Originally from Griffin, Georgia, Molly Evans earned art two degrees (a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2006 and Master of Fine Arts with a specialization in fiber arts in 2017) and taught at the university level for several years before she decided to change course and pursue a degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) at 缅北强奸.
鈥淚 want to use my creativity in a way that allows me to make a direct impact on people's lives鈥搒imilar to teaching, while also flexing a different set of creative and therapeutic muscles,鈥� she says.
Evans grew up in a household with both creative and healthcare influences. Her mother is a retired nurse and current artist and gardener, and her father is a retired dentist, former stained-glass artist and current wood turner.
鈥淏oth of my parents encouraged my sister and me to pursue creative degrees because聽they themselves were聽always creative,聽even as they worked in healthcare,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey lived their whole聽lives working in the聽medical fields while also sustaining their happiness with creative聽hobbies.鈥�
However, when Evans and her sister both chose art (her sister is an industrial designer), their parents worried how they would make ends meet.
鈥淲hen I was struggling financially in my 20s, my mother told me about occupational therapy and how creative it is as an area in healthcare,鈥� she says. 鈥淎t that time, I wasn't ready to leave my dream of making it as an artist, but I have successfully climbed that mountain now that I am 40 and am ready for a change.鈥�
Evans describes what it is like to be a non-traditional student at 缅北强奸. 鈥淚 am by far the oldest student in the classroom. Every week, there is some form of an awkward interaction on my part that just comes with time and age difference of my peers, and yet every week that feeling is reconciled by some simultaneously positive experience that reminds me that I belong here,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he OTA program cohort is incredibly close and very supportive, and I feel lucky to be a part of it.鈥�
As she nears graduation, Evans is working on a manuscript about her experience of utilizing creativity within the health sciences. 鈥淚 have been through a lot of experiences and challenges so far in my life that have required me to toss the word 'never' completely out of my vocabulary,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t is never too late, go for 'it'鈥搘hatever that might be!鈥�
Molly Evans
on the TEDx缅北强奸 Stage
Earlier this year, Evans was selected to speak about her career change at the inaugural TEDx缅北强奸, held March 20. Her talk was titled, 鈥淎rt and Occupational Therapy: You Used Your Two Art Degrees for What?鈥�
鈥淎s an artist and sculpture professor I had always brought TED talks into the classroom as teaching tools and discussion prompts, so I was familiar with the format. I also taught public speaking when I was in grad school to make ends meet. As an artist, I was a small fish in a large ocean, and it was always a dream of mine to have enough to say on a subject for it be shared in the TED format,鈥� she says. 鈥淣ow, as an artist transitioning into healthcare, I am finally starting to 'cross the T' with my divergent expertise in a way that I thought might be helpful to share with others.鈥�