Dream Job

As the depressing search for employment continues, I was thrilled to find something that I would really, honestly, truly love to do here in Phoenix. Why didn't I think of it sooner? Taliesin West--of course!

I have been a longtime admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright, and that admiration only grew through the course of my education. However, the icing on the cake was last summer when I visited the Guggenheim Museum (Wright's final hurrah to the world before passing away).

I was extremely fortunate that the museum's exhibit was in commemoration of none other than Wright himself (something the museum does only once in a rare while). It was a beautiful and inspiring experience in recognition of a brilliant man--arguably the world's greatest architect. But that dispute was almost unanimously settled long ago in Wrights favor. Now he is, without question, regarded as one of the world's greatest architects, having designed over 1,000 structures.

I spent hours in the Guggenheim, not only marveling at the building's own unique strength, but at the plans on display. They were frame worthy. I coveted the man's penmanship, his drafting skills, his drawings, and his brilliance. There were large models of structures that were never constructed, most of which were so bizarre that I doubt there were construction methods capable of executing them at the time. Overall, it was inspiring and exhausting. I don't know how one man can be possessed by so much genius.

Regardless, I had high hopes of contributing to the legacy of FLW, even if my only contribution was to guide informative tours around Taliesin (Wright's architecture school that he designed—of course). But then the bad news: after all my hype and excitement at finding somewhere I would be passionate about working--I discovered that the foundation is volunteer based. So, although I currently have to give up my dream of making a living for myself on the shoulders of Wright --I will have to continue to search elsewhere and perhaps spend a day or two volunteering at Taliensin.