Together

Trying to hold it together. It was a rough day within these walls.

Museum Mondays

Monday the museum is closed to the public, it is an effective day for museum staff, as paperwork that has been put aside in lieu of tending to "the public" is efficiently done. I found great pleasure in striding quickly through the museum when the galleries and courts are empty, walking the empty stairwells and sliding in and out of restricted areas with my key card. Every thing feels a bit easier.

Today I made phone calls and no matter how many tricks I use to make the calls sound efficient and businesslike, I get nervous. "Yes" I say, "you've given to us before and we believe it is time for you to give to us again." The tactics I use? I stand up (to sound businesslike) I put a smile in my voice and I repeat their name, so that they will inherently like me a little bit more. All sales tricks, but strangely tricks I've only learned recently. I can never use their name more than two or three times, otherwise it feels weird to me. How many times do I address my friends' names as I talk to them?

I keep wondering if I'm cut-out for this. Have I taken a job that is below my qualifications (I'm afraid so)? If so can I relax at this job or should I go for the ever more challenging? How successful will I be with this formula of chasing dollars? So cliche to let time play itself out, but I'm heading that way

Sand Mandala

This amazing Sand Mandala was made in the course of one week at the Asian Art Museum, by the Monks from the Dzindu Monastery of Tibet. The sacred sand mandala is a mystic diagram of the universe used as an aid to meditation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. The mandala will be destroyed in a ritual on Sunday, July 10 at 2:00 pm.

Which is amazing really, they meditate and create this fine piece with sand and they destroy it at the end of its creation, reaffirming detachment (from their hours of work) and impermanence of everything.

To see the different stages of the sand mandala taking shape and the concentration needed is awesome.

Contemporary

Today on the way to work a woman (working on her laptop) sat next to me. Which isn't very exciting in and of itself, except that I peeked at her laptop and realized that she has the same type of job as me, she sells sponsorships.

She was looking at a benefits' list for a tech conference that was in NYC in December. On it was listed things like signage and mention in press releases. It sounded too familiar. So there's a thought, I can sell sponsorships in the for-profit world if I were to leave the museum. See there are development jobs out in the real world, we're just as viable in the job market as marketing. AND as we are still in our infancy of development we tend to be a little more creative.

Chugging along

I thirst for wine. You see I’m in charge of an event and I have $12,000 for the entire event. I’ve managed to secure vodka, juice, water, beer and maybe a soju. All I need is wine, glorious wine. I’ve got 4-cases and need at least 6-cases more.

Also, I've secured a gift of $5,000 and a gift of $2,500 in the last week. Not bad for five weeks of work.

External Affairs Team

On June 30, the newly formed External Affairs Team, had their first official meeting. It was a huge group of people and was very quiet. Only Christopher Hest spoke and he just let us know some particulars about his work style.

Then on Friday I had lunch with Mimi Truong Wall (fellow VN, Executive Assistant) and we spoke about the current state of the department and what used to be and what possibly was going to happen.

This week I got beer, water, and hard liquor donated. I need wine. I made up a nice "onesheet" to promote the event. Funny how it is so much easier for me to focus on what is lacking instead of on what I have.

The September 6 event is looming in my mind and I need to settle some of the details before I can be reinvigorated about chasing Corporate Partner money, which is something I need to do. I have 3 or 4 proposals out and I need to jump on two more, I really do.

Also AAA came back on as a Corporate Partner (the program I "steward"). Ginny Yamate wrote that it was because of my convincing e-mail that they have decided it was beneficial to continue the relationship with us. (Yay!!)