1-arrowhead, gray, 1" long, notched

This past week, I continued to listen to myself and my interests, so I can be sure to get exactly what I want out of my time here. I should be using this time to explore and enjoy, not forcing myself to do something I don’t want to do. 

From here on out, I’m going to have multiple projects working and allow myself to flit between them as I see fit. It seems irresponsible, but I think it’s where I need to be right now. Feeling this tied down is not conducive to pushing myself and expanding my knowledge and abilities. If I do want to work in a museum someday, I should know how to bring an artifact from donation to accession to box on a shelf, or how to preserve a large, fragile multi-tiered dress, or how to preserve odd-shaped documents in Mylar. Rather than focusing on one thing, I’ve recognized that I need to have a breadth of knowledge before I can move on.

I’ve begun my days with the Sprague Collection. The box that I have been working on is nearly complete — or at least as complete as it can be at this stage in the process. All of the tags are printed and cut, and most of them are in the proper bags. That is the fun part so far: matching Dr. Sprague’s descriptions to the points. Sometimes they’re obvious, but other times they’re more of a challenge. “1-arrowhead, gray, 1” long, notched” isn’t the most descriptive description in the world when nearly every point is a shade of gray and about the same size.

When I’ve tired of working on the points, I’ve moved on to a box of random textiles. I spent the better part of an hour sorting lace and crochet collar and cuff combinations. I sewed labels into the hemline of a 40-year-old Girl Scout uniform that had recently been donated, accessioned the parts and soon I will find a box for them. It’s somehow fun to me, but possibly only because it’s new. So many of the other interns work on textiles day-to-day that working on this project gives me a chance to work with them.

The new interns are starting to pour in for next semester. One of them lives on my floor! I told her I was quite excited and we plan to go to an upcoming intern outing together. I like the idea of being the knowledgeable one. Hopefully, one of the new interns will be interested in the Sprague Collection so I’ll have a buddy when working on it. This might answer my question of if I’m not liking the collection because I work alone.

I need to share what I’m doing with someone else to truly enjoy it, I believe.