In My Garden

 A person who has a natural ability to make plants grow and thrive is said to have a “green thumb.” In that context you could say that a person’s “green thumb” is any natural skill that that a person excels in and loves to do.

I have a nephew with a natural skill in audio/visual production and editing. Following him on Twitter as he works at editing is a fascinating look into the thought processes/streams of conscience of someone who absolutes relishes what he is doing.  Problems that arise become challenges to overcome followed by great satisfaction. His job really isn’t a “job,” it’s FUN. But when he had to put together their newsletter… that was so NOT fun. Desktop publishing is not a natural skill for him. I kept telling him he should tell the powers that be that I would be more than happy to do their newsletter for them. Pro bono. Because I love doing that kind of project.

Looking back on my entire working life, the best jobs I’ve ever had were working with non-profit organizations whose primary purpose was (and is) providing services to communities and individuals. In every case, my position was a supportive one and I thrived on creating presentation materials that made the organization look polished and professional. My last job before moving to Maine gave me many opportunities to “play” with PageMaker and PowerPoint.  The only part of that job that was a job was the administrative duties like… filing.

Now I will be doing another newsletter – the most professional (from a print perspective) I’ve ever done. I just finished my first issue for them. In spite of the… challenges, I thoroughly enjoyed myself and after it was all done I thanked them for letting me have so much fun. Desktop publishing is my “green thumb” or at least one of them. What’s your “green thumb?”