Looking for inspiration

Less than a year ago, I changed jobs. I was formerly a Senior Research Analyst at AIR (American Institutes for Research) right on the waterfront of Georgetown in Washington, DC. I loved the people I was working with there, but I was looking for new challenges. The truth is, working in education research can be really emotionally taxing. You see things and hear stories that darken your spirit. (I genuinely believe that if people in this country had even an inkling of the truth when it comes to how bad the circumstances are in a lot of schools, they would be outraged...demanding better for our children. I pray for that tipping point). Sometimes you just need to take a few steps back in order to take a few steps forward. In other words, I needed a break from ed research. So I opened myself up to new opportunities.

Just at the time I was thinking about moving in a new direction, health research to be exact, a company called Mathematica Policy Research came calling. Going to Mathematica meant that I could do evaluation research in a variety areas including community health, work, and international development. The change in jobs, however, meant that I would have to relocate to central New Jersey. By relocating I would leave behind my favorite bakery (Baked and Wired, if you are ever in DC, don't miss it), the dog park that Digby and I frequented, a condo I loved, and many, many, many dear friends. It was a difficult choice, but again, I knew that if I wanted to be reinvigorated and return to education research, I would have to take a step back in order to take a step forward.

One of the great advantages of moving to central New Jersey is it's proximity to New York City...one of my all time favorite places to visit. There is something tangible in the air of NYC, you feel it as soon as you exit Penn Station. While most major American cities have modernized away their character, much of New York operates under the guise of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." So, while New York consistently offers you the latest and greatest, it simultaneously provides you with constant reminds of its past...our past. My time here in New Jersey is winding down. I will be returning to The District the first week of June. Because of that, I know that I have to maximize my city time. This past weekend I did just that. I walked two-thirds of Manhattan searching for the very juxtaposition I described above. I wanted to photograph it and try to take it with me. My photos capture the image, but the prints I will create using those photographs will capture the sentiment attributed to those images. Of the nearly 100 photos I took this weekend, there is a set of three that I knew, as soon as I took them, I would use to kick off my next series of prints.






While I have not yet completed a print yet out of the photos I took, I have begun the process, and that is part of what I promised to share with you all in this blog. So, here is the first two drops of a print I am working on that is drawn from what you see above. As time goes on, I will share their development with you, so that you can see what I now see in my mind's eye.