February 11, 2012
Patience is something that I have not always found easy to maintain in my life. I tend to be a little impulsive, a little restless and have a hard time waiting. I have realized though that maybe the old adage is true and good things come to those who wait, but not those who wait and do nothing. Things will not happen if one does nothing, but if one knows what one wants and is willing to be open and honest about these things then eventually all the pieces seem to fall into place. I am not saying that being patient will always get a person what they want, sometimes things are not meant to be. Practicing patience though allows one to be reflective about one's actions and clarify as one moves through the world what it actually is that one needs for a fulfilling life.
I try to remember patience. I am not always successful, but right now it is on my mind and that is a start.
Posted by Sarah McCann. Posted In : Responsibility
February 9, 2012
Today I drove to Annapolis and attended MD Arts Day organized by Maryland Citizens for the Arts. I didn't know what to expect having never attended before. What I found was a day full of people that LOVE what they do and care about promoting and sustaining creativity in the world. It was an inspiring day and made me feel that it is possible to work within the world as it exists AND move toward the world as it could be, a world where equity, care, empathy, compassion and love are the values th...
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Posted by Sarah McCann. Posted In : Art
January 31, 2012
The fact that I am my father's daughter has never been questioned. I have always looked enough like him for people to say I took after him and my sister my mom. This year, however, I was given the opportunity to prove this fact in a different way. I sat on my very first jury. My father loves jury duty and I have to say, so do I. It is amazing to be a part of the judicial system, to have a front row seat to a trial and see in it all the complications and conflicts of our law and all of the inc...
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Posted by Sarah McCann. Posted In : Personal Experience
January 28, 2012
Sometimes the words don't change, but the meaning does. Several interesting conversations this week about words, the meaning of words, how meaning changes, how reality changes and the connection between all of these things.
Very aware that stating one's mission effects whether or not someone will understand what you are trying to do and whether they will support you. There are values that drive these words though. If the values behind the words change then so does the meaning even if the words... Continue reading...
Posted by Sarah McCann. Posted In : Communication
January 25, 2012
I facilitated part of a workshop at Baltimore Clayworks this past weekend. I started the session by asking participants what they were an expert at. My stipulation is that everyone is an expert at something. Even youth are experts in their own experience, but more often than not that expertise is ignored, devalued and discredited. I knew that young people were taught not to value their own knowledge, but it surprised me how many of the adults in the room also had an incredibly difficult time ...
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Posted by Sarah McCann. Posted In : Education
January 22, 2012
New Yorkers know how to deal with snow. With the amount of snow that fell two nights ago, there is no reason that sidewalks should be covered in a solid layer of ice. Not that I should be complaining, the block outside my door is the slickest I have encountered and I have no one to blame but myself. I really don't understand the rest of the city though, unless Baltimore is really where I belong and I fit in so well that I am just one of the many people completely unprepared for any type of wi...
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Posted by Sarah McCann. Posted In : Personal Experience
January 14, 2012
I like coffee. That said, I am also very sensitive to caffeine. I forget sometimes when I get into the habit of drinking coffee everyday. I was in this habit for most of last year. The year before I had limited my intake and was drinking a lot of decaf. It doesn't taste the same, but it fulfills my desire for coffee without the anxiety of too much caffeine. So at the start of this year I made a resolution to not drink coffee everyday. And so for the last 2 weeks I have been weening myself off...
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Posted by Sarah McCann. Posted In : Personal Experience
January 13, 2012
A
friend shared this video with me yesterday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7X7sZzSXYs
I
think it is beautiful. I also think that the stories of Lydia Davis
are beautiful. I don't know what these two things have to do with
each other, but I think that it is a good time to appreciate
beautiful things. Maybe it is the time of year, the air is crisp and
clear. I have found a good routine and am happy in my work, both that
which I get paid for and that which I don't.
My
words ...
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Posted by Sarah McCann. Posted In : Creativity
January 3, 2012
Happy 2012! Somehow I am always glad when one year ends and a new year begins. I guess I like beginnings. At the same time though, there is something really beautiful about the rituals that we bring the new year in with. I spent this year on 34th Street in Baltimore, it is the block that puts up an amazing array of holiday lights, an entire block that does it. It is incredible. Google "Miracle on 34th Street Baltimore" to see some images of the spectacle, but it will not do it justice. If you...
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Posted by Sarah McCann. Posted In : Personal Experience
December 30, 2011
I had started a blog about failure, but
seeing as this is a joyous time of year, I decided to put it on hold
until after the holiday season and write something a bit more
cheerful. In truth, the holidays stress me, but there are also some
beautifully amazing things that happen at this time of year and
seeing as it is the end of the year, there are also many things to be
grateful for. The things that I am thankful for at
the close of 2011 and the beginning of 2012:
All the incredibl...
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Posted by Sarah McCann. Posted In : Gratitude
