“Moving Forward,” illustrated by Melody Weintraub. March, 2022. Please do not reuse without permission.
I recently saw a video of acrobat dancer, Yoann Bourgeois performing in the middle of a large theatre in London. The piece consisted of his climbing a set of steps, falling onto a trampoline below and bouncing back to the steps from which he had fallen. As I watched I noticed the gracefulness in the way he fell and perched back to the steps and I also noticed his persistence as he made his way--a few steps and a few graceful falls at a time--to the top. See the link below.
I also noticed the faces of those surrounding the stage watching and wondered how they were applying what they were seeing. Some might have only noticed his impeccable skill, while others were more impacted by his message. Those who identified with his message would do so from different perspectives. Some might interpret the set of steps as a career, a relationship, a marriage, or parenthood, while still others might relate it to illness, recovery or any number of obstacles and all would be correct.
“My Art Journey..To Be Continued” by Melody Weintraub. Please do not use without permission.
I identified with it as well. I thought about this climb I currently find myself taking and reflected on the ups and downs of my own teaching career. The many wonderful moments have overshadowed the pitfalls. But I can say, there have been many slippery slopes along the way. Hopefully, I learned from them, dusted my feet and bounced forward. Like when I retired in 2020 while still loving teaching every day. I made that decision with my head and not with my heart as I turned my class keys over to a former student. And even though that scenario could not have been more picturesque, I can honestly say I still had days feeling a sense of loss. It was okay to not be okay on those dreary days, however, I tried not to stay in that mindset. Instead, I made a decision to turn my gaze outward and seek out ways I could encourage others. Sometimes this would mean a phone call, a quick text or a hand-written note to those I knew. Sometimes I would leave a positive comment on a Facebook post of an art teacher I hadn’t ever met who seemed exceptionally discouraged.
“Teacher Encourage-Mint Cards” by Debi West and Melody Weintraub. Please do not use photo without permission.
I even contacted a few friends who eat discouragement for breakfast and collaborated on ways we could give a lift to others who weren’t bouncing back so easily. (Ever see the “Teacher’s Encourage-Mint Cards” (link below) that Debi West and I cooked up)? As I began filling up my time and my days with projects and writing, out of the blue I got a call from a university to supervise art education candidates. My heart soared as I found myself back on the steps in a new position. Still, I found, that the most effective thing that brought me back up time and time again, was not necessarily depending on positive circumstances but in surrounding myself with positive people and seeking ways to positively help others by sharing things that helped me. You might even say, it made me bounce for joy!
Links:
Yoann Bourgeois: https://youtu.be/8a0Oyg22dlk
Teacher’s Encourage-Mints Available Online at “More Than Words” in Germantown, TN: https://morethanwords.com/search?q=Teacher%27s+Encourage-Mints