Letter from the Executive Director: A Lovely Mess
I’m sitting at my desk - strewn with half-written Valentines, heart-patterned tissue paper, scotch tape galore - and being forced to reflect on the relationship between LOVE and MESS.
I so very much enjoy cleaning off my desk at the end of each work day - filing away any papers, throwing away sandwich wrappers & salad containers, recycling the 3-6 empty LaCroix cans, etc. Then I clean my “virtual” desk: emptying out my inbox, neatening up my laptop desktop, and crossing-off/rescheduling my to-do list, and creating a clean slate from which to begin again tomorrow.
But…that is not the case today, because I decided I wanted to send Valentines. And wrap them in tissue paper. And then wrap them in parchment paper. My desk is a MESS. And when I went home last night, I left it messy. I showed up to work today on the proverbial “wrong side of the bed.” The vomit of red, purple, and pink tissue paper, of Disney Princess in power poses touting girl-boss holiday sentiments, of scraps of butcher paper has thrown me off of my routine. The anxiety creeps in.
But then I took a breath and took a step back: This is not a mess. This is LOVE. Every single scrap of paper is representative of someone who has supported the mission and programs of BAE. Every cheesy and colorful greeting is a reminder of all of the support that so many have chosen to give to our family of amazing young artists all around the world. This is not a mess - my desk is overflowing with blessings!
Thank you all for giving me this opportunity to reflect, this opportunity to make a loving-mess, and this opportunity to say “Thank You!” 2022 has so many exciting things in store:
125 classes per week in 4 countries!
Welcoming our new Full-Time Program Manager, Tracia Banuelos
The return of our in-person fellowship in India
Silent Discos, Public Space Activations, Broadway Ambassadors, and more.
It can all seem a bit overwhelming when stop and reflect on how much we do every day - but we are so grateful for all of the love and all of the beautiful mess that comes along with it. Here’s to an amazing year!
With love and gratitude,
Ben
