I started high school in 2002 & was scheduled to graduate in 2006. In 2005 I began duel enrollment at the local community college full time - I stopped attending the high school. In 2006, I was still able to graduate and walk with my class. I then made the decision to attend Franklin Pierce.
Being the stubborn pusher that I am, I decided that I already had a year of college under my belt, and I would graduate from FPU in 3 years. In order to do that, because barely any of my credits transferred over, and none of my good grades were calculated into my FPU GPA, I had to work hard. I had full class schedules every semester, I also took summer classes and did my internship over the summer. I was on route to graduate in 2009 at 20 years old.
Then I decided it was just as important for me to go to Greece, the first semester of my senior year. After huge headaches rearranging my schedule, and giving myself a terrible, terrible class schedule for the last semester of my senior year, I was going to Greece.
Greece was awesome. When I came back, I realized that I had seriously missed out on having the opportunity to take a glassblowing class. After more headaches and schedule rearranging, I was in.
If anyone knows anything about art classes in college, they can actually be pretty intense. While most classes take outside time of reading, studying, and paper writing, art classes just take outside time. It was a difficult semester for me, scheduling time in the library, and practice time in the glass hut.
The FPU glass studio at this time was full of utterly amazing glassblowers. It was very intimidating, especially for someone like me who doesn't pick up things very quickly. I can do anything I put my mind to, I know this, but even with that mindset, I learn at a slower pace than most.
I walked with my class in 2009 and received my BA in Psychology. I applied, and was accepted, into Antioch University, where I was going to get my Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a focus on Substance Abuse & Addictions.
Now, what was I going to do with my summer??? Nothing??? Impossible. I got a local minimum wage job, a room on campus for the summer, and signed myself up for two summer sessions of glassblowing. Was I prepping for my career? Nope, I just love keeping busy.
What an amazing summer I had. Put my brain in the drawer at work and suck it up through the day, then live at the glassblowing studio for the rest of my time. Add a little partying (every single night, I had finally just turned 21), that was the life!
Fall came, and it was time to buckle down. I went to Antioch and kicked some butt. Buuuut, I found that I was daydreaming about glass constantly. I was looking up youtube videos, I was finding reasons to loiter in Rindge around the glass studio, and I was already thinking about how I could find my way back into a hot shop.
During winter break my mom and I went up to Bob Burch's studio in VT to rent some time. Although I didn't make anything I was proud of, something had clicked. Throughout the Spring I continued obsessing. I knew what I was going to do, I was going to spend my summer taking glassblowing classes once more. It just had to happen, I mean what else was I going to do anyway? Antioch didn't offer summer classes, I obviously had to do something.
Another awesome summer filled with glass. I knew I had to integrate this into my lifestyle somehow. I couldn't keep taking classes at Franklin Pierce though. Normal working individuals can't take every single summer off to spend it in college. I began thinking about adding some sort of art focus into my Masters degree. How would it be done? Is it possible? Of course it is, with some hard work.
This was a time of difficult decision making. Is Antioch the place for me? Do I want to work to mold the curriculum towards my new focus? I stepped back and looked at Antioch as a whole - for me I really like the science part of psychology. I loved the scientific journals Itwith its mathametical proof. The stable and sturdy way that information is found and then put out in this perfect format for all to see. Antioch's CMHC program was much more loosey goosey. While I fretted over APA format, many in my class had never even heard about APA. Being the control freak that I am, I was horrified. It was also very difficult because Antioch is pass/fail. I spent hours and hours following formats, and we all simply passed together.
Moving forward. A simple google search told me about Lesley University, with an Art Therapy Program.
OOOOOOOO. I applied and was basically told me I would be accepted if I had more art credits. WHAT?? No really though, glassblowing was the only art class I had ever taken in a school setting. In High School I was pushed into more difficult electives, such as computer courses. "If you want to go to college, this is what you will take".
Isn't that a bit ridiculous??
SO, I came back to FPU full time for the Fall Semester of 2010. I took 2D Design, Glassblowing, a Psychology Class, and an independent study.
I really am not good at art, having never taken any classes. 2D Design was pretty rough. I did not want to do Art Therapy, I want to do glass therapy.
By this time, I was selling my glass. I also began noticing how there was no studio for my customers to go and learn about glass themselves. Well well. How do I focus in Glass Art Therapy, if I have nowhere to make my glass?
What do you do when you are stumped? You go to the person that you respect the most, to give you a straight up opinion. I spoke to my mom.
What would it take to start my own glass studio?
I wrote out a budget, including all of the supplies that we would need and where to get them. We began looking at spaces in our town, our new community of Jaffrey. This process was about a year and 1/2. We wanted to allow customers into the shop, and be able to teach, so we really needed a place that was safe according to the town inspectors and the Fire Marshall. Eventually we found what we were looking for, but it was much larger than our original business plan.
We went for it.
What have I learned since we have made that leap into the deep end of owning a small business?
Where do I even begin? I have learned how important it is to have the love and support of your community. We have become involved in numerous community activities, coming together to build up our town and our businesses.
I have learned about give and take. I am still learning about give and take. A constant battle of roles and responsibilities with my parents and my employees. How much I can handle on my own, and when I need to simply ask for help. When to delegate responsibilities, and when to step up and just do it myself.
I have learned sacrifice. Either the sacrifice of activities, especially weekend activities. Or the sacrifice of sleep on the weekends if the activities deem to important to miss out on.
I am not a normal 26 year old. I run a business, I own a house, and I am helping to raise my niece. I volunteer way too much of my time (or maybe not enough?). I love being involved, and I love being busy.
Do you ever tire Dom? HA. Everyone who knows me, knows that sometimes I crack. My route is mostly just through honesty, and I try very hard to keep it that way. Most of the time it comes out with a "hint of bitch".
Dom - "I am upset because of ------. I need you to back off so I can chill out and ------- (usually go home and sleep). I will be better by ------ (time frame), and will fix this problem by -------."
Well, that's all for now folks, <3
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