What did I achieve by going back to college?

Delighted that my book has been a number one
new release on Amazon.

What did you get out of going back to college. People ask this when they find out I went back to college later in life.  I have to think, what did I get out of it?

I really didn't need the degree to do my work.  I think more than anything it gave me confidence and taught me to think differently.  Throughout the years I have taken a lot of the work that I did in college and spring boarded it into other things.  For example, the study that I did at Goddard for my MFAIA on fine art and digital technology was turned into a book and published last October. It has been a number one new release on Amazon.  I had just finished coauthoring Digital Sculpting With Mudbox: EssentialTools and Techniques for Artists, when I was creating my MFAIA.

I think the importance of the credentials come when I am speaking at other universities. I have enjoyed that, and hope to do more speaking engagements.

WHAT HAVE I DONE SINCE GRADUATION?
Well, I'm still creating sculptures.  They seem to be getting bigger and I'm getting a great deal of attention for them.

The Grambling Tiger bronze sculpture was featured in my book.

I'm presently working on a monumental sculpture of Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter Tea party and I will be writing a book about this as well.  I have several other book's I'm working on. I really need an agent for these books.  I'm diverse and hate searching for publishers.  My platform has changed drastically and I think this makes me more desirable as an author.

I have two other commissions I'm also working on, one of which is a sculpture of Neil Armstrong for Russia.

 I have had a lot of press lately.

• Women In 3D Printing Created a wonderful article about my work. 
• I was honored to be featured as 19th of the 30 most influential women in 3D printing. 
• An article came out of Italy about my work on Alice and 3D Technology 
• The local Public Broadcasting station created a segment on my work and I have been receiving numerous other segment on the local television. We are now working on more international marketing. I'll let you know how it goes. 

WHAT ARE MY FUTURE GOALS? 

I would really like to obtain more speaking engagements. I have lots of connections in Europe through the book and would love to create some sort of speaking tour there. I have also been invited to a month long residency in Tuscany, but I have had to pass for the last 3 years because I have been so busy with work. 

 I have loved bringing literature to life and would like the opportunity to do more of that in bronze. Presently, I have been sculpting so much that my writing muse is feeling a bit dejected. In light of that, I would really like to finish up some of these books I'm writing and get them off to a publisher, and as I said, find an agent. 

I'd also like to do something that I was forced to do in college. Create just to create. You see, I'm a commissioned artist and work from one job to another. It would be nice to take some time to create for me. 

I want to experience things and make memories. As a grandmother, I want to take this time to camp, dance and play and do this with my granddaughter. 

In all, I think the experience of getting my degree was worth it. I could never had done it at a traditional college. Having my education at Goddard and Vermont College where I could design my own programs was the education that suited me.   I have enjoyed how my college education has changed me as a person and the doors it has opened.