Ahhhhhhhhh. That’s the sound of me exhaling after wrapping the fall semester of SHIFT-IT School. This season whipped by and I’m appreciative of going into a few weeks here where I can relax, come back to center and have some fun with friends and family. Then start the process of getting the January – June semester launched.
I received a nice present in the mail recently from Aletta de Wal, one of our Certified Visual Coaches and an all-round great gal. Aletta is the founder of Artist Career Training (ACT) and is equal parts artist, educator and entrepreneur.
The present was 2 copies of her new book: My Real Job Is Being An Artist. One for me (which I will read to assist with my acrylic paintings) and one for me to donate to a local library (Vancouver Island School of Art, I’m gonna gift it to you!).
Congratulations Aletta on a job well done! Really impressed with the thoroughness, professionalism and positive tone of your book.
Talking about positive tones. I’ve decided to write today’s article on a local project here in Victoria that a good friend turned me onto: The Starfish Project.
It’s a grassroots effort (involving a mixed range of local people) to privately sponsor one Syrian refugee family to come to Victoria (two parents in their 20s with two young children).
Privately sponsored refugees are beginning to arrive in Canada these last few weeks with government sponsored ones to follow. Should all go well, this particular family of four should arrive in late January.
The fundraising efforts are just shy of the 50K that is required (another 5K still needs to be raised ASAP).
I hope you will consider helping this particular family and/or working with similar programs in your geographical area. Together we can help honest, decent, traumatized folks make a needed shift in their lives. If I was in their shoes I sure hope there would be compassionate and skilled people to assist me and my loved ones to regain stability.
Wishing the very best to you and yours for this holiday season. May our hearts be warm, secure and loving despite the challenging shifts our world is going through. The energy of the heart is such a powerful asset!
Yours in SHIFTing IT,
The SHIFT-IT Coach
& Process Skills Mentor
