by JessMele | Apr 20, 2024 | Arts Education, Arts & Culture, Creativity, Equity, Nonprofits, Philanthropy, Stories & Art Projects, Writing
This post is rough, and that’s the point. You’re getting all my interruptions, digressions and second-guesses. You’re getting all of me. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about integration of the parts of me I have worked really hard to keep separate. Work...
by JessMele | Sep 26, 2023 | Creativity, Philanthropy, Stories & Art Projects, Writing
Most of my professional life, I’ve been a grinder. The kind of person you can trust to get the job done, no matter how long it takes. The guy behind the guy. The one taking a little bit of secret, snarky pride in staying later than anyone else and getting up earlier...
by jessparvin | May 31, 2023 | Arts Education, Arts & Culture, Creativity, Equity, Stories & Art Projects, Uncategorized
In late 2021, I injured my back at a small dance party. I’ll spare you the details. Suffice it to say that after two years of pandemic-related stillness, my bones were like fossils in a rock tumbler. I went home, fell asleep on the couch and woke up in excruciating...
by jessparvin | Mar 30, 2023 | Advocacy & Organizing, Nonprofits, Philanthropy, Uncategorized
My mom is an easy grader. She started as an early childhood educator with a pedagogy that centered kindness. About twenty years ago, she began teaching at the college level, preparing prospective teachers for a career working with young children. Every year, she would...
