The Treadmill of Life

I don't know about you, but this past year has been a whirlwind. I feel like I'm constantly just trying to keep up and never actually getting anywhere. As an arts educator, performer, and professional development curator everything that has to do with what I do, has been in turmoil for 2 plus years. I have lost work because student enrollment is down, I have moved half way across the county in an effort to decrease my cost of living and create a life that is less stressful and I still have 3 jobs that barely pay me enough to get by. I'm 43, I'm overqualified, and I'm exhausted.

It has been suggested to me that its time for me to start my own business as an education and communications consultant using my background in the arts to work with corporate folk building strategies for teambuilding, communication, leadership, and the like. Others have suggested that I move strictly into PD for educations and administrators also building strategies for teambuilding, communication, leadership, and the like. The corporate folk have the money to pay, which would be a boon. The educators have the access to model strategies learned to their students while also building capacity for themselves. In the mean time I'm building an arts integrated social and emotional learning curriculum as Educations Coordinator with The Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, NM, teaching Communication Across Cultures with LIM College, and running Social Media for a local Taos business.

What's the next step? I'm curious if any of you are at the point in your career where you are struggling with what's fulfilling and what you are passionate about, but also getting older and needing a little more security and a little chaos. I loved the chaos initially. Running around NYC as a teaching artist, sometimes hitting all 5 boroughs in one day, but I just don't have that capacity now. I have nieces I want to spend time with, a husband I enjoy spending time with, personal projects that have been on the back burner for years.

Is it time to revaluate?

Is it time to completely shift gears?

Is there a way to balance both?

I know I'm not alone here and I want you to know you are not as well.

How do we support one another for what's next?