Hello Blog Friends! It certainly has been a while.
This pandemic has certainly thrown things for a loop.
This time last year we took a "pause" on a production I was assistant directing and stage managing. Little did we know, despite zoom rehearsals during the summer, that production has yet to see the light of day and many of us have taken on different projects.
I have had both joy and loss since this pandemic began. I lost my grandfather right before the pandemic, my grandmother and number 1 fan to covid, and my childhood dog/ best friend of 14 years. One thing that never failed though was my passion for the arts.
I took on two amazing and fun projects. The Quick Quarantined Play Festival and voicing Holofernes for Braving the Bard podcast plays were great ways of getting the creative juices flowing when theatre went on a break. I am so grateful for Vintage Soul Productions and Braving the Bard for affording me those opportunities.
A new career opportunity even came to fruition. On a whim, wondering if they'd even take my application, I applied to be a paraprofessional for a local preschool. I was accepted and offered the job almost immediately. Not only did I spend my hours in the Preschool, but I also began subbing all around the building. I began to connect with students Pre-K through 8th grade, and it felt amazing. Teaching had always been a passion of mine, but with a Bachelors's in Theatre, my options were limited. Then in December, I was notified I would be given the opportunity to take over 5th grade due to extenuating circumstances. I said yes without hesitation. The school has been such a big help when I took over a grade halfway through the year. The veteran teachers are such great resources to bounce ideas and problems off of. My kiddos are also a wealth of knowledge. Every day is a learning opportunity. I've even begun the process to further my education in the education field.
Does this new path mean I give up the arts? When will I do Theatre? or Graphic Design? Well, I still do those things every day. Whether I make eye-catching presentations to make my students pay attention in class or I do a dramatic reading of the Chapter in the Reading Comprehension book. The arts just don't go away with academics. Theatre and Graphic Design will always be pursued in my life, just in different ways or not as many back-to-back shows. I even unleashed my best Ms. Frizzle last week and took the kids on a trip to MARS! [Thanks Google!]
Stay tuned for more updates in all things education, theatre, and graphic design. (maybe even some education based designs)
Stay sweet!
