As a full-time freelance artist many of my days were often spent discerning goals, and working towards them. Since taking on this new role as Artistic Director of the Vancouver Tap Dance Society, I’ve found myself being lead more and more often.
There is a unique kind of momentum behind an organization that has 22 years of history. And taking on a role like this is kind of like being handed the wheel to a moving locomotive. You learn the tracks and the controls as you go. Sometimes you feel like you’re steering, other times it’s like the train is running on it’s own. There’s lots of moving pieces and lots of noise.
With all of that, the mandate for discernment isn’t lower, it’s higher. Eyes and ears need to be more open. Not only to hear what others are saying and doing, how they perceive the organization, but to know the right way your hand needs to move amongst all the parts and all the noise.
At least in my case I’ve found this goal to be helpful: In the midst of the push and pull of each day, of each challenge, of each opportunity, to stay true to the course that brought you to the thing in the first place.