Year end

This year has been quite dynamic. I’m still interested in collaborating with other creative arts therapists in writing projects. Next year, a colleague of mine and I are launching a really neat, fun, hopefully interesting and educational project that will be coming out in January. I will be sure to post more about it here, once we have the details entirely considered.

Happy holidays, all.

Monday Matters: Seeking partners

Months have passed since I’ve written. Fortunately, though, I’m back at it (I hope). I attended my first American Music Therapy Association National Conference that concluded just yesterday, and I am home and feeling energized and somewhat overwhelmed.

I like to write. I always have. But I don’t want to be the only one who does so on my site. I want writers. (Compensation and perks can be negotiated.)

I’m going to post only once per week. At the beginning of the month, I’ll offer a writing prompt. I’d love to read what music therapy and expressive arts therapy students, interns, and professionals have to say in regard to the prompt. I’ll review the pieces, let you know my thoughts, and put it out to a different audience than you might have yourself. You might have read a guest post by Lindsay Markworth, MMT, MT-BC in the past.

Also, Sound Matters Music Therapy, LLC, is seeking qualified sub-contractors to work in the southerly suburbs of the Minneapolis area. Please contact us for details.

There is a Minneapolis-based peer group of board-certified music therapists meeting again this month. Please let me know if you have any interest.

Missing voice

I have entirely lost my voice. I woke up this morning with nothing. I tried to make a phone call to cancel one of my sessions, and was embarrassed that it sounded like a prank call; I’m sure the person on the other end was confused by the silence.

I spent the day working on e-mails and organizing my Dropbox folders. I follow Michelle Erfurt‘s Project Professional Update, and had hopes of tackling her newest e-mail inbox challenge, but did not. Alas, I did get a few hours’ worth of administrative tasks accomplished.

I hope I find my voice tomorrow.

Writing prompt: Define vision

I venture to guess that almost everyone in any profession or occupation has some semblance of a vision for himself. Over these past few days, when it’s still well below freezing and even degrees below zero here in Minneapolis, I’ve had some trouble getting ahead of my day. One vague goal I have (I call it “vague” because I don’t really know how to measure it) is to design my day and not let it and all its circumstances drag me unwillingly all the way to bedtime. Sometimes this happens. I suppose having a young baby has something to do with this, but nonetheless, I want to be the designer.

What is my vision? I’d been out of the habit of writing down my schedule and my goals and my lists and my innumerable want-t0/need-to-dos. I’d been typing them into my phone or my Google calendar. While this is functional, I don’t experience the act of planning and seeing as I do when I write it down. This week, I’m trying to get back into the habit of writing. Journaling is still a far-off activity at this point, but even writing out what I want to do with my day is serving me well. I haven’t clarified my vision for my business yet, even though Empower U Academy has challenged its members to do so. I have vision for my clients, but for my career as a whole? I have not written it out.

This being said, my writing prompt for March is to define your vision. I invite you to write one sentence, one paragraph, one page, or more, if you’d like. This doesn’t have to be pertaining specifically to your professional life. This can be even a very short-term vision. There is so much writing out there about finding your vision, so let this be some practice for that act. Contact me with your submission. Have it in to me by March 15.

Find January’s guest submission here.

The week wrapped up

I have continued on through this cold, cold week. My Tuesday was very full with clients, and so was today, but yesterday was not. Yesterday therefore proved to be really rough. I’ve decided that my Fridays are now my office days, and I plan to spend some time tomorrow planning out the hours of the week more carefully. Yesterday I wandered around aimlessly. I had the baby with me for much of the day, so I accept that he pulled my attention, but wow. I think I looked like a zombie, ambling around the house.

I hope next week is warmer. A string of 82-degree days will work out for me. The only trouble with vacations is that you have to come back.

January peer group meeting

Upcoming events affiliated with Sound Matters Music Therapy, LLC

Minneapolis music therapist peer group meeting

Monday, January 27, 2014, 7:00 PM

Please contact me directly for information regarding location.

Monday matters: Accountability

As a small business owner who is still new to all of the intricacies such an identity involves, I have tried a variety of ways to keep up with myself, so to speak. Recently I was listening to an episode of Internet Business Mastery in which there was mention of accountability partners. I’d never thought of this before, so I sought out someone who is also a music therapist in private practice, and who also has a young child. Our thought is to check in with one another on a weekly (or perhaps just monthly) basis.

Accountability is somewhat difficult in private practice. I am all alone here. I’ve even taken to plotting out my day on an hourly basis. Today went fairly well. Tomorrow is a mystery.

What do you do for accountability?

Coming up on Wednesday will be a guest post on the theme of 2014.

Keep reading.

Image source

Monday matters: Professional hobbies

In the past week, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I call professional hobbies. I define this kind of hobby as one that relates to your profession, but is something that fulfills a subcategory of your work. For instance, a lot of people are podcasters, but are producing their podcast in order to relay a message about their primary work; I don’t think anyone calls themselves a “professional podcaster.” I consider my blogging a professional hobby. I am not a professional blogger, however.

I enjoy writing quite a bit. I imagine a lot of people do. If you happen to be one of those people, but don’t find yourself writing regularly for whatever reason, consider composing a few paragraphs on the topic of words of intention over the remaining days of December. Send me your thoughts, and I will publish them here. If you have a website and other contact information, I’ll link to it. At the top of each month I will publish on that theme. I will share an upcoming theme on the 15th of each month; feel free to continue writing on what these topics mean to you in your work.

My theme word for 2014 is still changing. I’ve thought of explore, expand, and recently, clarify.

Do you have an intention for 2014? Have you thought any more about a theme word? Let me know.