A Calling Card

Last November, I attended what could have been easily described as a creativity workshop.  While there, I met some interesting people.  Within a short time, I realized that I was lacking a proper business card.  Ideally, these cards would have already been in my possession to share with the people who I interacted with.  Not long after the workshop, I began to sketch out what this calling card would look like.  The challenge for me was to determine what purpose the card would ultimately have.  For some time, my gut has told me that I am at a creative crossroads.  My profession is in education, but everything within me knows that I am meant to begin exploring various artistic and creative endeavors.  This blog will most likely serve as a catalyst and a meeting place for these new ventures.  The decision was made to limit the possibility of limitations.  Therefore, I decided to quickly jot down various titles that I hope to explore in the next few years.  Writer, blogger, photographer, artist, traveler and speaker all seemed to be plausible roles that I have already started to explore and hope to develop even further.  The title of thinker was thrown in as a way for me to acknowledge that there are other titles that I have not even thought of yet.  (As pretentious as the title of thinker sounds, it also made me chuckle.)

Over the past sixteen years, I have had numerous discussions with my students about their futures and what they hope to be when they grow up.  One of my standard lines when a child admits that they are unsure about their future will hopefully lead to is to let them know that I, too, do not know what I want to be when I grow up.  Although they usually laugh, there is so much truth in that statement.  This blog has been a motivator to explore new possibilities.  It wasn’t until the tiny-journey card arrived that I realized that others would know that my future has not been determined, which has led to many questions on their part.

The card has allowed me to dream bigger.  One of my titles is teacher, but perhaps it will not be that way forever.  When I catch a glimpse of the tiny-journey card, I smile about the possibilities.  Perhaps putting into writing the possibility of a new path of my journey has built up some new confidence in myself. 

I pose a question to you: Have you thought of a new role or title that you would like to explore?