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| Photo by Claus H. Godbersen on Unsplash |
I retired in 2012. Back then I had to reinvent myself, to rebuild my identity away from a 40+ years in Aerospace and IT careers. It really wasn't easy back then to re-define myself.
Since then, I've reinvented myself several times and it is becoming increasingly easier to focus on the things I love to do and shift directions and embark on something new. Some of my past "life-times" post IT career:
- Created a website for the Warner Bros. Retirees Club. Editor of their newsletter for several years.
- Learned to be a Cookie Artist, BabaBakesArt.
- Volunteered at Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden starting in 2011. As School Docent Co-chair (working with Chris Orosz and others) created a booking website to enable more kids to visit the Arboretum on field trips. I loved the whole process. And I loved giving tours to the school aged kids. The booking website and school tours by volunteer docents came to an end with the pandemic shutdown and a change of staff. This loss has been heartbreaking for me.
- I had even taking a writing class and joined a writing group for a bit. Humbling. I learned stuff.
- With the edition of Callie to our family in 2016, I engaged to learn more about positive reinforcement dog training. That transitioned to training in "Canine Freestyle." We are working to earn our Dogs Can Dance Championship (one routine to go, hopefully to be completed in 2024).
- I was Editor of the "Canine Post" for Hollywood Dog Obedience Club in 2020.
"When God closes a door, he opens a window." And life continually changes...
Once again I embark on a new chapter of self re-invention.
In college I took “Art for Non-Art Majors” with Dr. Betty Edwards, author of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. In 2018, I took a few art classes and was drawn toward nature subjects; the drawing skills learned in the 1979 college class were rekindled! I took college classes in graphic arts back then also.
I learned about Nature Journaling through JohnMuirLaws.com and studied Jack Laws' books and took classes. Unable to find local Nature Journal Clubs, I started the Shadow Hills Nature Journal Club in 2020. In 2024, I became a Wild Wonder Foundation Ambassador and have done outreach events to share my enthusiasm of Nature Journaling with the community. I give presentations and lead nature journal meetups at various LA area locations. I try to attend other nature journal club meetups too.
Through my nature journaling journey, I started a series of nature journal pages off birds. I'm really loving them. I shared my journal pages with a friend, and she asked, "What are you going to do with them?" Well, I thought that the pretty birds shouldn't just sit in the book, but they could be shared... And that journey has spawned "Rare Bird Eclectic." I'll be sharing my creative side of jewelry making and sewing on the website too. More to come...
Begin With The End In Mind
Whenever I start a new project, I tend to envision the finished product. When complete, the final project is quite different than that of my beginning vision. I find having a vision helps lead the journey. This week (4th week of October 2024), I embarked on this fun new journey... The birth of an idea: Rare Bird Eclectic. I built the concept and skeleton website and brand identity idea the 4th week of Oct 2024. (I've learned a lot about web set up since I retired and learned by doing). Let's see where this journey leads.
-Terri Mando