Meet Sandra Casady

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sandra Casady a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sandra, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
From childhood, I have been blessed by my family and their work ethic. I have had a job since I was 14 years old and was taught by my parents to take pride in whatever occupation I was employed. As I grew up and moved on in life, I have held many varied jobs and brought the same level of dedication to each, whether it was being a nanny to my last and most challenging job as a special educator. It is this work ethic that has molded me into the person I have become and as I approached retirement 2 years ago, I knew that I would not be fulfilled without a new purpose. Having always been creative and raised in a home where my mother was an amazing needlecraft artist, I decided to find a creative avenue in which to pass my newfound freedom. Papercrafting has become my new passion.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I have always had a passion for crafting and creating with my hands, As a child, I spent many hours in my mother’s yarn and needlecraft shop learning to knit, crochet, cross stitch, sew and needlepoint. As I got older, life got in the way and I put many of my crafts on hold to work and raise my son. I recently retired from working as a special educator and was looking for something to keep my hands and mind busy and I discovered working with a totally new medium! I am now creating layered cardstock designs and greeting cards. I have been able to participate in art fairs and have met many other talented artists and through these events, I have been asked to display some of my designs in a local art gallery. This has been an exciting addition to my newly found passion and I look forward to showing more designs this way. As an aside, I have been asked to serve as a special education consultant for a small arts academy in Flagstaff, Arizona which allows me to continue to support both other educators and their students. This has provided an opportunity for me to stay involved in a field of education that has become such a powerful influence on my life.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Wow! This is s difficult question! I believe that my work ethic played a huge role in my career choices as I returned to college at the age of 45 to complete my degree in education. I worked full time and raised my son throughout this time. I went on to earn my master’s degree in special education and became a Director of Special Education soon after. As an artist or creator, I feel that being raised by talented parents was a major contribution to my creative abilities. My father was a talented musician, carpenter and cook. My mother owned a yarn shop for most of her adult life and I was exposed to a wide variety of creative skills. My older sister is a very talented event florist and my younger sister raises and trains horses.

As for advice for others who are early in their journey, follow your dreams and work to reach out to others who can advise and guide you in the journey. It is never too late to achieve your passion in life. From returning to college to embracing change, it can all be impactful and promote success!

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
As I have stated previously, my parents were very supportive in my journey. Unfortunately, I lost my father when I was younger but his sense of humor and determination to overcome personal obstacles were an inspiration for me. My mother was a strong and dynamic model for me as she raised her 3 daughters and ran a small business. Both parents always encouraged us to follow our dreams and shared their talents and gifts with us. They always promoted our independence and creative abilities.

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