I am in arts-focused writer who entered into a science-based graduate program; a necessity to pursue a career in libraries or archival studies. Yet my love for those fields stems not from an intellectual, scientific mind but rather an artistic spirit who celebrates the art of language.
I feel inspired, motivated, and energized when surrounded by books because of the care and artistry that came from their creators. There’s connectivity in holding a book in your hands, an invisible thread forever linking you in understanding of the time, care, and heart infused into the finished work.
That is why I choose to further my career in libraries – not for deeper contemplation of information science but to celebrate, support, and encourage this art form for authors past, present, and those yet to come. “Perhaps you’re in the wrong field,” you might say or “You don’t understand the purpose of libraries; maybe you should go into publishing instead.“
These are questions and suggestions I’ve contemplated recently during my first semester as a graduate Library and Information Science student. While reading the first assigned journal article about “information” I wept. My brain spun as if I just stepped off an amusement park ride. “What have I done,” I wondered. “Is this really what a career in libraries or archives will be like?” The veil of artistic fantasy lifted and I saw clearly what I’d signed up for.
Decades of creative writing led me to a professional career path I thought most fitting with my passions. In the past few weeks of graduate school I’d second-guessed myself, forgetting that I made this decision knowing it be a learning opportunity. That I wanted to challenge myself. When I doubted my reasons for choosing this program I’d forgotten who I am.
I am brave.
I am smart.
I am inquisitive.
I am motivated.
I am an artist who believes that I am whole when united in mind, body, and spirit.
To succeed in this (or any) graduate program, I must infuse my creative essence into the analytical foundation. I will thrive by learning from experts in the field to enhance the foundation I’ve already built, not tear it down to start anew. As I prepare to write my first academic writing assignment, I do so knowing my strengths and weaknesses.
I move forward excited for what’s ahead, grounded in the passions that guide my journey, with pencil and paper always in hand.
Kelly Deeny 