24-149 Well-Roundedness

The Mandala Lady, , , , , , , , , , ,
abstract background of green, red, purple, gold, and light yellow. On top with purple marker is and circle around a red spot. around the circle are 9 point petals with three spirals in each. the next two rows of petals have two spirals in each. the petals continue off the paper.

Well-Roundedness

“involving or having experiences in a wide range of ideas”

Looking back on my decades of hopefully being a productive member of society, I’ve had a wide range of experiences and jobs. I’ve lived in six states. Went to Canada and Ireland twice, Europe and Egypt once. And because of that I’d like to think of myself as fairly well-rounded…and not just in my waistline. 😁

  • In my adolescent years, I babysat…a lot.
  • Did Irish step dance performances in our local Minstrel Shows.
  • In high school I belonged to the Library club and the Future Teachers of America club.
  • For a short while, I bussed tables at an Elks lodge…oh the stories…
  • For an even shorter while, I waitressed at said Lodge…even more stories
  • Because I was a pro at office machines and short hand (high school & junior college courses), I worked 4 different office-related jobs by the time I turned 20.
  • While attending a music college, I did office work part time and then worked the box office of the newly built auditorium.
  • After graduation, I played keyboards for a wedding band and then for a traveling disco band…and yes, there are stories to be told…well, maybe not all of them.
  • Three more office jobs with the last one turning into a BASIC computer programming gig.
  • While going to night school for my computer science degree, I temped as a data entry clerk.
  • After my degree I worked as a software engineer for a large radar systems company…more stories…definitely some misogyny-related ones (it was the 80s)
  • Moved to another state and taught business-related courses for a now-defunct (somewhat cagey) business college.
  • Started my own small business creating s/w applications for other small businesses.
  • Ran for county commissioner as an independent…the same year Perot ran for president. Like him, I lost.
  • Joined Toastmasters, won some contests (local and regional)
  • Learned about the newly created Interweb…and worked as a web site designer for the same county government where I lost the election. (sweet revenge…made more money as a designer than I would have had I been elected)
  • Went to Egypt on vacation, which began my mandala art career (see my bio for more deets)
  • Belonged to a local arts guild (created their web site…of course); participated in local art fairs
  • Opened and ran my own mandala art shop downtown for two years.
  • Self-published 20 different mandala coloring books
  • Discovered I could do readings for people…participated in new age, woo-woo fairs.
  • Belonged to a local improv group (no public performances)
  • Acted in a bunch of plays at our local community theater…super fun
  • Create one-of-a-kind mandala meditation stones
  • Creating a series of 7 Archangel Mandala paintings on 4’ x 4’ wood panels
  • Zoom monthly group/individual readings

And I’m not done yet. I know there’s more to come. To be fair, I do have the planet Uranus in my tenth house. From Astrology.com: “This placement suggests that the person will have a unique, unconventional, and innovative approach to their professional life. They are likely to be drawn towards unconventional jobs or industries that allow them to express their individuality and make a difference in the world.” So…there is that.

How about you? Is well-roundedness a core value for you?

BTW…here’s what it looked like to begin with and a “gold” view …

abstract background of green, red, purple, gold, and light yellow
abstract background of green, red, purple, gold, and light yellow. On top with purple marker is and circle around a red spot. around the circle are 9 point petals with three spirals in each. the next two rows of petals have two spirals in each. the petals continue off the paper. photographed on a angle to show the metallic gold sections in the background

joyfully,

Maureen
The Mandala Lady

inspiring and encouraging creativity, curiosity, and play through the art of mandalas

About the 2024 Mandalas of the Day

Each day I will create and post a mandala inspired by one of 366 “value” words chosen randomly. The objective being to discover for myself which ones would best represent my core values…and by doing so, I hope it inspires you to determine your own.

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Published by The Mandala Lady

My Mission: connecting with our Inner Light in delightful, inspiring ways For me, creating mandalas is more than just coloring pretty patterns in a circle. I do it because my spiritual evolution and creativity require it of me. My mandala designs come about within an active meditative state, connected with my higher self, my spiritual guides and nature spirits. Together, we bring into form, mandala art the allows me to re-connect with my own inner peace and joy, letting me explore and expand my own creative spirit to however far and in whatever direction I want to take it. As part of my own spiritual journey, I encourage, and hopefully inspire, others to explore their own creativity, to help them re-connect with their own inner peace and joy. As a means to that end, I make all of my mandalas available for people to color. Why should I have all the fun?

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