Dr Sian Proctor: The Space Poet

Dr. Sian Proctor grew up the daughter of a NASA hidden figure, with the stars in her sights until a pair of glasses at age fourteen seemed to close the door on her dream of becoming a military aviator. She kept reaching anyway, pursuing a career in geoscience and science communication, coming agonizingly close to NASA selection before receiving a rejection that sent her life in a different direction. In this episode, Dr. Sian Proctor talks about the long, winding road from that childhood dream to becoming the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft; hitting a low point after a painful divorce; and the unexpected creative awakening that ultimately launched her to space. And once she got there, she did what she's always done: made art. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to She Pivots 02:10 A NASA Legacy and Childhood Dreams 06:30 From Science to Education: Finding a New Path 08:09 The PhD Journey: Overcoming Obstacles 18:56 NASA's Rejection: A Turning Point 25:14 An Astronaut on Earth 31:13 COVID, Creativity, and Space Postcards 34:54 The Winning Ticket: A Fateful Announcement 40:28 Training and Launch: A Dream Realized 42:29 Creating Art in Zero Gravity 44:59 The Transformative Power of Earthlight 46:52 Pivoting Again: Professor, Astronaut, Artist 47:57 Low Point to Launch 49:51 Closing Thoughts 50:57 Podcast Credits Keep up with Space Poet on Instagram @drsianproctor and her website ​​https://space2inspire.art/ Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration. She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success. Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.

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