I took one of those personality tests this week. Only because it was required by my Executive Forum group that I belong too. I really hate those things. I didn’t like my results when I read through them probably because they were so right on the MONEY. My review makes me sound like some superficial name dropper who wants to please everybody. I am such a people pleaser at my core. I am an outfielder. I take time to catch the ball. But I do like to be part of a team. I actually prefer to be managed. This is so true. Just tell me what to do. If I am in a management role I will inspire others to action. I do have to be careful not to overpraise people. My reason for being is Aesthetics. Period. Are you so surprised? A girl in the outfield who wants everything to look pretty. I really saw my strengths in yesterday’s design review meeting. *why is this in italics?*
I am the Design Chairperson for Buckeye Main Street Coalition. Yesterday we all met to review some remodel plans for one of the historic buildings along Monroe. There are the more domineering members of the group who immediately analyzed the square footage of the new remodel. I could see myself sitting and taking this in. I didn’t have any comments right away. We all feel comfortable with one another. We all agreed that the smartest response was to retain the historic nature of the front façade.
I had my role of buff tracing paper and my pencils ready. Tracing paper is invaluable because you can lay it over a photo or façade and sketch any changes over it. You can see through it. You can lay many layers over the photo to keep evolving the idea. My pens were not allowing me to sketch fast enough and I didn’t have a black Prisma pencil so I used Kelp Green. I started to zone out while everyone was talking. I loved that moment sitting there with my team helping them put down on paper what it was they were thinking. We had gone over this project through emails months ago but meeting face to face was so much more effective. This sketching and listening is my reason for being. I want to do this more. I could sketch like that everyday. It is not the same sketching by myself at my light table. I like listening to my team because they have been in their position for decades and know what to do. Some of them have gone to church services in the building. The thing I like the most about my team is the speed they make decisions.
It was good to know that even though I will never be the pitcher I do add to the team standing in the outfield with my nerdy LLBean canvas bag.