A personal update: Why I'm stepping up at Cornish

How the study of the arts shaped my career — and why I’m now trying to give back

I remember the first time I picked up a clarinet. It was a used plastic starter instrument my parents bought for $100. I squeaked and squawked my way through that first year having no idea how much this instrument would shape my life. I ended up playing all through high school, doing my junior research essay on how music affects the brain, and performing a senior recital as part of my senior project. I then studied clarinet performance in college, graduated and went on to play for a professional symphony and in many professional pit orchestras.

Through it all, I learned more than music. I learned the value of hard work. I was never any kind of special talent — but I put in the time. I would practice for eight hours a day in college, sometimes defiantly skipping classes to stay in the practice room. It was there I developed a value system that has served me throughout my career: If you take a chance on me, I’ll outwork anyone to prove my worth.

Being an artist is about discipline as much as talent. It’s about learning to take feedback, it’s about testing your limits and pushing boundaries. It’s about embracing vulnerability and not being afraid to reveal your true self to the world. While I shifted gears professionally from music into writing and journalism two decades ago, those lessons stuck with me.

That’s why I’ve made a decision to step into the interim president role at Cornish College of the Arts. I truly believe in the value of an arts education and I want more students to have the opportunity to pursue these opportunities. Cornish is a small arts college in downtown Seattle where I have served on the board for five years. When the president retired last week, I agreed to step in as interim president while we do a search for a permanent replacement.

Don’t worry: Formidable isn’t going anywhere. You’ll still get the newsletter in your inbox as usual, and you can catch the podcasts, as well. I may take a day off now and then, but I’ll try to let you know before I do.

I encourage you all to join me by finding a way to support the arts in your communities. Our society is stronger when it is filled with talented artists whose work causes us to pause and reflect, and challenges the way we think about the world.

Check out the Formidable Podcast — informational interviews with women leaders on news-driven topics, spotlighting timely and thought-provoking issues facing our world.

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