Are you a fan of the time change? Every year I hear more dissension to the concept of daylight savings. While I agree that night falling at 5 p.m. is a pain, I love that the shift makes me adjust to something different. It takes me out of my groove and forces me to consider some of the elements in my life that have become rote and habitual. It is invaluable to have things in life that do this so we can appreciate the nuances of life and be forced to reconsider our approach to the day-to-day every so often. This edition has several examples of change and reconsideration that I think, as art pros, we should consider and use as inspiration to change the status quo in our community.
Check out the articles section and you will find lots of places where changes are happening. From courageous staff consciously objecting to the expectations of limiting policy, to our own White House tackling the concept of altering the standard operation of their facility, there is always the opportunity to adjust a policy. It is important to consider long-held priorities, understand limitations, and analyze why we continue to hold onto them. Not everything needs to change but that doesn’t mean it can’t be reevaluated and considered.
In the resource section, I hope you take a look at how museum professionals all over the world are considering change. Some of the concepts have been in progress for years, but knowing what work has already been done is as important as coming up with new ideas. It is important to research who has inspected policy in the past and understand why we are doing things the way we do them. If your current analysis does not include the past changes then you are not only doomed to repeat mistakes, you are also operating with a dangerously egotistical level of ignorance.
In the end, I hope that you can find some benefit in the uncomfortable nature of change, and figure out ways to leverage it. If we never consider the need for shifting and adjusting then we will never be able to improve with the opportunities that new ideas and perspectives bring. Also, if we don’t keep track of attempts by others then we are liable to fall victim to their disasters too.