Busy Summer!

Usually July has been a slower month for me with school educators taking a break, and non-profits slowing down during the hottest summer months.

This week broke that trend with a few really exciting opportunities.

On Monday, I cofacilitated a Member Summit with Heritage of Pride/NYC Pride board members and general membership to address some recent tensions and divides. This was the first Town-Hall format event I’ve led, and it was exciting to use Zoom and other modalities (Padlet, Jamboard, Mentimeter, Zoom chat & polling) to create opportunities for members to express themselves and be heard - without needing to unmute! I’m hopeful this event is the beginning of a longer partnership.

Wednesday, I was a speaker on a panel at a national conference, the 2021 Creative Aging Institute organized by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) about the Artful Histories storytelling project and final event I wrote about in my last post. It was such a joy to share that space with my amazing collaborators, including one of the participants from the project. I sincerely hope that those in attendance left with increased curiosity and commitment to finding funding for local arts projects with the 55+ crowd. Arts are such amazing method of self-expression, accessing our creative skills, and opportunities to develop connections and community!

Link to my bio from the booklet (so official!) https://nasaa-arts.org/meeting_docs/2021-creative-aging-institute-speakers/ And here you can watch the recording of our presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni2UOpGeGHU&t=4208s

I’ve also been using this time to be attentive to my body and visit all of my medical professionals for annual exams. Though I certainly notice how my body has changed during COVID and working from home, I am deeply proud of the heart/mind healing that I have prioritized.