"I'm hoping this course will be the catalyst"

I have worked in public relations and marketing communications since 1983. I've been happily married for 30 years, raised two children who are now young adults, worked in advertising/PR agencies, and for the past 21 years have done so at a private university in Virginia. I earned multiple college degrees (B.A. in English/Mass Communication; M.S. in Communications Management, and D.Prof in Organizational Leadership in 2015. Yet despite my education, I still feel behind as a creative. I work with younger colleagues with a knack for digital and social media communications, which is important for organizations and individuals. While I manage these functions, I am not a hands-on practitioner as much anymore...I'm a middle manager, which frankly is less than fulfilling. For the past 7-8 years, my role has changed from frontline practitioner to manager/director and even adjunct professor. I manage ideas, projects, and relationships. Still, I feel myself moving further into the background as I am becoming the older practitioner in a team with younger colleagues, who receive the attention and accolades. My goal is to stay active and relevant. to do that I need better recall, energy, and a clear purpose. I realize is my responsibility. I need to learn faster and retain and apply what I know so I can innovate. I love to listen. I love to read, write, and speak in public, but I also want to gain a measure of recognition. I also have ambitions outside of work. I am a singer and I write original music. I love to sail and golf with husband. As long as I stay in my current role, I need to anticipate and adapt as higher education changes. I also teach as an adjunct professor, teaching public relations courses, which also helps me to learn and apply what I'm learning. I also want to write and I have lots of books on my shelf for professional development -- but you have to read them to learn and apply them. While the youth culture values speed, it also has a short attention span (and it's getting shorter) and embraces instant delivery. My pace may be slower, but I'm still excited to learn and grow. I want to continue to remain vital and relevant. I need to learn new skills, stay focused, keep up my energy, and focus in order to thrive and reach my full potential, not just in my current career, but for the next creative, entrepreneurial venture I want to start when I retire in 8-9 years. I'm hoping this course will be the catalyst, even as I am working on revisiting my personal goals and aspirations.