Seven years ago I took what I thought would be a temporary job. I filled in as a seasonal box office manager for a film festival and soon was asked to stay on board in a full-time capacity. Over the last seven years I’ve built an education program I’m proud of. I work with movie studios to create youth development curriculum for movies like How to Train Your Dragon and Tangled that are used by after school organizations nationwide. We have year round film and acting classes taught by world-renowned instructors like Ed Hooks. We have a brand new internship program with opportunities for 22 college students each year. And we have a national high school film competition getting ready to begin its third year.
This year our Grand Prize winner for our High School Film Competition won with a documentary about his father and the sacrifices he makes for his family each day. This 18-year-old filmmaker was flown to Indianapolis from California. It was his first flight and his first time out of California. He met filmmakers, received encouragement, got a scholarship to the FilmSchool in Seattle. Good things happen daily at my job, but so much good has happened that it made me realize that I should be making some things happen for myself as well.
And so with the encouragement of my husband and some reworking of our household budget I put in my notice. We decided that we’d be happier with less money if I was happier each and every day, pursuing those things I dream about but have put aside. I’d gotten so focused on others I stopped pursuing what I wanted most in life.
Soon after I put in my notice a locally based designer who has run a successful company for 33 years hired me to work in her studio knitting, sewing, putting samples together and generally learning the ins and outs of the fashion industry. It’s as though as soon as I took that first scary step of quitting, a whole world of new opportunities opened.
Our Festival is nearing its end and the realization that I have a fresh future ahead of me is beginning to sink in. I can’t wait to share these new adventures with you.
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