This past summer, I took on a personal writing challenge to see if I could maintain a 90 blog posts in 90 days assignment. The challenge was taken as a way to support a desired discipline to write. I've never felt completely comfortable writing; and found many times in my student life, and in my career, crippled by a fear of writing badly. I know as a musician, the only way to get better is to practice. This personal challenge got me to face an empty screen and conjure up a story, an opinion or a simple vent about my daily existence.
I made it through the 90in 90 challenge, I'm proud to say. Somewhere just after the mid-point, I started thinking about posts I wanted to write for my ideas about deeper arts engagement. I've been increasing my posts on the ArtsLehigh blog. These posts are intended to inform students, faculty, staff and community readers about the many things going on in our shared community. The information is to deepen the story of why these events or ammonites are important to know about and support in some way. They are also intended to help people develop their own relationship to the organization who present, support or encourage art making as well as experiencing art.
My revision for this blog is to gather my thoughts about best practices in nurturing a creative campus. I have ideas about how programming can engage audiences more deeply with the productions, concerts or exhibits. I have more ideas on how facilitators can bring varied expertise and awarenesses to their work. Most present in m mind, however, is trying to pullout an idea of describing a model of arts integration based on principles rather than a "how to" guide. First, I will need to deconstruct current models in varied educational settings. Through doing this, I will attempt to understand the many issues faced by educational leaders in varied settings. I have many assets and opportunities at my disposal to dig in, explore and to "kick the tires" on developing this model.
I'm not going to put a post limit on the work. Some of the posts I'll write, but not publish until I feel ready to reveal the issues explained within them. The writing tools convenient to me through the blogosphere are accessible at work, home and on a plethora of mobile devices. As I give myself this assignment - I will endeavor to build a repository of work. It is only a personal record to perhaps share with readers, should they find this blog on a random search.
