Creativity is Being Yourself

I identified with much of what Professor Nichols wrote in her lectures, especially in the last post when she said, “I felt like a hippie at a business meeting.” I, too, often feel I am in a place I don’t belong – I’m sure we all do at times. But the lecture helped me to remember that fitting in and going with the flow is not always the most positive way to go.  Her personality often came out in her writing and that is the biggest thing I took from this course, that what I write not only needs to be good, it needs to sound like me.

This course was a lot of work, but not in the normal “got a paper to do for school” sort of work. It strained my brain to not only open up, but to make the words that trickle out more concise and to the point. The text book, as well as the lectures by Prof Nichols, was enlightening. Both concentrated not on grammar, but on finding your own voice.

Creativity is a big part of my life in a visual sense. I have a number of creative “hobbies,” but I have to admit that my writing has gotten stale. My job requires me to write about technical topics for a military audience. Writing has become drudgery for me instead of the creative outlet it used to be. The writing I read and critiqued this term helped me to break out of those boundaries. “The quiet kid with the Mohawk, the pecker waving contest,” and other bits of REAL speech helped me to strive to rid my writing of  some of the formality and just be me.

Prof Nichols is right. Writing is hard and I am tired. But it’s a good tired – like you feel when you just completed a nice long hike and are looking forward to the next one. Thanks for that. 

At the end, a new beginning

I’ve been struggling for months trying to figure out what my focus should be. What am I passionate about? I love my kids, but no one would want to read about them all the time … and since they are grownups, would they still talk to me if I blogged about their lives in a public forum? I considered writing about some of the serving ministries I participate in as one of my classmates suggested, but the interesting stories are confidential and I haven’t pinned myself down to just one anyway. What about the missionary family we support in Ecuador?  I designed a mock web site for them last term—old news and communication is not reliable enough to give them the coverage they need.

I finally decided to talk about myself and my life experiences. Although therapeutic for me, I’m still not convinced it would be an interesting and popular blog and I’m certain if I didn’t soon run out of things to say, I’d quickly tire of what I consider my whining. Many of my classmates have found topics they not only want to blog about, but are already considering for their final Capstone project.  What’s with me?

It’s finals week and I intended to spend the entire weekend on my final projects. Unfortunately, the commitments I’ve made to family, friends, church, and work don’t wait for finals to be over. My church was planning a missions fair and fundraiser today so I had committed to putting together two baskets for the silent auction, making fliers and price lists, and manning a booth. This morning as I was fighting with the clear acetate that keeps the stuff in the basket … ten minutes before it was supposed to be delivered, it struck me. I’ve encouraged friends to serve and held leadership positions in several programs. I ignored the call to write about it because, unlike fellow volunteers, I’ve not committed to one cause. Herein lies the answer to my quest.

Executive Summary:  Many people who are interested in serving the local community are not affiliated with a church or may be new to the area or are temporary residents. They need a place where they can find information on serving opportunities and meet other like-minded people.

Problem Statement:  People need details. They want to know exactly what is needed and what they will be doing. They often don't want to hand over money blindly, but want to supply a specific item that they shop for themselves. And they run in packs. Few people want to enter a homeless shelter or a Habitat build by themselves. They want to meet the people they will encounter there before they begin.

There is no one place in Dayton, OH area where those willing to serve can find out what needs to be done and where. Many people have never served before and are not sure what they are comfortable doing. They want to try out various missions and find out for themselves where their passions lead them.

A notice in a newsletter might be enough for some, but I’ve found from trial and error that people respond better to a personal touch. Send an email out at the office asking for help doing something and see what response you get. Stop by someone’s desk or call them on the phone and ask the same question and see how many more followers you’ll get.  It’s hard to turn down a personal request for help. I should know. I’m the expert at saying yes when my brain is screaming no!

Product Description:  The site will feature a moderated wiki where various groups can post their needs.  A vacation Bible school that expected 50 children and attracted 200? They need more supplies, volunteers, and childcare for volunteers with young children. A fundraiser festival? They need volunteers to run children’s booths, prizes, and a clean-up crew.  A church organizing a mission trip to Japan?  They need more participants, donations of sky miles and supplies. Needs will be posted real-time and an RSS feed will distribute the posts.

One section will be dedicated to a blog where volunteers can comment on their experiences and encourage others to join them. Message boards will allow people to meet, talk, and get to know each other before they participate and prospective volunteers can post their interests and skills so they can be match with organizations. Posters will be required to supply a valid telephone number or email where the website staff can contact them for more information. Much like CraigsList, the posters can remain anonymous if they desire.

To avoid being inundated with school and sports fundraisers, those activities will be placed in a separate area so that boosters from different school districts can see what is happening in their specific schools.

About Us:  I am an active community member. Although I have held leadership positions, I have not committed to one mission. My passion is variety and encouragement of others to serve. Although the blog will be based on Christian mission, it will be open to any type of community need and serving opportunity. 

Ugh. I don't like the sound of my own voice so I've recorded this script over and over. Still some blips and I STILL sound like Mini Mouse, but here it is.   

Script:

Is it possible to observe and not judge? Is it possible to express yourself without drawing on your own encounters and your own history? I don’t think so.

I’ve learned a lot by studying myself. I’m not a therapist and have no desire to become one, but I can see from my own journaling that the people and experiences of my past often explain my reactions in my present life. Like most people, certain names, landmarks, and even smells, trigger associations still today.

Many studies have been done on observation and experience. Jury selection, for example, has become an art form. Sometimes controversial, the selection process can employ background checks as well as intensive interviewing techniques to uncover potential biases. Building the optimum jury pool brings benefits to both sides. Jurors are often meticulously chosen to give the defense a better chance of winning sympathy for their client. At the same time, advocates contend that jury selection methods give both sides more confidence in the verdict. Think about that in the real world and what would happen if we could choose our observers and how they react to us.

Psychologists have examined the unreliability of eye witness accounts and how peoples’ past experiences influence what they see or think they saw. The term “mind’s eye” describes how humans are able to visualize what they WANT to see which does not always mirror reality. That can explain how your big sister’s memories from childhood differ from yours though you lived in the same house at about the same time.

This blog is meant to capture that very human practice of comparing our lives to others. You’ll read character studies of individuals and cultures I encounter as well as those who choose to be in the public eye. I’ll attempt to map my response to them by drawing from my past experiences.

I’ve found that first impressions are often wrong. Many of my closest friends now are people I had deemed too loud, too humorless, or too arrogant. Because of my naturally vigilant behavior, I still form bonds slowly. My self-study has made me more thorough in my reasoning and yet less judgmental -- a revelation that could be positive for others as well.

The blogs I enjoy most are those which attract comment. A blog is not complete without reaction; the varied responses are of greatest significance to me. There are many people who will not commit to journaling or logging on their own, but are happy to reveal themselves in other’s work. My intent is to invite commentary on my self-study and encourage scrutiny of my readers’ own lives. In examining others, we’ll learn more about ourselves.

My commitment was to write about myself, but my relationships with others are a big part of who I am.  Hopefully these introspections, by me and my readers, will have positive effects on us all. 

Thoughts on Module 9

I love my cell phone and I hate it too. When I go for a run or to the grocery store, I feel obliged to bring the phone with me. I'm rarely without it and that again is good and bad. It's good to have a phone if you fall and sprain your ankle on a trail, but how can you really enjoy the beauty of nature and get the most of a workout if you are texting or responding to phone calls? It's convenient to have the phone to call home to check "do I need to buy bread?"  But then again, it seems so rude to be talking on the phone in a public place instead of interacting with the people around you. It's so easy to miss what's going on when you are preoccupied with a phone.

Often the cell phone feels like a leash -- one that I often want to be rid of. I think this my "introvert thing" coming out again. Sometimes I just want to be ALONE and when I'm constantly in reach with a cell phone how can I be?  I can ignore the calls, but that just makes my family and friends call more because they were worried when I didn't respond. Yes, I think I media is too often intrusive.

Relay for Life Enters the Social Media World

This is a critique of the social media campaign of Relay for Life, an organization I have been involved with in varying degrees for about 15 years. When I participated in my first relay, the great majority of their efforts were via printed media – mailings, billboards, and mass distribution of flyers.  They have come a long way in their online presence, but have a ways to go in making that presence truly interactive and successful.

The site is nicely done, but needs to be crawled more often as some of the links did not work. That’s a major turn-off for me. The site is simple and colorful with easy-to-follow navigation and lots of photos of smiling people and cute kids. It has tabs for different audiences:  committee members, team captains, survivors and community, as well as links to cancer prevention info, toolkits and guidebooks, advice podcasts, and tips for fundraising.  There are also links for local organizations and an offshoot site for college-based relay events. From what I could see there was not a lot of participation in either of those areas. Local organizations have sites, but they don’t seem to be updated very regularly and seem to be more like bulletin boards of event times and locations. The site seems a bit clinical, but since it is affiliated with the American Cancer Society and based on fundraising for a medical need, that is to be expected. The blog link is mostly a collection of businesses offering products  for teams to buy for fundraising.  There was not much there worth reading unless you want to find a source for cheap junk to sell.  

The link to the Cancer Survivor Network, however, was excellent. Here there are chat rooms for most every type of cancer and every subject you might think of from where to buy wigs to the much needed venting forum. The chat rooms are very popular and I was happy to see that although there were lots of posts, there were very few without more than 3 or 4 replies – that tells me that readers are there for each other and are looking for ways to interact with others in like situations. 

There’s a link to their new mobile app which helps calculate fundraising totals, but the app is only for the iPhone and the reviews are pretty poor. I think they need to take it down and provide the needed patches to keep it from crashing before they market it. It will only tick people off.

The Relay for Life Facebook page looks much like the web site.  I like some of the posts which reiterate “comments overheard at relays” and then readers’ replies to them.  I have to admit that I’m not a big fan of Facebook and their page was like many others --people having private conversations with two or three people in a very public way.

Their foray into the world of Twitter is better. Their posts are actually interesting. They tweet event times and locations, cancer prevention tips, thanks to corporate sponsors, and fundraising achievements. The odd thing is that there is only a total of 454 tweets although the first one was posted in August of 08. With the popularity of the Relay for Life program, they could do much more with their Twitter page. They have 9470 followers – they need to promote submission of ideas and more involvement.

The RFL YouTube channel is in sore need of interactivity. There are over 60 uploads, but I didn’t see any that looked like they had been done by relay participants. I think the draw of YouTube is seeing what real people are doing, not just TV commercials over and over. It would be a big improvement if they would allow teams to upload videos of their events and even encourage funny amateur commercials for their fundraisers.

   

My blog was to be about myself with cultural and individual character studies and my reaction to them. Yikes!  Although I’ve enjoyed working on the assignments so far, I need to work on finding a more interesting topic for future courses if I want to pursue gaining popularity on a blog. Since at this point, blogging for me would be for class projects and fun, I‘d more enjoy writing about something entertaining – both for me and for the readers  I hope to attract.

But, since this is the topic I committed to, I’ll offer my thoughts on how I would incorporate social media. I can’t think of any reason for any type of app and I’m not interested in pursuing Facebook “friends,” so my interactivity would be mostly limited to tweeting when I post something new and relying on comments to my blog. I think that it might be interesting to pose questions to readers or provide a scenario where it might be easy to judge others and ask them how they would respond to the situation or people involved.  

Mimi Plays Devil's Advocate -- Take 2

What was she thinking when she decided to write about herself in a blog?

She’s an introvert. Now if you ever took the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator, you know that the word introversion doesn’t necessarily imply shyness. As based on the theories of Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, introversion simply means you are inward-turning. Interacting with people and being around noise and activity draw on an introvert’s energy so that they need to retreat to a quiet place to reflect and regroup, while extraverts get energy FROM the commotions of everyday life and crave that outward stimulation. Life is all about interactions with other people. How could the life of someone who would rather be alone in a room be interesting? It would be tedious for the writer and mind-numbing for the reader.

Mimi spends her work day in a cube on a floor with more than 100 cubes and teams rooms in a building with nearly 600 people who work on the same monotonous IT program. She wears headphones to block out the world, but they don’t keep out the noise, the ringing phones, the flashing instant messages, or the inbox full of emails waiting to be read and acted upon. At the end of the day chained in a cube, she still has to get into her car alone instead of finding someplace where she can laugh and talk and let it all out.

She says she thinks people see her as bashful, but she doesn’t prove that she is not afraid to speak. She doesn’t join in the debates about how the latest reality show will end the season or harangue her coworkers with complaints about the boss. How does anyone know where she stands? Often it seems like she is tuning people out. She is obviously a listener and an observer, not a storyteller.

The unedited bank of photos from her recent trip to Italy was just plain weird. Most people take photos of themselves in front of the Learning Tower or the Vatican, but her photos were mainly of marble floors and rock gardens, of people she didn’t even know sipping wine in cafes, or of drawings or mosaics –- but she cuts the heads off most of the statues and gets so close to the mosaics that you can only see a small portion. A note pad of some sort is her constant companion, but it’s full of weird doodles and lists. The pages may mean something to her, but not to an audience. There’s hardly a line that could be considered revolutionary or newsworthy. 

According to a 2010 article in the US News and World Report, more than 50% of Internet users are under the age of 45. Since she is firmly planted at the very top of that demographic, it’s doubtful that the mostly much younger Internet user would be interested in the musings of an old woman. She is definitely no longer young and cool.

Writing a blog is about readership and a blog about an aging Midwestern introvert is unlikely to attract an eager audience. If I were her, I would reconsider and find a topic that she can research and learn from while providing some entertainment to her readers.

Thoughts on Module 7

This was an informative module. I had no idea that Wikipedia had so many restrictions in place to try and keep the site pure. If they actually enforce their processes, they have come a long way from how they started – with the “anything goes” mentality. Even so, I think they have some rebranding to do in order to reinforce their reputation as a credible source.

Unfortunately, I have not hit upon a topic for my Capstone project yet, but I’m really enjoying seeing how everyone else is honing their presence on the web. Everyone is so different – cooking, MS, politics, pregnancy, martial arts – it’s amazing the diversity in our class. I'm hoping that my project will become as clear as some of my classmates ... soon!

Wikipedia Entry

Kairos is a perfect forum for my topic of observation with and without judgement. I learned a lot from my experience on a team and I think it has further shaped me as a person.




Kairos Prison Ministry

Kairos is a Christian ministry that addresses the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women, and youths, as well as their families outside the prison walls. The primary objective of the 3-day retreat based on the Cursillo movement ¹ is to prepare selected residents for life in an ongoing Christian community. A key part of the Kairos experience is to encourage residents to form a Christian community behind bars and to discourage dependence on the volunteers who run the program.

Before a Kairos weekend, volunteers complete a highly structured eight-week team formation period to build Christian community, practice group dynamics techniques, and learn about working in a prison environment including institution rules, local taboos, and how to handle potential problems. The ministry is governed by the national board of Kairos Prison Ministry, Inc. ² and is conducted in cooperation with the chaplains of correctional institutions. Teams are generally comprised of 50 lay persons with 5-6 clergy members.

The program follows a very strict protocol in order to assure the predictability and security necessary for the prison setting. A manual³ is given to each team member and they are expected to follow the guidelines to the letter to keep the weekend orderly and avoid unwanted confrontations.

Through the structured program, the residents of correctional institutions are given the opportunity to experience God’s healing love, spiritual renewal, and the tools to share their experience with others and become a Christian witness while they are incarcerated and after they may be released. Several studies including one from the University of Alabama Birmingham “Religion Helps Reduce Negative Prison Behaviors”  have indicated that prison ministries can reduce incidences of violence in institutions as well the number of repeat offenders.⁴

The program is supported by Christian volunteers including those from the Cursillo movement and other related renewal ministries such as Emmaus⁴, Chrysalis⁵, and Epiphany⁶. Although Christian in nature, the program is open to any faith and it is not unusual to see find participants who consider themselves to be Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or even Atheist. More than 170,000 men and women have been through the Kairos experience. Volunteers number more than 20,000 per year.

The Process

Prison chaplains identify individuals who they feel have the potential to benefit from the program. They are then invited to a three day “short course” on Christianity. The weekend consists of a series of talks by volunteers which are built from an outline. The speakers are encouraged to supplement the outline with personal witness and examples from their own lives on the ways in which support, love, encouragement and prayer from other members of their own small group has brought healing. The attraction of Christian community is made abundantly clear by one speaker after another.

The participants sit as “families” at tables. Three team members and six residents at each table are carefully chosen to be ethnically diverse. Through talking and listening, music, and food the family becomes comfortable enough with one another over the course of the weekend to become vulnerable. On the final day, they are led into sharing their personal histories and thereby learn they have much more in common than they had ever imagined. They begin to feel like family.

At the end of the weekend, residents graduate and are accepted into the Kairos community. The Team returns to the institution within three weeks for an Instructional Reunion which offers continuing support and teaches the newest members of the Inside Community how to form small groups

All Kairos graduates are encouraged to continue to participate in weekly small group sessions called “Prayer and Shares” where they share their lives on a deep spiritual level. They pray for each other, for other residents and staff, and are accountable to each other for their actions.

The Kairos monthly reunion is a two-three hour gathering of the institution’s resident Prayer and Share Groups with Kairos volunteers. There they participate in community worship, share in small groups, and hear witness talks.  It is open to all residents of the institution who have attended a Kairos short course and may be open to their guests, if the institution allows.

History

The Kairos Prison Ministry grew out of early attempts to launch movements in prisons similar to the three-day movements in the sacramental churches of the free-world. A Cursillo movement event was held in Union Correctional Institution, a maximum security institution, at Raiford, Florida in 1976. Though successful, the event did not grow until the retreat became ecumenical rather than purely Catholic.  As in the Cursillo, the general foundation is a program where lay persons can learn to minister to each other and become spiritual leaders. The retreat is based on Biblical reference found in the Gospel of Luke 24:13-35, especially verse 31, “And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”

There are two Greek words for time.  Kronos pertains to linear time such as hours, days, and weeks. The Oxford Online Dictionary⁷ defines the other word, “kairos” as “a propitious moment for decision or action” or opportunity. It is often used in religious sense as time set by God for a particular occurrence. The word kairos was also found to carry special significance in correctional institutions where the word time carries so many different connotations. The Kairos weekend gives the inmates an opportunity to experience God’s healing love and the tools to share their experience with others.

Today chapters are located in 31 states in the U.S. and eight additional countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, and Canada. Each state has its own board of directions and governing regulations⁸ based on the international organization.

Biblical reference

Luke 24:13-35 – details the story of the afternoon three days after the crucifixion when the risen Christ appears to two disciples walking along the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. Blinded by their grief and hopelessness, they do not recognize him. As he walked, Jesus explained the meaning of the scripture and when they arrived he held communion with them and then they recognized him.

Matthew 25:36 “I was in prison and you visited me.”

John 13:34-35  "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples."

References

1.       http://www.cursillo.org/whatis.html

2.       http://www.kairosprisonministry.org/

3.       UAB Study Finds Religion Helps Reduce Negative Prison Behaviors - Gail Short, UAB.edu, citing: Kent R. Kerley, Todd L. Matthews and Troy C.Blanchard. (2005) "Religiosity, Religious Participation, and Negative Prison Behaviors." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 44(4):443–457; Prison Religion: Faith-based Reform and the Constitution – Winnifred Faller-Sullivan (2009); Prison Ministry: Understanding Prison Culture Inside and Out, Lennie Spitale (2002)

4.       http://www.upperroom.org/emmaus/

5.       http://www.upperroom.org/chrysalis/

6.       http://www.epiphanyministry.com/

7.       http://oxforddictionaries.com/

8.       Guidebook for Kairos Inside Team Members (2006)

Proposal

This assignment was hard for me. I tend to sway with the ebb and flow -- this forced me to pin myself down.

Summary:

Is it possible to observe and not judge? Is it possible to express yourself without drawing on your own encounters and your own history? I intend to do character studies of cultures and of individuals around me and in public life. My commitment was to write about myself and I intend to do that by examining how I interact with people, and how my past experiences and relationships influence my opinions.  I’ll attempt to map my current interactions to my past experiences.

I have mentioned before that my first impressions are quite often wrong. Many of my closest friends now are people who I had deemed too loud, too humorless, or too arrogant. I still form bonds very slowly, but I have become more impartial in scrutiny and more thorough in my reasoning.  That thorough analysis is what I will explore.

Problem statement:

I want to write about my experiences and opinions, but am at a loss for where to begin. In past posts, reviewers have pointed out that I end up talking about other people instead of myself. Instead of fighting that urge, I’ll use it to my advantage to show why I see people the way I do. In examining other people, I’ll examine myself.

Research and background:

Many studies have been done on observation and experience. Jury selection, for example, has become almost an art form. Sometimes controversial, the selection process can employ background checks as well as intensive interviewing techniques to uncover potential biases. Building the optimum jury pool can bring benefits to both sides. Jurors are often meticulously chosen to give the defense a better chance of winning sympathy for their client. At the same time, advocates contend that jury selection methods give both sides more confidence in the verdict.

Psychologists also have examined the unreliability of eye witness accounts and how people’s past experiences influence what they see or think they saw. The term “mind’s eye” describes how humans are able to visualize what they want to see which does not always mirror reality.

About me:  I grew up in a small Midwestern town with an alcoholic father and financial hardships. I married into the military and since moves are frequent, I had the opportunity to encounter other cultures and philosophies that vary greatly from what I knew growing up. The wide variety of experiences and people I’ve met coupled with my naturally vigilant behavior gives me a unique perspective on many aspects of life.  

Musings on Module 6

One of the last paragraphs in the research lecture hit home with me. So often I have a very weak thesis and write and write and write and write. Finally when I get to the end, I figure out what my thesis SHOULD have been in first place and have to start all over.

I’ve always hated research as I thought of it in terms of the old research papers we all had to do in school … the ones where the teacher assigns the topic and you had to have ten references from different sources … blah, blah, blah. It’s a bit more exciting to think of researching to make myself sound more credible in either non-fiction or fictional writing. It’s kind of like the detective shows I love to watch on TV. Like an investigator, you never know what clues you might encounter and where they will lead you. 

How to Housetrain a Dog

1.       First, you should start with a puppy – that way you have pretty much a lump of clay that can be molded into whatever you desire. Puppies are also usually more of a manageable size so you can restrain them or pick them up if they won’t do what you want. I didn’t follow my own advice and got a dog from a rescue operation. Although he’s young, he is not quite the blank slate I’d hoped for.  Blank stare describes it better and at nearly 50 pounds already, he does what he wants to do.

2.       Pick a voice command that the dog can associate with the action.  Keep the command simple and ensure everyone in the household uses the same word.  The poor animal will be confused quickly if son says “leak time”, dad says “outside” and mom says “baby need to go poo-poo?”

3.       Next you need to figure out WHERE you want the dog to eliminate – in a litter box, the neighbor’s yard -- wherever. I decided that I wanted the dog to do his duty in the right back corner of our yard. Keeping the poop away from the left side of the yard where we play corn hole and badminton in the summer would decrease the risk of “sliding into a serve.”  It would also keep the aroma from spoiling a nice soak in the hot tub. Keep in mind that wherever you choose, you have to take the dog there –- even if that means standing at the far edge of your lawn in your pj’s at 3am.

4.       Put the dog on a leash each time you take him to the designated spot. Repeat the mantra as you walk to the spot and keep repeating it as you wait for something to happen. Patience. When the dog finally “goes,” praise him heartily with rubs and plenty of “good dogs” and give him a small treat. Always keep small treats in your pocket or nearby when training an animal to do any new behavior.

5.       Next you need a place to keep the dog when you are out of the house or can’t watch him carefully like during the night. A crate is what most animal experts recommend. Get a pen large enough so the dog can stand up and turn around. Dogs are den animals and like to keep their sleeping area clean, so don’t purchase a crate large enough to allow them to soil one side and sleep on the other. We kept our dog in the extra bathroom the first time we left him. Big mistake. In just a few hours he had completely devoured the Charmin, splashed toilet water all over the walls, and chewed the bottom of the door trying to escape. And, no, he did not keep his “den” clean.

6.       Get the dog acquainted with the pen and make it a place he will like to go. Pick another voice command like “bedtime” that you say when you want him to go into the kennel. Speak softly and put treats inside the crate so he will go in to get them. Sometimes it takes lots of treats. When you finally get him inside, don’t close the door yet. Block him in with your body, pet him, praise him and repeat the “bedtime” command. You might even give him his meals in the crate.

7.       During the night, put the crate in or nearby your bedroom. That way you can hear him if he wakes up during the night so you can let him out. Placing his pen close to you also makes the enclosure less of a socially isolating place. When you are gone from the house, I recommend playing a radio or TV. It can help with separation anxiety if they think they are not alone. Once the dog is out the heavy chewing stage, you can add a blanket or cushion to make the crate even more pleasant for him.

8.       Try not to keep the animal in the kennel any longer than two to three hurs at first. Every time you take the dog out of his crate, immediately put him on a leash and take him to his designated spot outside.

9.       Finally, be consistent and tenacious. Some dogs catch on within a few days. Others, like our not- quite-a- puppy, former outdoor dog, have a hard time getting used to not doing their thing on a whim. Don’t give up and you’ll eventually consider your new dog a bonafide member of the family.

On Being a Critic - Module 5

In Zinsser’s chapter on “Writing About the Arts.” He states that “at some point in his or her career, almost every writer wants to be [a critic]. “ I’m not so sure about that. Criticism is hard! For me assessing the work of my classmates is one of the most difficult things we are asked to do, particularly when the writing is good. When I read my classmates posts, I want to say more than “it was interesting” or “it was heartfelt,” but often lack the words to say more.  

Zinsser asserts that it’s hard to write good reviews saying “it is far easier to bury Caesar than to praise him.”   So true! Watching Judge Judy is one of my guilty pleasures. I often tell my family that I want to be Judge Judy for just one day! How cathartic it would be to just regurgitate whatever I want to say and – nah, nah, nah -- you can’t do anything about it because I am the judge and I can hold you in contempt of court if you backtalk.  Just one day – and be sure to have my spouse and my boss and my complaining friend in court that day. One day and that would be enough for me and then I’d go back to being the upstanding employee and student where I agree to be civil and professional.

In my blog for 501, I wrote about creativity in its many forms. According to Zinsser, I was not a critic, but a reviewer. The distinction being that I made few aesthetic judgments, but instead concentrated on reporting – about the artist, what they did, the effect the work might have on other people, how popular it was, etc. Again, I agreed with Zinsser, that you have to love the medium you are reviewing.

Mimi Plays Devil's Advocate

It was hard enough to convince myself that I needed to open up and write about myself and now I need to defend that decision and convince my readers I was right. Yow. What makes me think that I have something worthwhile to say? Maybe because I’m an observer.

I’m also an introvert. Now if you ever took the Myers-Briggs personality type indicator, you would know that the word introversion doesn’t necessarily imply shyness.  As based on the theories of Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, introversion simply means you are inward-turning. Interacting with people and being around noise and activity draw on an introvert’s energy so that they need to retreat to a quiet place to reflect and regroup, while extraverts get energy FROM the commotions of everyday life and crave that outward stimulation.

I spend my work day in a cube on a floor with more than 100 cubes and teams rooms in a building with nearly 600 people who work on the same program. I wear headphones, but they don’t keep out the noise, the ringing phones, the flashing instant messages, or the inbox full of emails waiting to be read and acted upon. At the end of the day, I get into my quiet car, close my eyes and take a few deep breaths before I turn on the engine. Carpool? I don’t think I could do it.

I’ve been depicted as bashful, but I really am not afraid to speak. Instead I choose to listen and reflect on what people say and do and to think before I open my mouth. I speak when I have something to say. Why do so many people feel like they have to respond to EVERY comment they hear? Or reiterate their opinion five different ways or, worse, the same way over and over?  And why do they argue their views in long form to others who they know already think the same way? Why do they talk louder and faster when others try to make their own point? It doesn’t make them more credible, and I fully admit that I often tune people out who talk too much, too long and too loudly. Being a listener and an observer gives me a unique view of the world and I think makes me the kind of person that people may not notice at first, but come back to because they know that I’ll tell them the truth and not just what they want to hear.

A note pad of some sort is my constant companion. I’m a doodler and a list maker, both written and visual. I write down ideas that I want to give more thought to or research further. Most of those bits and pieces would mean nothing to anyone but me.  I showed someone the unedited bank of photos I took on my recent trip to Italy. I could tell that the viewer thought it was odd how many of my photos were not of the usual monuments and museums, but of interesting patterns on marble floors and in rock gardens, of people I didn’t know sipping wine in a cafe, of old ladies leaning out windows, and of close-ups of a drawing or mosaic. Yes, I meant to cut off the head of the sculpture because it was the position of the hands that intrigued me, not the entire piece. Who knows when those photos might be inspiration for my own landscaping, or painting, or short story?

Relationships are another area when I am often the observer, at least at first. I’m not one of those people who start a new job and by lunch the first day is planning what they’ll do that evening with their new “best friends.” Friendship takes a while for me. I’m not aloof by any means. In fact I’m very pleasant and like to smile, I just don’t reveal much about myself and my personal life to those I’ve just met. Again I sit back and listen and figure out what makes other people tick.

My sister is my exact opposite. As children, she made friends quickly and easily while I hung back. Today she is still surrounded by lots of people, while I mingle with just a few at a time. The difference is that her friendships come and go; once I bring someone into the sacred trust of friendship, they are there to stay. I’m still in constant contact with pals I met in grade school, college and during our first Air Force assignment nearly 30 years ago.

I’ve also found that first impressions are usually wrong. Some of my closest friends today are those who I didn’t particularly care for upon first acquaintance and situations that I felt were not in my comfort zone became some of my most cherished memories. As the years passed, I have come to understand that my need to study, examine, and observe works for me and I actually embrace that part of myself.

Module 4 thoughts

The title "Nonfiction as Literature" intrigued me. What IS literature any way and who decides?  If you go into any Barnes and Noble, there is a fiction section and lots of different nonfiction sections. Then there is the elite "literature" section. Who decides what goes there? Though it's been updated many times, most recently 2006) On Writing Well was written 30 years ago. When Zinsser writes that "a few years ago..." it makes me wonder how long ago that actually was. Has his prediction come true? Has journalism been refined? I think so and blogging is one form that has gone from amateurs self-publishing to serious journalists who make their living writing what THEY want to write.

Mimi's Resume

In keeping with my commitment to "put myself out there," I'm posting my real resume (with cites and names changed) and kind of a random cover letter. One similar to this actually got me an interview.

I know the resume is way too long (sorry reviewer group) and makes me look like more of a doer instead of a thinker. I figured  I might as well get expert advice on how to improve it since I actually would like to change jobs.  Thanks, Mimi

123 Anywhere Trail

Shilo, TX 12355-6788

June 10, 2011

Office of Human Resources

University of Fort Worth

300 College Drive

Fort Worth, TX  12345-6789 

Re: Job #P6038

Dear Ms Simpson,

I was pleased to find your recent announcement for a Communications Director. As I have had success in a similar position, I think I have the experience, skills and commitment you need in an office as important as Enrollment Management.

Although I am presently working in the corporate world, I have nearly 20 years of experience in Marketing Communications for non-profit agencies, including five at Thomas Jefferson Community College in Somewhere, Virginia. As Marketing Director/Asst. Director of Public Relations at an urban institution, I was responsible for all aspects of research and recruitment strategy to include publications and the college Web site. My campaign materials won awards. The campaign itself won success – a 20% increase in enrollment.

I’m highly computer literate and am well versed in planning promotions from budget to creative development to prepress to delivery.  My competence with market segmentation, community relations, and Web development would be an asset to your organization. I thrive on tight deadlines and my specialty is doing great things with small budgets.

As I’ve worked in many places and with many people both in the U.S. and overseas, I am easily adaptable and able to work productively in widely varying situations and with a variety of personalities. I don’t wait for things to happen. I’m a team builder, communicator, and producer with the ability to respond with creative and effective solutions.

My accomplishments, training and expertise are a matter of record I hope you will examine.  I look forward to meeting you and your colleagues and discussing in person how my qualifications and experience might best benefit the University of Ft. Worth.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Mimi Muse

555-555-5555

222-222-2222

mimismuse@hotmail.com

Mimi A. Muse

123 Anywhere Trail, Shilo, TX 12355-6788                 mimismuse@hotmail.com                        222-222-2222

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

▪ Multimedia manager with experience in the planning, design, budget, and distribution of a wide variety of communications products ▪ Proficient in numerous communication areas to include strategy, written word, graphic design and event/media planning ▪ Excellent time management skills. Organized and detail-oriented. Accustomed to tight deadlines, fast pace ▪ Highly computer literate including proficiency in graphic design for print and Web and database management ▪ Superior writing and editing skills across multiple channels; exceptional verbal and interpersonal communication skills. Customer oriented.

EXPERIENCE SUMMARY

DDD, Senior Communications Professional                                                                March 2007- present

▪ Organizational Change Management consultant on the USAF TEST System which, when complete, will impact more than 250,000 service members and civilian employees

▪ Focal point for all program visual communications from concept to planning, design, review, distribution, and measurement. Products include Web-based, print and video projects including brochures, fact sheets, animated PowerPoint briefings, CBEs, and press releases to provide the latest news and leadership perspective tailored to the specific needs of various stakeholders

▪ Work closely with other OCM work streams including Local Participation, Readiness and Measurement, Workforce Development, Training, Policy and Compliance, and Executive Relationship Management. Generate up-to-date materials, provide input for project team surveys, build executive leadership briefings including animations, create storyboards and video scripts, and provide support for the creation of job aids and education materials

▪ Serve as the communications liaison for various technical work streams including the Release Services, Testing, and Solution Architecture teams. Work with subject matter experts to collect information for use in publications and briefings for senior leaders and field agents. Adept at “decoding” scientific and technical terms for a general audience.

▪ Coordinate efforts to showcase the TEST program at various trade show events including the annual Air Force Pilots Association Conference which attracted the attention and comments from the Air Force Chief of Staff. Included booth design, collateral media, briefings, hands-on training materials, and video production

▪ Collaborate with and provide counsel for executive leadership to include direct interface with ECSS Program Executive; created processes and procedures to ensure ECSS program team members at all levels are supported and engaged through multi-directional communications that are timely, accurate, compelling and span a variety of channels in order to achieve program integration.

▪ Assist in providing metrics and analysis to ID issues and risks that need executive attention

▪ Provide weekly program updates and assistance on presentations for a Transformation Advisory Board consisting of an elite team of former senior military leaders, supply chain experts, and corporate executives

▪ Research and create content on technical program developments and key initiatives for publication in client media including articles on the successful TEST blueprint,  risk and issue management, release strategy and fielding, and supply chain best practices.

▪ Responsible for writing and implementing internal and external communication plans and processes; communications program was recognized by CMMI certification team at its successful Level 3 out brief.

▪ Respond to media inquiries, draft press releases and media briefings and serve as “brand ambassador” for corporate office. Prepare communication products and trade show media for business development

Johnson Carriers/Johnson Global Logistics, Program Manager/Communications Lead   2003-2007

▪ Managed the creation of all marketing collateral for a multi-million $ global logistics and transportation LLC and its subsidiaries to include real estate, heavy equipment sales, hospitality and NASCAR sponsorship

▪ Managed corporate public relations effort including press releases and providing editorial content and graphics for corporate Web site; represented company at trade shows and business events

▪ Consulted on Web tools used for rate quotes, shipment tracing, and other customized logistics solutions empowering customers to access information and conduct transactions in a secure, user-friendly environment at their convenience

▪ Working directly with company owner and VPs, planned strategies to facilitate successful service expansion from 22 states and 92 terminals, to 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and more than 200 terminals. Included system redesign, identification and resolution of key issues, analysis of community trends, and outreach to local workforce and economic development organizations

▪ Led branding effort; positioned company in industry as a leader in logistics management services to include third-party logistics, retail conversions, merge in-transit programs, inventory control, cost analysis, warehousing, materials handling, transportation management, and packaging

▪ Established internal communications program which showcased employee accomplishments, strengthened link with management and geographically separated offices, greatly increasing morale and participation in company initiatives

▪ Incorporated department as an in-house agency, creating repeatable processes and procedures that streamlined the development of marketing materials and saved more than $10K in the first weeks

▪ Worked with logistics managers to execute comprehensive transit time maps, distribution plans and route guides

▪ Produced effective training videos in-house, saved $1000’s in production costs, ensured most up-to-date training info.

Weber Enterprises, Maintenance Analyst, Any Air Force Base, TX                                             2003

▪ Coordinated and performed a range of duties to include operational support activities for the squadron and liaison with operating units and flights in the resolution of day-to-day administrative and operational problems.

▪ Scheduled/coordinated meetings, travel arrangements, budgets, and appointments for commander/vice commander.

▪ Composed and edited memoranda including advanced page and paragraph formatting, prepared complex briefings and briefing templates, military travel orders and officer and enlisted performance reports. Provided content and graphics for intranet site. Managed projects and conducted procurement activities.

           

Self-Employed, Marketing Communications (spouse ill)                                                          1998-2008

▪ Created promotion plans as well as text and graphics for newsletters, ads, Web pages, brochures, etc. for businesses, private organizations and non-profit agencies both for payment and as a volunteer. Wrote business plan, managed budget, schedule, distribution and self-promotion

Thomas Jefferson Comm. College, Marketing Director/Asst. Dir. for Public Relations        1997- 2002

▪ Conceptualized content/links for new college Website, conducted focus groups to gauge effectiveness for various audiences, promoted use, managed content and provided periodic updates; nearly 40% increase in hits

▪ Carried out all aspects of key marketing publications to include budget, photography, copywriting and editing, graphic design, print/direct mail coordination; received state awards “Best Recruitment Campaign,”  “Best Viewbook”

▪ Led cross-functional teams with president, administrators, faculty, staff, students; instrumental in increased recruitment of students and creation of first-ever student ambassador program to boost school and community relations

▪ Served on property acquisition and facility reutilization team during the college’s expansion into Williamsburg

▪ Managed premiere major gifts campaign, produced and developed video, electronic media, and print marketing materials and solicitations; focal point for campaign that surpassed its goal by over $1 million

▪ Responsible for writing successful grant which resulted in funding for benchmark marketing research; data enabled successful, targeted plan to reach non-traditional students

▪ Lead change management communications effort for the college’s Enterprise Resource Planning system which radically refined business processes and introduced integrated software (PeopleSoft) for numerous functions including budget, procurement, billing, workplans, HR, and admissions. Responsible for managing all employee communications and workforce related issues related to the massive process changes

▪ Maintained stewardship/prospect database; developed a disciplined follow-up with significant results

▪ Responsible for public relations aspects of program to include spokesperson for internal/community events, management of speakers’ bureau, cultivating media relations, press releases, crisis communications

▪ Scripted/directed persuasive radio spots, television commercials and award-winning campaign videos

▪ Supervised Web master, writer, print/graphics department and office staff of seven

           

USAF Services Division, Skills Development Center Director                                    Jul 1996 – Jul 1997

▪ Program manager; managed all elements of a multi-tasked operation; responsible for vendor contracts, finance, procurement of supplies, manufacture of products and quality control, display and distribution, and inventory control

▪ Increased staff productivity with new processes and procedures, managed income and expense budget; took the helm of a sinking ship and generated a profit for first time in three years

▪ Developed interest surveys; used information to implement innovative programs; boosted young adult use by 30%; Generated and maintained a customer database and direct mail campaign geared to specified interests; resulted in marked increase in participation and revenue

▪ Developed curriculum for and taught classes in a variety of media including painting, drawing, ceramics, jewelry making, and matting and framing

USAF Services Division, Program Manager /Marketing Director (3 Bases)            Feb 1982 – Jul 1996

▪ Produced or oversaw production (2-6 employees) of a variety of successful print and electronic promotional pieces including monthly brochures, flyers, posters, electronic signage, e-mails, etc.

▪ Conducted research, led focus groups, formulated marketing plans for all base recreation activities to include: youth center, auto shop, gymnasium, aquatics facilities, restaurants, golf course, and clubs

▪ Chosen as test base for new Air Force credit card; provided publicity and employed organization change management strategies to encourage acceptance

▪ Project lead for development of programs for deployed service member families, briefed leadership on morale activities

▪ Worked closely with commanders and First Sergeants to plan and publicize on-base morale events targeting young airmen resulting in significant decrease in alcohol-related incidents

▪ Organized events and published internal newsletter which greatly improved cohesiveness among local national and American workers; credited with helping to avert a strike 

▪ Implemented highly successful corporate sponsorship program; initial year -- top performing base; hosted weekly radio show and scripted other radio and television spots

Education:

MS in Interactive Communications in progress – Quinnipiac University (expected Dec 2012)

BFA – Some Little College, MI, Indiana University

Continuing Education - Marketing, HTML and Web design, Organizational Change Management, Photoshop, etc.

Six week in-residence Air Force Supervisors Training Course, Randolph AFB, TX

Train the Trainer, Total Quality Management, Covey Training, Introduction to CMMI

.                               

Enabling Technologies: Extensive training and experience with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, Acrobat Pro), Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, Outlook, and PowerPoint), SharePoint, Lotus Notes, Corel Draw. Good working knowledge of HTML, Project, FrontPage, Visio, Quark, Blackboard, Camtasia, Adobe Premiere

Security Clearance: NAC in effect. Secret Clearance in abeyance due to position resignation 

Community Involvement: Active member of mission team at local church; team member for Kairos Prison Ministry and Fort Worth Emmaus; Shilo Youth Wrestling Booster; Fort Worth Art Institute Member. Coordinated mission effort to Ecuador in 2008.

References: Available upon request