Welcome back!
After a too-long hiatus, I am committing to returning to this blog to continue to write about critical museum and heritage issues, interesting things I’ve come across, resources, and hopefully some fun. More importantly for me at this time, this blog will serve as a place to track and reflect on my own progress and professional development as I continue to progress in my career and explore areas and skills that I want to develop. This includes leadership, sustainability, mentorship, how to build and foster networks and community connections in a real and lasting way, and exploring what my next steps might be.
I think I am entering an interesting phase in my career where it might be assumed that I would want to continue to “move up the ladder”. In Alberta, and in the context of most of the positions I have held, this might mean pursuing opportunities as an Executive Director at one of the smaller museums in the province. While this is a completely valid progression, which would create more opportunity to explore the things I’ve identified, and have a meaningful impact on a number of facets of a museum and its operations, I love working with collections and exhibitions and would like, at least for the time being, to continue doing so. I am also at the point where I do have great opportunity to make meaningful changes in my current type of role- whether creating new exhibitions, affecting policy, mentoring emerging professionals, working on community outreach and collaboration, and want to continue to do so. I am also a volunteer for a number of organizations where I feel I make valuable contributions, including the Calgary Stampede, and as a board member at the Museums Association. In the context of this though, how do you become a better leader without being THE leader? How do you affect real change if you aren’t THE leader? What are logical next steps in my own professional development? What skills do I need to continue to develop?
While I have always pursued continued professional development on my own, this year I am also taking part in the AMA Mentorship Program, and am happy to be working with a mentor who is able to help me discover some of these things, and help me to continue to make important community connections, including with Indigenous Elders. Continuing to develop my awareness and knowledge of, and action on, Indigenous perspectives and the TRC Calls to Action is something I want to prioritize, along with my knowledge about museums and the facets of sustainability, and facilitating community knowledge sharing. These things are imperative for museums and museum professionals, and will only continue to be as we now move into the next decade, and museums continue to evolve into a space that reflect ever increasing critical social issues, and often serves as community spaces.
Over the next year, I am hoping to post at least once per month, reflecting on my own development, and continuing to share about the museum community in Calgary.
It’s an exciting time, with lots in development around the City, so hopefully that means lots to share!
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