Passion. That word has been running through my head quite a bit these past few weeks. It’s a beautiful word that, when put into action, really shines. You can see someone’s passion. You can hear someone’s passion. You can feel someone’s passion. Everyone is passionate about something.
This past month, I had the privilege to work with some incredibly talented people on a little show called In the Heights at the Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs. Our director, Mr. Shafik Wahhab, used the word “passion” frequently. This show was his passion project. He spent countless hours working with actors, constructing the set, and making sure everything was perfect. His vision came to life on that stage. This project was a labor of love for him.
Another person who shows a lot of passion in what she does is my mom, Anita Clinkscales. She’s a first grade teacher and loves what she does. She is always finding new, creative ways to make learning fun for her students. It is absolutely inspiring. Each school year she brings something different to the table. I remember she was talking about teaching the solar system to her kids. She went out and got those big Styrofoam balls and hung them in her classroom. In one corner she had the sun, and then it stretched out all the way to the other side of the room. She even took the time to make sure it was to scale! One of the projects for the kids was to create the asteroid belt with pipe cleaners and beads. I never would have thought of doing it like that. I walked into her room when it was finished, and it looked amazing! I could tell from the moment she started talking about it that she was going to enjoy this project. It was definitely a labor of love for her, and it showed from the very beginning.
Along with working on a show this past month and having a role model for a mom, I worked tirelessly on our new website and updating our social media presence with new graphics and pictures. This project was my labor of love. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed creating something entirely new. During my time here, I have been looking for ways to bring in a modern flare to the organization. At my previous job, I would create graphics for upcoming events, advertisements, or just for fun. I wanted to bring that over to Reach Out Morongo Basin. I’ll tell you what, it has been so much fun! I’m learning all of these new tricks and ways to create that I didn’t before. The one thing I really wanted to work on though was the website. The people I work with are wonderful, kind, happy-go-lucky, caring people, and I wanted the website to reflect that. It’s fun, modern, and vibrant. Just like us! So if you haven’t seen it yet, head on over to reachoutmb.org. It’s the same address, just a new look!
So, go find your next passion project. Maybe it’s writing a book, starting a business, or remodeling a part of your house. Whatever it may be, make sure it’s a labor of love.