There's
No Such Thing As Too Old To Dream
Hi
Harlan,
I
recently chose to leave a "comfortable" lifestyle to follow
a dream. I was a high-school art teacher, owned my house and
was fairly established in a small community. At the age of
48, I went back to school and received my second master's,
in the History of American Decorative Arts. I worked hard
in graduate school, wrote a thesis and took out a $40,000
student loan. Now, a year later, I am working a $10 an hour
job and interning once a week at the Smithsonian for free.
How do I break into the museum curator field? Or at least
find a job that uses my education and my talents? Am I too
old to follow a dream?
Still
Dreaming
Dear
Dreaming,
Too
old to dream? Maybe too tired, but never too old. I love your
story. Whether 48 or 18 - listening, doing and risking that
IT will work is what living is about. And IT's working - even
at $10 an hour.
From
where I'm sitting, you've put yourself in a world where you're
surrounded with people doing what you love to do (at least
at your internship). Don't look for a job - first look for
a path. Set up some meetings with curators you respect. Call
it an informational meeting for a story you're researching.
Buy them a cup of coffee or whatever curators drink. Ask them
to share their story of how they got where they are today.
Stay in touch and ask if they know of anyone who might need
your assistance. Meet lots of people. Look for an association
to which curators belong (try www.artcurators.org). Never
stop believing, and you will find the answers. And along the
way, you'll teach so many others to dream. See, you really
are still a teacher.
