Reflecting On and Becoming Your Most Authentic Self
A 12-month Creativity Circle Cohort
“There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others.”
--Michelle Obama, Becoming
The first year of a new decade seems like an auspicious time to take stock of where we are in our lives and begin to make adjustments toward becoming our most authentic and fulfilled selves. Have you been longing to reflect on your personal and/or professional history and (re)align it with your goals and values so that you begin the 2020's with clarity and a renewed sense of purpose? If so, consider joining a cohort of supportive colleagues to engage in a year-long exploration and projection of ourselves, that is, reflecting on the experiences that have made us who we are and articulating our hopes and dreams for who we want to become.
The outcomes of our work for this year will be unique to each participant, but might include a professional e-portfolio, a personal or professional website or blog, a draft of a memoir, or a personally significant work of art. We will meet to share the fruits of our explorations during free hour, every third Friday of each month throughout the 2020 calendar year. For the first half of the year, we will challenge each other to engage in introspection and self-awareness building activities, supported by inspirational readings, guided reflective writing, and other exploratory, creative activities we find and curate among the group’s members. For the second half of the year, we will shift our focus toward determining optimal audiences and developing the tools we need to externalize our reflective work in ways that maximize our personal or professional vision and goals.
Staff and faculty at all stages of their careers are welcome to register. In order to keep the group size manageable, enrollment will be limited to the first 20 registrants. Participants will be required to commit to attending every meeting (1/17, 2/21, 3/20, 4/17, 5/15, 6/19, 7/17, 8/21, 9/18, 10/16, 11/20 and 12/18) and participating fully in group activities and decision making. If you cannot commit to attending at least 9 out of 12 meetings, or if are not willing to collaborate fully in a group learning and development process, kindly resist the urge to register, allowing someone else to participate.
If you have any questions about the process, the time commitment, or whether your interests align with the goals of the group, please email the group facilitators, Faculty Development Center Associate Director, Kerrie Kephart, kkephart@umbc.edu and/or Faculty Development Center Program Coordinator, Sarah Swatski, swatski1@umbc.edu.
This session is now full.