Sat, 29 Jul 2023 21:45:02 -0400WeeblyTue, 24 Sep 2019 02:39:29 GMThttp://www.jonwysong.com/homeblog/getting-back-to-itWell....It's been a long time, and quite a lot has happened since I let this page go:

• Had 2 job changes - I'm now at St. Vincent de Paul and loving it
  
• Became Lutheran
  
• Started and finished another Master's degree - in Arts Administration
  
• Became VP of the Louisville Civic Orchestra
  
• Played baroque trumpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
  
• Played with Jukebox the Ghost
  
• Designed a project that will likely become my very own nonprofit
  

It's been wild, but I'm having the time of my life.
]]>Mon, 21 Nov 2016 21:46:29 GMThttp://www.jonwysong.com/homeblog/when-plan-b-becomes-plan-a-perspective-via-disappointmentIn an overly-dramatic tone: "So, here I am again, disappointed that I was denied pursing my passion of early music performance at little to no cost to me and with the enjoyment of traveling overseas. My project idea from the Fulbright application this year was pretty much flawless; I had it all planned out, built the hype, and with one email, the plan was gone."

I admit, that's a pretty fair representation of how I felt last week when I received the news that I was not selected for the US Student Fulbright program - for the third time...

BUT HONESTLY- I've been pretty lucky lately. My friends and colleagues here in Louisville are simply the best and I managed to stumble or be divinely placed into my current job. Before my birthday last year, I was jobless and pretty freaked out that I might lose my apartment later in the year. I was quickly hired by the Rotary Club of Louisville as the Executive Administrative Assistant, which has turned out to be my best job yet. The nonprofit world is passionate, fun, busy, all the things...and I was getting to experience it daily (finance, marketing, recruitment, fundraising, database management, etc.). The challenge to help Louisville's best community leaders network together to improve many aspects of the city has been fun, and I feel like I have gained about 450 friends in the last 10 months.

From July until I received my rejection email, however, I was pretty set on leaving the Rotary Club to pursue my passion of early music performance. I wouldn't stop talking about it. I firmly believed (still do) that early music performance as a viable career is severely overlooked by musicians today. It's too old, irrelevant, unprofitable to most musicians, and I was pretty set on proving the sentiment false. After all, I had planned an impressive project that would last several years, guaranteed collaborations on a global scale, and pledged to make the end product widely available to modern musicians, especially trumpet players. It wasn't until I got the email that was forced to really formulate a new "Plan A" and quickly realized that expressing my passion in early music will have to look pretty different than what I had penned to the Fulbright commission.

Since beginning at the Rotary Club about 10 months ago, I've worked to make sure the administrative processes are more efficient and that members feel like they're getting the highest value out of their membership dues. I'm pretty honored to say that my supervisor, the Executive Director, thinks I should step into her place when she retires in a few years. At 28 and just getting my start in nonprofit, I felt grossly unprepared to even think about how I could succeed in that role.

With her guidance and support, I've resolved to continue my education in Arts Administration. While continuing to work with the Rotary Club, playing locally, and volunteering on boards and in organizations, I'll be getting structured learning in topics like marketing, educational outreach, fundraising, grant writing, financial management, policy, and law....It's the perfect training for my future with the Club and will allow me to be active in the arts long-term. Eventually, with this new trajectory, I hope to be running a nonprofit arts organization that actively promotes the relevance and usefulness of early music performance in modern, artistic culture.

Truthfully this time: So here I am, the disappointment has left me and put clarity in its place. There is something else however, a slight sense of embarrassment. No, this embarrassment does not come from me building the hype and losing my "dreams" in front of everyone. Instead, I'm embarrassed that I failed to see the abundant support around me and acknowledge that my desire to move away so quickly after getting established was not necessarily the best thing for me. If anything, I still have a lot to do for the arts in Louisville and I'm ready to put the 4-way test to good use as I navigate this new career shift. 

The 4-way test:
1) Is it the TRUTH?
2) Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3) Will it build GOODWILL and better FRIENDSHIPS?
4) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
]]>Thu, 21 Jan 2016 04:48:00 GMThttp://www.jonwysong.com/homeblog/when-things-start-to-fall-apartlook-to-your-hobbiesIt's been an incredibly rocky ride this January. Not even a month into 2016, and I'm feeling ragged already. My resolutions to get energized about making personal improvements and growing skills are already being put to the test. Going into the new year, I knew that I wasn't exactly enjoying work like I used to. As a by-the-book ISTP, I saw myself completely bored at the tasks I used to get excited about. It all stemmed from feeling like I was no longer solving problems or using my creative skills to promote efficiency. The day before learning my current job is being terminated, I spent the day taking pictures of the Louisville area, went home and learned a new photo editing software, and within minutes, was churning out beautiful, semi-professional looking photos. Just yesterday, I was enjoying playing the baroque trumpet with members of the US Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. Though its been tough knowing that my life is changing dramatically in the next month, I am finding comfort and some regularity in my hobbies and side-projects.
Even better, I'm learning about how my hobbies are influencing my job search. While I have a great amount of experience in shipping and customer relations management and landing a job in that field would be a quick fix for my current situation, I am now looking for interactive, creative, and data-driven work. By finding that I stick with my hobbies because they involve practicing a craft and having something concrete to show for it is directly informing my job search. In looking for new work, I have to continually ask the following questions in order to consider applying: 
Am I going to have the opportunity to practice new or creative skills to solve problems?
Will there be consistent and direct feedback to help me do better?
Will I have a chance to contribute to upper-level decision making based on what I am observing in our field of business?
Will I get to collaborate with others in an effort to develop each others' skills?
There are more questions, of course, but by reflecting on what I enjoy doing the most, I'm able to look for the jobs I can see myself doing and enjoying for a really long time. Here's to 2016, the year of change.

]]>Sat, 17 Oct 2015 17:15:36 GMThttp://www.jonwysong.com/homeblog/im-an-istpwhy-self-understanding-has-become-so-importantMany times, I've taken tests online that follow the framework of the Myers-Briggs(MBTI) tests usually given by job recruiters and college career centers. They generally give you an idea of your personality type and which career fields better fit your profile. For a while now, I've known that I am an ISTP(Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving). Occasionally, though, I lose sight of my career goals, feel down because I become bored with tasks, lash out in reaction to conflict, and become defensive if my views become violated by others.

My profile can be read here:
http://www.16personalities.com/istp-personality

The benefit for taking these tests is huge. I took one of these tests the other night and it allowed me to reevaluate a lot of things. As the shipping manager at work, I was, at first, excited about learning new procedures. I've occasionally become bored yet overwhelmed with the position and taking that test again showed me why. I think, then, that these tests are a great way to help you understand yourself and how your interactions with others might be affected by your personality type. Further, it allows you to evaluate your current state and find a way to move forward. Knowing yourself and your co-workers can be a real game-changer in trying to navigate how to execute effective communication and operational procedures.]]>Sat, 08 Aug 2015 21:53:11 GMThttp://www.jonwysong.com/homeblog/getting-out-both-mentally-and-physicallya-promise-to-myselfThis summer has been quite the wild ride. While my performance activities took a back seat, I've been busy focusing on mental and physical health a bit more. It's easy, especially with the heat and humidity, to just come home and crash after work. After feeling sluggish and irritable for several days at a time, I knew something had to change.

In late June, I came to terms with my sexuality, coming out of the closet, and living life more authentically. The decision wasn't easy, and having close relationships with friends who I knew wouldn't approve made the fear of coming out even more daunting. Much of my life, I taught myself to put a lot of emphasis on what others think of me. Of course, social media and other avenues only fueled that fire. After going through divorce (very amicable by the way!) and a lot of counseling, I came to understand the importance of knowing yourself and simply being ok in your own skin. It took a year to be comfortable with myself and, with my coming out announcement, I made a promise to myself and to others that I was going to live as authentically as possible. This process has provided a jumping board for becoming more confident in other parts of my life. My reaction to the support from my online post was honestly mixed. I didn't like all the attention, but felt comfortable knowing that many of my friends simply wanted what I wanted, which was simply for me to be ok being me.

Health is both mental and physical. Since I made some progress mentally, I wanted to begin seriously thinking about my physical health. I'm very much overweight and have struggled with it for a large chunk of my life. For too long, I've used not having a thyroid as an excuse for my large size. I'm not a very good listener when it comes to health advice, but I knew I should be doing more to take care of myself. Luckily, with the beautiful parks nearby and a supportive co-worker, I've started walking long distances a few times a week. The best part of the walk is a chance to talk about something besides work while enjoying the scenery. I've started tracking what I eat, and even though it's difficult to stay on track, I'm starting to feel better and a couple pounds down, a clear message to keep going.


These are the things I have to keep telling myself that I think can be applied to other parts of my life and might even be helpful to others:

• Slow and steady wins the race. I won't lose weight quickly and trying to do so won't get me very far. Small habit changes and the will to just start are key.
• Utilize your support system and know when to respectfully block out advice that simply doesn't work for you. Information is widely available and it's important to be able to sift through it all for the most applicable info.
• People change and it takes time for others to adjust. If you make a radical announcement, don't be surprised if others are taken aback. Give them time and distance to become ok with the idea that after the dust settles, you are still you.
• Learn to be authentic. It's easy to project what you want others to see, but internal conflicts arise if what's being projected goes against what you are feeling or thinking. Your friends and colleagues will appreciate your honesty and you'll be able move forward and begin focusing on other important things.

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