Do you tend to be a positive person? To quote a friend of mine, “Never let a crisis go to waste.” I am continually surprised and impressed by my interactions with you all that show a different side to the major obstacles and crises we all face. I have had so much fun reconnecting with our APN community, and while this issue might share a lot of examples of what we might do differently, I highly recommend that you take a second and see what is resulting from these scenarios that feel like a better answer.
For a shot of hope and possibilities take a look at the featured opportunities and other job posts. There are lots of great openings available these days including roles at some of my favorite places in the Bay Area. If you are unfamiliar with Nzliani Glass Conservation, I highly recommend checking them out. They have some opportunities at their studio, and if you are interested in glass conservation I have linked their YouTube channel in the Resources section. Working with wonderful art pros always energizes me about what we all do.
There is also a positive side to negative news. Look at the articles section to see some of the challenges plaguing our world these days. In these articles, you can find a positive, even if it is just the fact that a reporter took the time to focus on these issues. Take the major theft at the British Museum. They are using it as the fuel to prioritize collections digitization, which for many of us is often on the back burner in budgets. If you have a major disaster on your hands, it can inspire a shift in goals and allocation of resources that might not have been possible before.
The biggest thing to remember is you can always use the urgency surrounding an impactful moment to help you adjust. Whether it is something as preventative as theft or as unpredictable as a natural disaster, always learn something and never let the moment go to waste. That being said, I hope none of you are ending your year with a major challenge. It has been so good to catch up with folks, and I hope I get to see more of you soon.