This weekend we celebrated a very special lady, my friend Jasmine. We gathered to wish her BON VOYAGE as she embarks on an extended adventure to Ireland today. I have found it really exciting watching my friends taking risks lately and pursuing their dreams. Whether it is a big move, opening their own business, creating art or just putting out something amazing into the universe - I am feeling really lucky to have them as friends and inspired by their energy. I also am finding it interesting timing that with my friends from college, many of these changes seem to be happening at the same time.

I was recently introduced to the concept of Saturn Return - basically universal concept that explains our quarter-life and mid-life crisis. Theoretically we come out the other side with a clearer sense of who we are, who we are not, and what we want. Such a concept matches my current mindset and the mindset of my friends as many of us try to decide if the things we felt so certain about in our early twenties are really what we want. In some ways this personal review of my life objectives aligns with the launch of my freelance consulting work. I have spent the last year working with a variety of arts organizations doing pull-ups, examining their history, evaluating where they currently are and making suggestions on how to leverage that to achieve their future goals - both short term and long term. Its like a therapy session for an organization. As I grew this skill set, I feel like the clarity around my own future goals also began to shape. But one component I struggled with was examining my past history (personally and professionally) to determine what to leverage and what to let go of. It took a lot of little baby steps and trial and error.

It took overcoming a lot of fear too (leaving a job I loved at 500 Capp Street because I wanted to pursue the next step in my career was the most scary times of my life!). It was having to realize that fear was keeping my complacent because I was afraid of making mistakes. Making  mistakes as an adult is not the same as a child - there is no safety net for this flying trapeze act. No parent to kiss your boo-boo when you scrape your knee. But when you are not happy with your job or your current personal situation (and if you have the means for change - I realize such a rant smacks of white, affluent privilege) you don't have a ton to lose emotionally. I am facing 30, and did not want to face 40 or even 31 feeling unsatisfied and making excuses for why I was not living my life to its fullest potential.

Like many people in the arts, I am fortunate to pursue what I am most passionate about–creating meaningful dialogue and interactions through creative mediums. This now seeps into other aspects of my life, especially travel. While discovering new places has always been an interest of mine, over the past 18 months I have made it a priority spending extensive time in Spain, road tripping through Cuba, traversing through Morocco, and exploring the jungles of Belize. It is not only the beautiful locales that I seek out, but also meeting local people. As with art, I am most drawn to storytelling, whether it is the personal stories of the people I meet or the historical tales of the architecture. This also applies to my passion for cooking, which often combines history, storytelling and innovative problem solving - the same ingredients that help create dynamic artistic programming and curation. I continue to stage manage and produce work outside of my full-time employment. These activities bring me immense personal joy, grow my understanding of the needs of artists I work with and help me keep abreast of upcoming artists who may be ideal for future collaborations (That is one this I learned: I LOVE to collaborate at work!)

 These re-discoveries of what I love have me feeling incredibly energized. I find myself creating new goals - even bigger and more ambitious than ever. I see this same experience happening for others around me. I look forward to watching my friends lean into whatever path they have chosen. I am so inspired by Jasmine living the "YOLO" life, and while I will miss her - I now have a wonderful place to stay in Dublin. I can't wait to visit!

PS: This photo is from Jasmine's Bon Voyage party this weekend and features Dan, Jasmine and Maria - three people who inspire me with their talent, their ambition, and their zeal for life.