School years and semesters have a certain feel. A certain number of hours of class time per week, a certain number of weeks in a semester. Exams, midterms, finals. Start again.
It’s been my experience that careers, particularly arts careers, don’t have the same feel. I work in projects: nebulous starts, sometimes firm deadlines, sometimes soft. Some specific parameters, some determined by my own prerogatives. Is there a consistent amount of time I spend per week? No, it can vary widely. And I juggle multiple projects that have to be picked up, worked on, and shelved regularly.
It can be a challenge to shift mindsets from school to project – there’s a learning curve to go from the regimented to the freeform. Which is why I’m delighted to have taken on a “for fun” project this summer, guiding a passionate young artist in one of his first projects post-graduation. It’s fun to step back and look at my own assumptions, question priorities and strategies, and impart whatever wisdom I’ve picked up along the way.