A different kind of education

August is winding down, which immediately calls to mind going back to school. I was a student for 18 years straight, from kindergarten through the end of my MSW in 2008. So much of my identity was tied up in that notion, for a couple of reasons. First of all, despite working along with going to school since I was about 13, it was all I'd known. Secondly, I was pretty good at it! I love learning, the process of uncovering something you didn't know was there. This may or may not make me a giant nerd... and I'm ok with that. :-) Plus, there's a certain security in being a student. If you screw up, hey, you're just a student! You're still learning. There's no expectation of expertness, or having all the answers.

Since I finished my formal education a little more than two years ago, I've been really focused on transitioning OUT of that life... trying to feel more settled, more expert, more focused than I was as a student. And I think I've settled into a place where I feel more confident, more permanent. But, to use a cliche, there's two sides to every coin, and along with feeling more settled comes feeling less spontaneous, less creative. I used to be a pretty dedicated poet, but I haven't written any new material since my first year of grad school. I used to read to discover, uncover, extract meaning. Now I read for pleasure. There's nothing WRONG with that, per se, but it's very different than the person I used to be.

So this is my attempt to reconnect with those pieces of me that are more creative, to engage my brain and my emotions in a different way. I want to think and write about my favorite poems and books, and maybe get up the courage to put some of my own work out there, once I start writing again. 

In its basic form, social work isn't that different than the process of reading and writing. I watch and listen, and try to elicit insight, put pieces together, find something someone hasn't found before that will change the whole perception. Bogged down in the day to day, it's hard to see the art in what I do, but I hope by reconnecting with my more obviously creative pursuits, I can re-energize my professional creativity as well.

So there you have it! Congrats for making it this far, and I hope that if people stick around, they can add their own thoughts here!