" B U S Y N E S S  A N D
D I S T R A C T I O N
L E A D  T O
N U M B N E S S ."
Sharon Daloz Parks

" T H E R E  I S  A
S M A L L  O P E N I N G
I N  T H E  D A Y
T H A T  C L O S E S
W H E N  Y O U  B E G I N
T O  P L A N ."
David White

" W H E N  W E  D O N ' T
K N O W  W H E R E
W E ' R E  G O I N G
W E  C A N ' T  H A V E
V I S I O N.
W E  M U S T  H A V E
C L A R I T Y  O F
P U R P O S E ."
Sharon Daloz Parks

Each September I feel a sense of renewed purpose. I think it is a back-to-school mentality. After all, I did return to school as either a student or teacher for many years. This year I am feeling an excitement to finish several projects in the Inside the Dress process. I am also keen to integrate my summer learning.

It is often the case that my plans take a sideward turn. My goal this summer was to stay at home and enjoy my garden while I continued to work on my art projects. Gary and I had a bit of work in August. As it turned out, the work we planned did not materialize and we took on some unplanned assignments. I want to tell you about one of them.

I had the pleasure of attending to the Lead 2004 Conference in Banff, AB last month. It was a conference for people in leadership positions in the United Church of Canada. The theme of this bold conference was creativity and leadership. It was designed to address issues such as what faith formation means, how the arts can help us connect with our spiritual selves and how to engage others in practices that enhance the faith experience. The conference presented a unique combination of theory and creative practice.

Sharon Daloz Parks, Associate Director of the Whidby Institute, provided the theoretical construct that guided the proceedings. As the conceptual guide for the conference Sharon was an inspiring and challenging speaker. Her views on leadership, ethics and creativity are relevant not only in the Church, but in all aspects of our lives. According to Sharon what is needed today is a combination of depth of purpose with breadth of perspective, clarity of vision with flexibility of response, capacity for individual initiative with a commitment to the common good.

Ten studio experiences gave participants an opportunity to sample a variety of creative modalities. The studio choices ranged from drumming to movement to multimedia. My role in the conference was to run the fabric arts studio.

Although this space does not allow for a full report on the happenings of the conference I want to tell you about two concepts that have captured my attention. First is the notion of leading from where you are. Often we look to those in positions of authority to generate new solutions. We assume that authority implies leadership. However, the roles of authority are to act as a point of orientation, to provide direction, to establish norms, to resolve conflict and to provide protection. Leadership is required to find new solutions to adaptive challenges. This imaginative thinking may arise from unlikely sources; from the quiet voice that says, "I wonder what would happen if we . . ." We all have an obligation to bring our voices to the creation of solutions.

The second concept moved me deeply. Sharon said that instead of teaching our children they could be anything they want to be, we should be helping them to determine what they are meant to be. If we don't fulfill our purpose in life we will suffer and the world will be saddened by the loss. I keep thinking about a world without an exceptional artist or a great legislator. We would survive and there would be a missing.

When I consider my own unique purpose I see that I always knew that I was to be a teacher. Initially I could not envision teaching beyond the traditional school setting. It took many years for me to find the place where I could thrive as a teacher. Now as I mentor others I want to be aware of my responsibility for helping them determine their own unique purpose.

As I return to my studio I will continue to reflect on my own purpose in life and my leadership responsibilities. I want my work to matter in the world. Right now I am focused on Inside the Dress. There is much work to be done to complete this process. How will I ensure that it is not just a self-serving endeavour? I expect to spend many hours reflecting on this and other things I have learned this summer.


The project is entitled, "Inside the Dress." It is a process that will culminate in an exhibition at the McMullen Gallery in 2005. My colleagues, Jean Brandel, Judy Villett and Jayne Willoughby-Scott and I conceived the idea as a means of creating an opportunity to work deeply. The process will take more than a year to complete. We envision the result of collective personal work will be a remarkable exhibition.