Hello all!
I told you I’d be back before summer :). It’s amazing how quickly time passes. Since fall, I have left the memory care unit, and I have left the small private practice where I was an art therapist for 6 months. Starting a new business is difficult though, and I had to make the choice sooner than later. I am currently in a behavioral health facility as a Residential Counselor! I am like an assistant to the therapists. Us counselors are here for the residents during their stay and help them with skills, CBT homework, keeping up to task with their school homework and keeping safe during treatment. Parts of it have been a little emotionally difficult for me, but that is why I attend regular supervision with other professionals (we get together and help give tips to others on getting over the emotional difficulty that some populations may bring to help prevent early burn out)
I am still promoting Mary Kay products (checkout my Facebook page facebook.com/shanson.ibc) I am meeting with a digital marketing consultant via phone conference to help promote my services as an independent skincare consultant and helping you discover what you love! (So, keep an eye out for my ad this next week on fb, like my page to be available to discounts and skincare / makeup application tips. ) I love the confidence I’ve gained through this last year of having my business. I’ve also gained my “Mary Kay family”, who is there when I need support and helps me gain confidence by giving feedback during my product presentations. We give each other tips and tricks on sharing product and share hotel rooms during conferences! The girl time is great, we get to dress up, talk about farting and switch back to business all in the same conversation. (If you’re interested in becoming part of this, pink bubble world of businesswomen and dancing at conventions, let me know! Discounted sign-up deal until the end of this month)
Back to my previous list of “catchups”. Warning- long post!
Fatigue sucks, especially when it takes over all free time- as a philosophical question- what’s the point of being pain free to live but being too fatigued to live? As a long-term side effect of chemo, I have chronic fatigue. With my new job I am working any and every shift, so my sleeping schedule is gone “poof”. I feel like I sleep all the time, but even during my break between jobs, I still felt too tired to move, too tired to exercise, just too tired.
I’m trying the exercise thing again! Hopefully it will stick – I’m trying at least 10 minutes on the indoor bike once a day, walking the dogs if able (usually half hour with 2 dogs is a good workout), and during commercials using a step upper thing. The first three weeks I lost 2.5 lbs.!!!! then I had a busy week of nocturnal shifts, we had some bad snowstorms and I got hit with allergies due to the change from snow to warmth. Needless to say, I regained those 2.5 lbs. But I’m back on it again! It’s ok to hit bumps in the road, because a bump is just a bump.
I’m finally going to be an art therapist! (once I mail in my forms) – I officially finished my post grad supervision hours and face to face client time in January. I have been receiving forms from supervisors and recommendations from other art therapists, so once I get the final sheet in a sealed envelope (oops for not reading the fine print), I will mail them in and become official! I am also working toward my LPC. I put off the national exam way too long. I am finishing the state statue exam tonight after this blog, hopefully taking the NCE (national counseling exam) next month, and work on finishing my hours between now and next March to become an official licensed professional counselor in the state of Wi! Super excited!!!! Hoping to switch into the experiential department at work to so I can start doing art therapy with the residents. Until then I am still helping at a local oncology unit twice a month doing art therapy, love helping people use art to help themselves. Totally recommend it. (Find me on Pinterest! I have boards for Mary Kay and art therapy)
Technology and work frustrations. Joy- going to leave this at that.
Still single, the joys of internet dating. – another day. Today some guy messaged me asking if the bush was in or out. The other day some guy asked if I wanted to be oiled up! Other guys have stood me up and others not responded. It’s an interesting world, this internet dating.
I think this is good for now, but I’m definitely going to make a point of posting more often. I’ve been working on artist trading cards and visual journaling, so I will share some of those pages!
Take care!