Post #283
December 29, 2019
In Search of a Mission Statement
by Lynda McKinney Lambert
In the past few months, I started to think about what I do.
I asked myself some questions.
As an author and artist, how can I describe my creative products?
Why do I create the writings?
Why do I do mixed-media fiber works?
What is my intended purpose for each item?
I viewed my past occupations to find answers to my present endeavors.
As a grants specialist at a college in California, I developed grants and brought in finances for projects.
As an executive director of a Pennsylvania art center, museum, and galleries, I worked on many business and arts-related documents, exhaustive 5-year goal plans, grants, and programming in the arts. On my days off, I worked on making wood cut prints in my studio – and did dozens of exhibitions nationally and internationally.
As a tenured professor of fine arts and humanities at a private college in Pennsylvania, I served on committees to work on mission statements and goal plans for college-wide projects. All of this is in addition to full-time teaching at the college and in Europe. I gave presentations at academic conferences nationwide and traveled extensively to gain insight into the literature and art that I taught about in my courses and lectures. During my summers in Europe I created art works on paper that have appeared in exhibitions nationally. And, I wrote my first book, Concerti: Psalms for the Pilgrimage.
At the end of 2019, I am serious about removing distractions from my creative life.
Writing 2 blogs is undoubtedly an enormous responsibility and not necessary. I will close out SCAN-a-BLOG when my blog time expires and will not renew it. The blog does not fit the mission of my work and therefore, it is a wise decision to close it. It has had a good long run and I’ve featured the writings and art work of dozens of other people on that site over the years. I can be very proud of what I created to help others in their creative lives. But, I must move on with new intentions.
I’ll have a close look at how I am spending time on-line using E-mail and participating in groups. I’ve begun to block unwanted or time-wasting contacts on E-mail, and this will also extend to my consideration of any group activities. I’ll ask, “How does this fit into my professional and personal mission? I think taking a hard look at every aspect of my professional life is important in order to move on to new intentions in 2020.
We need to sharpen our focus and eliminate distractions that are robbing us of precious creative time.
Answers to my prayer quest began to arrive
in the past couple of months after I read a newsletter
from Sara Joseph.
Visual artist, Sara Joseph, suggested, that her readers pray and seek Divine guidance about where we are at this point in our professional life. My retirement, over a dozen years ago, opened doors for me to pursue more writing and art. Right now, I desire to fully enjoy this season of my life.
Sara presented the challenge of developing a Mission Statement for art. This struck a chord with me because I know the value of being able to clearly articulate what we do in our creative life. She wrote that we need to pray about it and wait on God to direct the answer to us. Sara also noted that we would most likely receive the information a little at a time. The Mission Statement will most likely come in pieces as we continue to wait and anticipate what it would be.
I expected answers to come as I waited on God’s revelation to show me exactly what it is that I do in my work.
Just this week, insight and clarity of my mission and calling in my work came into focus.
I don’t know Sara personally, but I loved her business approach to her craft because it reflects her wisdom, core values, and Christian worldview. These are my values as well, so I relate to her advice.
I discovered that my work can be described in one short, clear sentence, to the point, and grounded.
__Lynda McKinney Lambert creates spare poems and thoughtful, personal essays.
__Lynda McKinney Lambert’s writings and artworks are created as “Gifts for the King.”
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This essay is courtesy of Lynda McKinney Lambert – Pennsylvania author and artist.
Copyright 2019. All righs reserved. Please respect my copyright.
Contact Lynda McKinney Lambert:
riverwoman@zoominternet.net
www.lyndalambert.com
Note: For additional information about Sara Joseph and the Palm-n-Pen School for Christian Artists, you may visit this link: Read it here!
https://www.christian-artist-resource.com/Palm-n-Pen-School-for-Christian-Artists.html
From “The Gift of Art,” by Sara Joseph
We live in a time where the true purpose of the gift of art has been corrupted. Our lives as Christians are to be lived in Christ and our only Lord is to be Jesus. We are to live with an acute awareness of our eternal destiny.