My name is Emily Bulmer and I’m a learning junkie. My motto is ‘How hard can it be?’ and this curiosity has lead me to build my own tiny house, ride my bike to San Francisco, become a free lace writer and many other adventures. I live in Smithers, BC where I work, play and spend as much time outside as possible.
I love to ski, sing, play guitar, garden, travel and write. I have learned to do all kinds of things through experiential learning and strongly believe that you can learn most things by just trying it out. It is truly amazing what you can get good at if you stick to it! Part of the joy of learning is developing skills and having fun with other people. My learning buddies include people I sing with, my book club, my community garden gang, my husband and step daughter, and my colleagues at work.
Sing
This summer I had the amazing fortune to travel to the Republic of Georgia to learn Georgian polyphonic music with 25 other singers from the Songroots community in BC. We spent 2 weeks eating, drinking, and inhabiting the soul of Georgia with our incredible instructors and hosts, The Zedashe Ensemble and Pheasant’s Tears Winery.
Write
I have had the great pleasure of learning how to be a freelance writer for Northword Magazine. From growing frost hardy tomatoes to contemplating caribou, to smoking fish, I have interviewed all kinds of interesting northerners and learned so much along the way. Working with other northern writers, we established the Rural Writers Retreat, which gathers writers for workshops and a weekend of inspiration.
Opportunities to learn are everywhere! Whether it is your backyard, a faraway land or an old book, all you need is a place to start.
Play
All work and no play makes you as scary as Jack Nicholson in a Kubrick film… Which brings me to my passion for learning and fun. If you are having a good time, even if the learning is slow, you will probably keep at it or at least try again. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so if you can keep smiling while you figure out how all the bricks fit together you will make it!
Learning at Work 