By Mark Bacolod

​The past 2 month have been a roller coaster. Accomplishing much and little simultaneously, my inner perfectionist has driven by fear impersonating wisdom. I’ve been afraid of making a mistake. Making something ugly. Ruining a work halfway through, or botching it at the end. I’ve been afraid to take risks when it matters, or playing it safe at the expense of creative breakthrough but leaving countless works sighing with the longing for something more. The question remains as I work on this project: Am I staying satisfied with good, but falling short of the brilliance I know could be?

By Meghan Hatcher

I wrote last month about it being time to get moving and I’m happy to report four weeks later that I have. Over the holiday, I experienced three blissful weeks of time away from my job and seminary classes. I thought I would feel restless; thought perhaps that much time without an overwhelming list of items on my to-do list might leave me feeling useless or like I wasn’t “redeeming the time.” (Any other type 8s know what I’m getting at?) But the reality was I had NO idea how much I needed that time or how burned out I was feeling. Instead of feeling restless, I felt at peace and abundantly grateful for time to unplug. I was able to create space to get a few things done that I simply didn’t have the energy to accomplish in the hubbub of a busy semester and work demands.

By Kate Floyd
 
What are your impressions of this concept?
 
Mine were: utilitarian; exhausting; intimidating; selfish; even sleazy.
 
Networking brings to mind men (yes, men) in three piece suits with firm handshakes, cocktail in hand, scanning my nametag (or age/gender/hair color) and looking past me for a more important person in the room.