Karen, was kind enough to give me a tarot card reading. I asked for some indication of who I may meet in my journey that will help my career. (She asked for a specific question…) The results of the reading were predictable. Tarot cards are like a reflection of the present moment. They can give feedback on recent events, the state of the current moment and some indication of what the future will be like based on current decisions. Karen likes to say the past is solid, the present is like plastic and the future is liquid. Life can change course at any moment based on a decision made differently.
my spread of tarot cards
I bring this up because even though I was not surprised by the reading (and I always take indications of the future with a grain of salt), Karen said a few things that I expect to be thinking about for a few days at least. The cards I drew were The Chariot, The Wheel of Fortune and The Six of Cups. By pulling two major arcana cards it was clear that I’m in a major transition (duh- but I should mention Karen doesn’t really know my story). The Wheel of Fortune indicated I am at a crossroads. Karen said the weaker future card meant that the future is malleable based on the decision I make today. The fact that there was nothing bad was a good sign. The six meant six days or six weeks. I asked for a clarification card and I pulled an eight, which means eight days or eight weeks. Karen thought I will have an indication within a week of the outcome of my decisions. I’ll probably be thinking about our conversation until then.
One thing the six of cups indicates is emotion. Karen said there would be a lot of emotion around my decisions. In the moment I was quite at peace. Now, there is only a vague feeling of the abyss in front of me. It’s unnerving, but not frightening. Thinking about it tonight on my drive to Hoboken, I was reminded of a time when I was learning how to drive on the curvy backroads of Pennsylvania with my father. I was the only car in sight and approaching the top of a hill on a dark night. I slowed down and my dad asked why. I explained I wasn’t really sure that the road would continue on the other side. I logically assumed it would be there, but since I couldn’t see it I didn’t know if a sharp curve or something unexpected would lay just on the other side. He explained there is a certain level of trust to driving… since then I’ve found the road systems to be fairly predictable around the country, even in their inefficiencies… This current feeling is similar… a bit uncertain, but somehow trusting that the road will continue on the other side.
Up Next: Hoboken & NYC
Freedom October 23, 2008
Today is my first day of freedom. At first I called it unemployment, but that hardly seems appropriate.
Things are quiet. It’s sunny in Syracuse. This place does strange things to people who try to leave. Just a few months ago, my friend Josh came back to visit from Louisville. He had lived in Syracuse for a decade or so and recently moved down there. On his trip through Syracuse this time, a meter maid found his van on a residential street (where I have never seen a meter maid in my life) and put a boot on his vehicle. He had just stopped by a friend’s house to pick up some of his stuff. It was his last stop before hitting the road that afternoon. Instead, it cost him $700 in overdue parking tickets, three days and a debt to his Mom to get him on the road again.
Strangely enough, when I came back to Syracuse last time, I hit a blizzard in Kentucky. People had freaked out so badly that the highway traffic literally came to a halt for two miles in the city. I ended up getting off and wandering through city streets (small curvy hilly little alley streets) to get to the other side of the backup. I wondered if that was a sign.
So here I am again, about to hit the road and enter the unknown abyss. It’s a bit unnerving not knowing what is to come, but I am excited for the adventure.
Here’s where I am now, in the present moment. This is my home.
the last flower of summer
the living room
my brother's hand made bird feeder hanging from the cherry trees
mobile by Reginald Adams and tomatoes from the garden
Zen Bell by Evamaria Harden... used to call atheists to prayer
a friend with unfinished shelves in the background
fridge- the photo is my sexy friend Tara Hogan and I... we are contemplating an international adventure together
the idea of a lightbulb
one wall in my office is covered with magazine pages... this one inspires me to travel to Chicago
bed, painting and sidetable made by m. barletta... I know I'll miss all of the above during my travels
Iceland: One’s loss is another’s gain October 16, 2008
Last summer I had a visionary experience reading a book picturing myself walking along the shore in Iceland… long story, but let’s just say I need to go there. A friend of mine does too.
We’ve been talking about it for awhile, but going to Iceland is pricey. Their currency was so much stronger to the dollar. However, I’ve been watching the Iceland financial situation over the last week or so… Today it looks like I’ll get my wish. Icelandair is offering some very reasonable flights to Iceland, just as their government searches for loans to bail out their overextended banks. I don’t know a lot about the situation, but I’ve been waiting to see if their troubles will work out in my favor. It looks like a yes. I may get to go to Iceland in my time off after all.
Why I’m Leaving Syracuse October 15, 2008
Today I attended the Cultural Blueprints session for the Central New York region initiated as part of a statewide conversation with the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). During a break out session on Intellectual Capital and Workforce Development, I initiated a conversation about retaining and growing young leadership. In the last year we have lost several young leaders to other cities, among them Kate Clark (Philadelphia, PA), Ty Marshal (Beacon, NY), Astria Superak (Pittsburgh, PA) and recently, Kathryn Martini (New York, NY). I recently announced I am leaving both of my positions as Director of Communications at the Cultural Resources Council of Onondaga County, Inc. and as Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator at Delavan Art Gallery, the largest for-profit gallery in Central New York.
Why? …to expand my horizons. Personally, I want to travel and express a certain feeling of restlessness before digging into the next project that will hopefully take me to the next phase of my career. Professionally, I have little upwards mobility or ways of getting the experience I need and want to advance to a leadership position.
At the breakout session I announced this and invited the group to address issues of retaining and supporting young leaders. Phil Memmer of the YMCA’s Downtown Writers Center pointed out a need for supporting full-time positions instead of a variety of part-time staff. It’s true that I’ve made a living out of piecing together two or three part-time jobs. To this, Heather Hitchens, Executive Director of NYSCA, added a need for better benefits packages including retirement plans. Perhaps benefits are a reason many full-time positions are avoided. Our lovely facilitator added to this the issue of health care*.
Another issue that came up was a lack of assistance on SU’s part to support grads after their first job placement… that is a need for more support in mid-level career placement. I brought up a lack of job listings. The only way to find out about jobs are to look at NYFA and the CNY postings there are few and usually only for advanced positions. Later I found out jobs in the performing arts are more commonly advertised than in the visual arts. Still, there are some serious problems with our career paths in the arts.
Ideas: group healthcare for artists (Is there a state program that does this?), mentorship programs for young leaders in the arts & a conference for local arts leaders to talk about sharing resources… (there were more but these are my favorites)
I have to give Owen Shapiro and Christine Fawcett of the Syracuse International Film Festival credit where due for keeping me attached to Syracuse. I was approached and then voted onto the board of the film festival just before I made my decision to depart. Between this new responsibility, my relationship and my house, I’ll be in and out of Syracuse on a regular basis, especially as the film festival approaches in the Spring. So I’m not fully leaving, but I am opening myself up to new possibilities.
Hopefully, I will gain some valuable experience to be able to come back and fill a leadership role here in Syracuse in the future. This city is a great stepping stone. This morning I heard Mary Schmidt Campbell of NYSCA talking about how she started her career by attending Syracuse University and then working in a Curator position at the Everson. I hope my experiences here bring me to similar opportunities.
Here at this blog I’ll keep you posted of my travels. Stay tuned!
-Courtney
*(For the record, of my two employers, both offered health insurance if I worked a guaranteed 20 hours or more a week. One had good insurance but cost me about $350 a month and the other had a high deductible of a few thousand, which made it unreasonable and unaffordable for me. I joined a national network of self-employed people and obtained my own health insurance through them for $250/month. This seemed like a great deal- 10 doctors visits for a $10 copay/each, but every single visit they’ve initially denied and then covered after I get on the phone and argue my case. It’s incredibly annoying, plus if something seriously went wrong with me they wouldn’t cover it anyway. I just dropped it because I decided I can’t afford it. I’ve now joined the ranks of the uninsured.)
