applying to jobs: slave to the word-count.

Today my biggest accomplishment was finally finishing this application to an AmeriCorps job in Philadelphia. It’s been driving me nuts because it feels like the lamest college admission essay prompt — but actually its more like I feel like the lamest, most generic, over-enthusiastic-about-community, college-educated girl ever. I have to reduce my explanation of why I’m skilled at community organizing to this: “I studied and practiced organizing communities through organizing events and programs in my college and the local town organizations; I also completed a Grassroots Community Development course.”

And Fine Arts/Crafts to this: “I have taken 8 years of higher level art classes through my schooling. I am skilled in creating utilitarian, structural, and wearable objects out of largely recycled or re-purposed materials.”

I know it’s useful to be really concise and force myself to write about what I do and want to do in really quick “sound bites” but it makes me feel ingenuine or like what I’m doing is naive and not very well thought out.

Anyways, it looks really great.

North 5th Street Business Revitilization

N5SRP is a community-based revitalization project, located directly on
the North 5th Street Commercial Corridor. N5SRP is dedicated to serving
both the local businesses and residential community though the physical,
economic, and cultural revitalization of North 5th St and the greater
Olney community. The VISTA’s core duties will increase the capacity of
N5SRP specifically in the areas of (1) community outreach (to business
owners, property owners, and residents) and (2) business sustainability
research (which will enable N5SRP to make better programmatic decisions).

Basically, its a job that encompasses a lot of what I’ve been trying to do, but it’s in a “real life” community and a paying job by a “real life” government! our government!

tomorrow is a sewing day. I am not being a business lady all day. I asked my secretary to schedule in a solid block of time into my schedule for sewing, and she dutifully complied.

capacity building

I really love This American Life (as many of you know) but this week’s (or maybe it was last weeks?) show really hit home a lot of really great points.

Island Time

I am specifically pointing to Act 1 and Act 2 (the first 35 minutes of the show) which really look at “capacity building” — like building community but in more economic, cause effect, measurable, scientific terms. It lays out different reasons why capacity building is really what we need, and also how it’s slow, inefficient, and not immediately the solution to the problem.

This is basically what I am most interested in creating in the world. Capacity building — using art to empower individuals to take leadership around their lives and their communities and make a difference in addressing the issues that mean the most to them.

I have to keep giving up that this is not a real job and that somehow this is not as valid as a business degree.

To create this as a real reality, I’m taking on this summer applying to 2 “real” jobs every week, really, no matter how “busy” I feel like I am. I’m scheduling days into my week for applying to art jobs and making projects in my community, instead of just collecting potential jobs and potential projects. If I’m really serious about this, I gotta just keep applying. Right now, I’m letting “being scared” win.

Tomorrow, powerful courageous Aliya shows up with her clear, understandable Executive Summary.

Oh good, it’s raining. I like falling asleep to the Florida rain.

sweet dreams

aliya

p.s. you should probs def donate some moneyz to TAL. They tell real stories about real people that touch move and inspire so many.

p.p.s. made new friends today! in the neighborhood. i’m working on it.

Aliya Magical Phone Face:

Fighting Crime, One Conversation Via Square Plastic Stuck to My Face At A Time.

Her cape of Hott Pink brings the Cuties close, and Vanquishes the Villians with its extreme Hottness.

Now accepting applications for Side Kicks or Romantic Interests.

new friend

today i made a new friend! I went to milagro for my first “official” (post orientation, post background check) volunteer shift. They were preforming the play for their parents, with a dinner afterwards. I think everyone was pretty sick of this play. but it was also really great.

connected with Megan, who’s my age and lives around here! how exciting! she intimidates me with her intensity for working out, but I think I’m just being self-conscious.

so excited for new friendships! and maybe new work-out partners! muscles, business ladies, friends.

is this embarrassing if she reads this? not sure.

exhausted.

sleep. sleep. i’m curling into a sleeping bag of florida sun, sand, the best summer beach bod, sweet dreams, possibilities, love, care, support, friendship, partnership, my favorite songs coming on the radio, fabulous matching outfits & wardrobes, stuffed animals, kiwis, zucchini patties, crying and having it be ok, long phone calls from far away friends, writing 5 million emails and having some of them reply, having it all, creating a magical life.

because all the love’s alive tonight.

photographic evidence!

a piece of portland, pretend nostalgia for old technology, friendship, and a lovely lady named natalie.

also featured, liam and skye.