Better prepared than ever before

At an outdoor concert one night in Virginia, Jason Hodges rediscovered the passion that first led him to a career in the arts.

Dancing under the stars and making new friends while sharing the musical experience, the executive director of the Anchorage Concert Association got in touch with the joys and connections that the arts can bring, even far from home. It reminded him, he said, why he does the work he does.

“I had long since lost touch of that because the arts had become my work. But I rediscovered it in a small town in Virginia.”

It was a highlight in a sabbatical full of exhilarating moments, Hodges said.

First was a six-week stay in New York City, where he walked and biked all over seeking out new experiences at museums, concert venues and theaters. Then, on a month-long RV trip from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, Hodges explored and improvised, visiting cities, towns and parks with no “definite plan of attack.” He took thousands of photographs along the way, eventually creating two large photo albums.

On his sabbatical, Hodges said he realized he’d been suffering burnout at the job he loved, drawing fewer personal boundaries until work had taken over his life. A few months away proved to be the perfect remedy, showing him the need to carve out time for himself. It also led him to approach his work with renewed enthusiasm and creativity. That, he said, benefits everyone.

“I feel like we are better prepared for transitions and growth than we ever have been. This sabbatical was the exact right thing for both me personally and the greater organization.”