The last four months has been anything but boring. Getting my feet wet in performing again, working behind-the-scenes for Sneak Peek Orchestra’s first concert of the season, holding a finished Centennial Portraits in my hand and organizing the book launch, and writing reviews for John Terauds’ Musical Toronto blog, all the while experiencing the growing (birthing?) pains that a business at the startup stage inevitably goes through. It’s hard to believe just over a year ago I was exploring an ancient forrest and not seeing another human being for hours on end.

As I crossed off many of the one-off commitments in the Fall (can you tell I signed up before I had any inkling of the project I would assign for myself?), it has become easier to prioritize BeMused, and we’re making good progress towards our beta launch. The hardest part has been recalibrating my brain to switch from a focus on researching and writing to planning and designing, something that is an ongoing effort.

It has been a whirlwind of a year, with a lot of change on the surface, but what anchors me has essentially stayed the same: a love of learning, a soft spot for the performing arts, and a desire to contribute something positive against the backdrop of doom and goom in the cultural sector.

Sincere thanks go out to friends and colleagues who have been so supportive and encouraging along the way; I’d like to think of the way my endeaveur has brought us together in various ways as a good omen for things to come.

Now, let’s squeeze some much needed R&R before 2013 gets here.