about me

Practically imperfect in every way. Start with a lot of silliness. Mix in some insecurities and a handful of awkwardness. Add a pound of naivety, innocence, and child-like wonderings. Blend well. Half-bake and top off with a sprinkle of imagination and dollop of dreams. It’s the recipe for me!

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quote of the day

  • "Moral of the story: Do not look at the gap. The gap is the mind-killer. Remember how Wile E. Coyote never fell down until he saw the chasm? It’s just like that." --Taylor "Tei" Lindstrom, Rogue Ink

dumbass quote

  • "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps. And I believe that our education like, such as South Africa, and, the Iraq, everywhere like such as. And I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., or should help South Africa, and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children."

    --Caitlin Upton, Miss South Carolina Teen 2007

kids say...

  • Jacob: "I need to operate on my frog, but first he needs some amnesia."

copyright

Copyright © 2004-2006 Kerrie Lee. All rights reserved.

Back to School

August 4, 2006

In Batman Begins, there is a line that goes, “It’s not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.” I agree with this statement to the extent that what we do defines us in the eye’s of another person and in the eyes of society. If I call myself an artist, people get a certain impression of me. If I call myself a stay-at-home mom, people get a totally different impression of me. Try it with any career. My range of interests is very wide, but I’ve always been afraid it gave people the impression that I am not serious or passionate about any of them.

I think that’s why I’ve always liked the the concept of the Renaissance Man. These men had a wide range of passions, talents, and expertise. When we hear about the accomplishments of Leonardo di Vinci as both an artist and a scientist, we don’t find it strange. Why don’t we have room in our world for these Renaissance Thinkers now?

During my job search these past months, I’ve come to realize that I don’t want a job, but rather a career. Sure, I’m a stay-at-home mom, and that’s important. But anyone who tells you that being a stay-at-home mom to children over the age of five is a difficult job is either lying or has no idea what it means to work hard.

So this morning, I enrolled in a new program. It’s not a course to further my art education, and it doesn’t fit with our modern day thinking of an area related to art. But once upon a time, it might have been. It’s the first step toward a larger goal. When I mentioned my art degree to the woman in admissions, she was curious as to why I wanted to study something so different than art. When I explained my history of studying a variety of different things in college, she seemed to understand. She even made me feel good about being so flaky.

I don’t think that making this move from art to something else means I am no longer an artist. Nor do I think that having an art degree means that I am not passionate about this new career path. I’d rather think of myself as a Renaissance Woman.

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6 Responses to “Back to School”

  1. Oz Says:
    August 4th, 2006 at 9:57 pm

    I definitely think of myself as a “Renaissance Woman.” I’ve also referred to myself as a jack of all trades, master of none. But that’s not exactly right because I am the master of a few things, so I don’t say that much anymore.

    But I have to say that the part of your post I will remember the most is the line, “But anyone who tells you that being a stay-at-home mom to children over the age of five is a difficult job is either lying or has no idea what it means to work hard.” Oh my, I am holding onto that. 1 month down, 4 years, 11 months to go!

  2. Whimsy Chick Says:
    August 4th, 2006 at 11:35 pm

    I knew you’d appreciate the stay-at-home timeline, Oz. :) There are always new challenges with kids, of course. I haven’t found that kids get easier as they age, but life with kids gets easier as they learn to do more for themselves.

    I think part of the reason I’m so eager to go back to get a career outside the home is because I’m so bored! Caring for school age kids only takes up so much time, and as lazy as say I am, I’m just not the lounge-on-the-couch-eating-bon-bons type. :)

  3. Oz Says:
    August 5th, 2006 at 2:16 am

    RE: I’m just not the lounge-on-the-couch-eating-bon-bons type.

    To be honest, I am that type, and these kids are seriously cutting into my bon-bon time. And I think bon-bon time might dwindle down to NO BON-BONS AT ALL when my partner goes back to work in (gulp) 8.5 weeks.

  4. Fyse Says:
    August 6th, 2006 at 8:16 am

    I guess the death of ‘Renaissance Man’ is due to the vast expansion in the sum total of human knowledge. It’s no longer possible to be at the forefront of a wide range of disciplines, simply because learning a single small area of (say) Physics can take an entire lifetime. It’s a galling moment when you realise that there are simply too many interesting things in the world. Good grief, I’m practically quoting Disney. Anyway, it doesn’t mean we should stop trying to learn everything…

    But you didn’t say what your new area of study is! Was that deliberate? Come on Kerrie, spill the beans…

  5. Janet Says:
    August 6th, 2006 at 11:14 am

    As a teacher I get a taste of what it would be like to work from home or even, not work at all and I don’t think I’d like it.

    Oh sure, part of me dreads the hard work ahead of me in a few weeks, but that doesn’t mean I don’t thrive off of it. I can’t blame you for wanting something to call your own. You are a woman of the new millenium after all. Now you can have it all!:)

  6. Whimsy Chick Says:
    August 9th, 2006 at 1:45 pm

    Fyse, I think of you and Oz as my fellow Renaissance People. :)
    Janet, I don’t really want to go back to work. I really enjoy having my days to do whatever I please. If our finances allowed it, I would take classes and have all kinds of expensive hobbies to keep me perfectly busy and happy. Unfortunately, there are too many things I want for my family that require me to return to work. So if I have to work, I want it to be a career instead of a job. But if a million dollars fell into our hands tomorrow, I would say my chance of returning to work is pretty low. Though you can bet I’d still take the class. :)
    Oh, and the new area of study? I guess I left that part out, huh? Oops. All will be revealed soon. :)

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about this blog

It’s the spark of an idea that hits me unexpectedly. It’s the silly wonderings I have after a whirlwind of thoughts. It’s about creativity, inspiration, and imagination. But sometimes, it’s just about eating noodles.

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