Call me a nerd, but I love learning.
I've always prioritized professional development, whether through graduate school, courses with the Boston Center for Global Citizenship, earning my Birkman Signature Certification, or attending conferences as part of networks like Campus Compact. Even as a solopreneur, upskilling is essential. (I'm currently exploring courses on UX writing. Let me know if you have favorites!) But if facilitating experiential learning taught me anything, it's that:
Growth doesn't always come from striving for improvement. It comes from challenging yourself and reflecting on the experience.
I wanted to explore something that would help me flex as a creative professional, and maybe totally fail. So I signed up for a course called "Art for the Curious" hosted by the Des Moines Art Center, and for six weeks joined about a dozen other community members in dabbling with different mediums.
Some of my writing projects have helped artists articulate their approach, and I loved experimenting in a studio space. Approaching something with a beginner's mind is a beautiful thing. I released myself from the expectation that I'd be great at each attempt. Staring at a blank canvas, getting messy, laughing at myself, and making things that I'd never sell or showcase was liberating. I could suck, and find humor instead of humiliation.
Practice might make perfect, but play ignites creativity.
How might you explore something that doesn't directly apply to your job, but enriches your work from a different route?
If you're an entrepreneur, do you make professional development a part of your budget?
Linking Des Moines Art Center classes here.
