Do you remember the essays that our teachers used to ask us to write, like “Where will you be in 2025?” or “Where will you be in the year 2000?” All of that was so very long ago, but Wow! Time flies right on by! Well 2025 is here, and I never, ever could have predicted the many twists, turns, ups, and downs I would travel on this road called life. Today is about Fresh Starts, and I have a gift for you.
My mantra has always been Create a Beautiful Life. Sometimes, we are in a position where all is not grand and, we must make some significant changes. That was where I was last year. Today – it is 2025, and I have a new job that I love – I am an art teacher to almost 700 students a week in downtown Oakland.
Transitions can be hard and demand a lot of your time and energy. I have been away from my blog for a very long time. In 2023, my husband and I moved. After over 30 years in the South Bay, my husband and I upended our tranquil life in a rural area for the lights and energy of a city. Part of my absence was because I did not have the time due to the whirlwind of our move. Our move happened quicker than anticipated. I was commuting to my former school as we moved before the end of the school year, and I was busy looking for a new job.
The second reason I have been gone for so long was that my teaching position for the 2023/2024 school year was challenging! Honestly, I was in survival mode all school year. It also really does something to your psyche when you choose a job so wrong. When I started to look for a new job, I had three job interviews and three job offers. I had three very different opportunities lying in front of me. I thought I had chosen a fantastic new opportunity, but I had chosen wrongly. Oh, so wrong! Many mornings, I cried driving to work, knowing what my day ahead would be. A silver lining was that I quickly got in the habit of calling my mom each morning. If I chatted with my mom, I did not have the time to cry.
So, I was back to figuring out, yet again, what my next step would be. I did a deep dive into what I wanted and how I would get there. I looked at many jobs outside of education and in education-adjacent companies. Then I discovered that because California’s Proposition 28 focused on arts and music education funding, schools were hiring art teachers. Being an art teacher has been a dream of mine for many, many years. A light was suddenly shining on my future!
Again, there are three job interviews and three job offerings. But after choosing so wrongly just a year prior, I was terrified of choosing wrong again. I gave each opportunity great thought, and while all of the opportunities had their unique benefits, I know I chose right this time! If you ever want to see what we are doing in the art room, you can check out ArtAtLincoln on Instagram.
This all brings me to Fresh Starts in 2025. My blog is all about Creating a Beautiful Life for yourself. It is about goal setting and achieving your dreams. This always starts with getting to know yourself, dreaming big, and then making a plan. Dreams are fun, but goals take work. I always dreamed of being an art teacher; I worked hard to become one, and now I am working hard every day to be an art teacher. It takes plans, work, dedication, and a certain amount of grit to keep at it.
To help you get started, I am sharing a free Fresh Starts and Goal Setting journal with you today. Goal setting always begins with some serious introspection. This journal and its many prompts will help focus you and what you want. You’ll need to commit the time to journaling, but if you do, this journal will guide you through the process. Here is the link for my Fresh Starts and Goal Setting Journal. Simply click the link, and it will take you to StaceyDaprile.com to access and download the journal. This journal will be free through the end of the month. So be sure to get started on your new journey soon!
One thing I have learned in life is that it is never too late to start a new journey! I have started a brand new career in my sixth decade of life! Yes, I am still a teacher, but my days are very different. I cannot tell you how much being an art teacher makes me happy. I have always wanted to do it, and now I am doing it! You, too, can achieve the dreams of your life!
