It’s been a whirlwind of experiences! The last three weeks have held:

• the six day Fast and Loose Sketching Retreat with Christina Merkley and Rhoda Draws in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
• the last of three NYCNVC (nonviolent communication) Integration Program retreats
• and, a bikablo training at University of St. Thomas (as part of my bikablo + Lettering partnership with Heather Martinez)

I won’t lie, with all the work and play of the last three weeks, it’s been challenging to cleave to my goal of immediate application of my new knowledge and skills.

In each of my experiences, I was asked about my plan for/commitment to integration of my learning into my every day world of work(how nice to have that “assist” from all the trainers!). So, here’s how the post-immersion experiences have played out for me…

My Plan(s)

In seeking to up my game/practice my new fast and loose skills, I committed to posting a mask or a caricature a week to our What’s App group. We visited and drew masks at this fabulous mask museum, Another Face of Mexico in SMA and I was smitten! I bought the book—it’s wonderful! While I want to be drawing every day that’s not a commitment I am willing to make—as I want to make realistic promises that I can keep. I have been drawing about three days a week… it’s a start!

Though I was teaching bikablo in Minneapolis, I had the pleasure of taking Heather’s lettering class again—I CANNOT get enough of it! I love learning new aspects of lettering and the practice time—with feedback— is priceless! This time we worked/played a bit with the Fat One—and I now, finally, like (the lettering style)Neuland Hand! I had such fun, and gained confidence so that I am now making new headlines on my charts with minimal review of my notes and quite good results! I will continue on this happy adventure—as there is so much opportunity for me to practice lettering in my training, facilitating, and coaching work. Mmm, I will have to try Neuland Hand on the iPad, for making templates!

 

At the close of this last NVC retreat, I was struck by my need to feel well-grounded in the knowledge and skills that I had been developing. I devoted my energies to being present in the learning of concepts and practices through the discussions and real-plays… and while I took notes, they were too sketchy (no pun intended). While I had quite a bit of experience with, and observation of the methods over the more than 10 days of retreats, I was not feeling as close to being a “conscious competent” as I wanted to be… In our check out, I was struck by the idea of combining my loves of learning more deeply, teaching/sharing what I have learned, drawing, and writing. While I have shared my new project idea with perhaps two dozen people, I am keeping it under wraps for the time being. When I finish thinking through my mindmap of ideas, and make final decisions about goals, objectives, format/media, and timeline, I will share it with the world—for greater accountability!

Reflections

And so, as we begin to think about year’s end, what professional development or personal growth work have you engaged in this year? How have you made your learning a part of your daily (weekly or monthly) experience? What can you celebrate about the processes you have created to support yourself? Are there aspects you would like to do differently? I’ve discovered that I have to feel excited about a project AND have a plan for implementation to enable me to commit to change with a light heart. How about you?

If you’re ready to commit to your goals and seek support in that process—let’s chat!