At Last...

For those of you who have ever felt your just not in the right career, I can totally relate. For the longest time I went from job to job in fact to family, friends and acquaintances it was getting to be rather comical. Every time I ran in to an old friend I was working somewhere new; here, there or on my way to something else. I couldn’t fathom sitting in a desk or environment that was boring, not rewarding and just not me. In November I quit my job yet again and decided to take some time off on the career front. I ended up volunteering, excelling in something I am super passionate about and landed a career that is totally me and great fun!

At last I am in an Art Gallery setting, sharing my passion, background and love for art, culture and education in a contemporary surrounding. The Art Gallery of Calgary is full of laughter, eccentric behaviour and great conversations. I finally have confidence in what I am doing and I find it easy to talk to supporters, guests and colleagues in my new role. I think for those of you who have been struggling in various positions because it’s just not you its time to empower yourself to make a change for the better. Sure, the solution shouldn’t be quitting after reading this article but I think steps in the right direction will help balance your life. Maybe it just means volunteering, joining an exercise class or making time for yourself and those you love. I have had many conversations with friends who hate their jobs and we always circle back to the same conclusion, you can’t have it all! Can you? When I was in one bad job after another I envied everyone who wasn’t miserable going to work everyday and I decided that it must be true, we can’t have it all…

I think the secret to finding your dream job is to really understand the qualities that people love in you. My husband always told me that when I spoke about Art my eyes lit up and people listened to what I had to say. For years I couldn’t get hired anywhere in the arts and it wasn’t until I began interning at an Art Gallery that I finally became a staff member. Now, my eyes are lighting up daily and people around me are finally listening to me in a professional environment. Listen to your inner passion and go after what you’re truly passionate about, don’t hold yourself back by saying we can’t have it all. I think its switching our perspective and trying to make this life the best it can be. Stay positive, consistently challenge your own outlook; want, hope, imagine and dream.

I think we can have it all!

An American Quilt

I recently watched one of my favourite movies “How to Make an American Quilt”. It stars Winona Ryder and came out in 1995. The first time I saw this movie I was just shy of 11 years old. I remember then how beautiful the message was, I didn’t quite get exactly what it meant but seeing it again 15 years later was incredibly enlightening. It’s a movie that has become a sort of classic amongst my rolodex of movies. This movie resurfaces here and there and will continue to in the future. I have a feeling each time I see it, it will become more and more apparent what the message is.

For those who haven’t seen it and for those who have, here goes my explanation as to why it’s such a great film. The concept of a quilting bee seems ancient and yet the first time I watched this movie my own grandmother quilted on a regular basis in fact she would host similar bees in her basement. Women would come over, quilt, tell stories and I would listen. I guess the special thing about this type of group is the finished product had a piece of all your closest friends and could be given to a daughter, family member or friend in the community. Every stitch told a story, every knotted thread unravelled an entire lifetime of love, loss, hurt, laughter, dreams and happiness. Watching this movie just the other day allowed me to reminisce about an old past time that to my knowledge rarely exists now; my daughter will more than likely not inherit a quilt that I make with a group of my closest friends. Stories will still be told but not in the same creative manner…

The movie really showcases typical friendships, real life and the challenges that we or our friends may face one day. It highlights generational gaps and yet bridges them. For many women movies like this can act as guidance and wisdom to learn from mistakes of our older generation. The stories of love are simply ordinary and yet they are told with extraordinary detail, they are full of passion, emotion and things we can all relate to. If you have been in love or hope to fall in love your story from start to finish deserves to be told. Listen to your grandmother, your mother, and their friends tell your daughters and friends the stories they have told you. The wisdom and guidance we can find in one another’s tales unite us in more ways than we know.

I think the quilting bee still exists, its just we rarely give quilts anymore!