In a sense, my graduate experiences at the Medical College of Ohio (MCO), where I earned a Master of Occupational Therapy degree, equipped me with a symbolic box of crayons; in place of colors, there were other tools to use, such as, theories, research, and models of practice. Understanding how to use these tools effectively was essential for becoming an effective practitioner. As an occupational therapist, I have worked primarily with adults in a skilled nursing facility. I have also had opportunities along the way to hold leadership positions, design programs, and opine as an expert witness. Through the years, I have gained experience with evaluations and interventions for dementia and joint replacements, cardiac and stroke rehabilitation, fall prevention and home modifications. While it has been enormously gratifying to work with individuals that have a life’s worth of stories (and advice) to share, there had also been a growing desire to uncover other opportunities and draw on a new canvas.
What would a new canvas entail? I realized it would be a significant change to work in pediatrics but becoming a parent had reinvigorated a desire that I had early in my career. I wasn’t sure where to begin, but a fresh new box of crayons seemed like a good start….
If you open a box of 64 Crayola Crayons in 2023, you will still find symmetric stacks of colors and a sharpener in the back. Some of the colors and some of the names have changed, but the fundamental crayon is the same. Similarly, the tools I learned to practice occupational therapy at MCO are also fundamentally the same. But the clinical doctoral program at New York University has provided me with some updated colors with names like self-determination, strength-based treatment, coaching, and family-centered treatment. Practicing with these tools has given me the ability to confidently design a new and different picture.
Fortified with a bright new canvas and a fresh box of crayons, I have intrepidly begun a new drawing.
The Metaphor
I have always loved drawing. There is great satisfaction in producing a physical manifestation of the picture in your mind’s eye. There is a power in using shading and perspective to suggest depth and texture on a two-dimensional surface. And there is a sense of freedom in disregarding natural laws and creating new realities (the polka dot felines of my youth, melting clocks a la Salvador Dali).
I have chosen art as the metaphor for my ePortfolio not only because of my affection for drawing, but also because the process of creating art metaphorically parallels my experience working towards my clinical doctoral degree. In similar ways, both the artist and doctoral student must proceed through a series of steps to accomplish the desired goals. My ePortfolio will highlight this series of steps with the following structure: First, choosing, studying, and understanding a new subject (Tabula Rasa); next, translating an idea (Communicating a Vision); and finally, skillfully executing the idea (Composition).
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Reading Note
This ePortfolio has been developed as a writer would construct a novel, with one page leading to the next. Links at the bottom of each page are meant to guide the reader through a curated ePortfolio experience.
Web pages, however, are often read as one might read a textbook, that is to say, not necessarily in sequential order. For this reason, links have been provided throughout the ePortfolio to give readers the ability to meander to and fro. Tabs at the top are also available to reorient the reader to each titled section.
Next Step: Designing the Picture and Setting Professional Goals