Whenever I think about what personally inspires me, I always reflect back on the wonderful museums I have visited and the incredible museum professionals I have met and worked with. And where inspiration and museums always collide is at the Western Museums Association’s Annual Meeting. It’s no wonder why the theme for this year’s meeting was Inspire.
I started in the museum field in 2009. The Great Recession was in full-swing and museums—like a lot of industries--were not hiring. I interned, unpaid, for a full-year before catching a break and landing a full-time position working in exhibits at a history museum. I stayed at that museum for five years gaining experience, chasing new opportunities, and trying to learn as much as I could from my museum-veteran mentors.
The new year brings an opportunity to make a fresh start and set the course for a happy and successful 2019. As the year winds down, it’s a great time to examine how we can make adjustments to the way we work.
Attending academic conferences as a doctoral student can be a daunting experience. Navigating the various codes of etiquette, the theory driven panels, and networking amongst senior faculty from elite institutions is intimidating. I have often left these conferences more tired than invigorated. WMA was different; I felt inspired, challenged, and integral to the progression of the museum field.
We are social creatures. The need to share and connect, to learn and grow because of each other is fundamental to our wellbeing. The act of fulfilling this need is what it means to inspire. To inspire is to influence, and though we can be inspired while alone, it is a circuit only half complete until we share with another in a meaningful way. It was this kind of sharing that drove the 2018 Western Museums Association conference.
