Many Januarys ago, as a young writing student, a professor brought me and a few classmates to an antiques store. The assignment was to find something that would jumpstart the imagination. A triggering subject, he called it.
While there might have been some valuable furniture onsite, this “store” could more accurately be described as a large barn overflowing with curiosities, artifacts, and stories. There were whole rooms of old dolls with missing limbs or broken eyes, mounted bears and fishers and bobcats, wagon wheels and farm tools, mannequins, stoneware, and sculptures. It was easy to get lost.
Near the old register, on a glass display case, sat a box of used postcards. I spent an hour thumbing through scenes of Niagara Falls, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Devils Tower, and a hundred other places of interest from across the country. For the most part, these cards had been mailed to loved ones in the 1950s and 1960s. On the back of each, there was a short, handwritten note, story, or a simple sentiment of longing. The yearning to connect (or reconnect), which was a common refrain in these postcards, became my triggering subject, prompting my imagination and providing me with a clarity of vision for the task at hand. (In this case, writing some unpublishable short stories.)
Often, at the start of a New Year, I’m reminded of this exercise in imaginative thinking, I’m reminded of that antiques barn, and I’m reminded of the need to find that triggering subject that’ll drive the next 12 months. It’s common, of course, to make resolutions in the New Year, to set goals, and to turn the page on the old year and enter the next with a renewed purpose and fighting spirit. On an organizational level for a nonprofit like Ucross, it’s essential business.
I’m not referring to budgets and KPIs and grant rubrics. Don’t get me wrong, I fully believe we must take stock of all that we’ve accomplished during the past year, analyze our activities, and assess how we did against our goals, financial and otherwise, but January seems to be the right time to find that triggering subject, to shape that story, and to imagine the year ahead so that we can move forward with a clarity of vision. If we do it right, the annual budget and strategic plan are like those box of postcards – a jumping off point, a prompt for the story that we will tell throughout the year.
Fortunately for nonprofits like Ucross, that triggering subject will often be the organization’s mission. In our case, the story of the upcoming year is also tied to our five-year vision and our 40th anniversary. We’ve been anticipating this anniversary for a few years, imagining how it might play out. As we finalize our budget and plan for the year, we are focused on maintaining our role as one of the nation’s leading artist residency programs, offering relevant and meaningful programs to our artists and community, and celebrating Wyoming’s contributions to the country’s arts and culture.
In 2023, we hope you will see yourself as part of our story and support events and activities that interest you, including the kickoff to our 40th anniversary year, “An Evening of Music and Poetry with Joy Harjo” on February 25 at The WYO. Harjo is a three-time United States Poet Laurate, a Ucross alumna, and one of the country’s most beloved and respected poets, and we’re thrilled to bring her to Sheridan. (See The WYO’s website for tickets.) Or perhaps you’d be interested in Field Guide, our upcoming exhibition in the Ucross Art Gallery (opens February 21) or special events like Founder’s Day (June), the Ucross Festival (August), or our 40th Anniversary Gala at Ucross (fall).
January is full of promise. As we envision the year ahead, and as we put our plans into action, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating 2023.
