Writing is Comfort Work

Somewhere on the wilderness of the World Wide Web I stumbled across this contemplation about comfort work by Austin Kleon. The idea was so relatable it made me contemplate not only how I work but also if framing things under this light might help with motivation during challenging times. First things first. Austin Kleon defines … Continue reading Writing is Comfort Work

Just because #AcWriMo2022

Have you ever written something: just because? Just because the words needed out. Just because you could feel your thoughts churning but were not able to grasp them, hold on to the maelstrom of shapeless cognition? That’s me today. The last weeks were full of meetings, and teaching, and movement, and falling down the stairs … Continue reading Just because #AcWriMo2022

Writing Creates More Writing

This year for Academic Writing Month I decided to blog more. That’s it. No specific goals, no three posts a week etc. I didn’t want to immediately inhibit the writing process by setting unrealistic expectations. It’s mid-semester here, there are teaching observations, teaching, running network, struggling with chronic health issues, all of which is usually … Continue reading Writing Creates More Writing

SoTL: Quick Tips

This is a (not comprehensive) list of things that keep coming up in my role supporting SoTL, fellowship applications and teaching on the PGCAP. This is the fifth blog post I have been fretting about today and decided to just press publish now. Note: Editing will probably happen. SoTL is all about your own practice: … Continue reading SoTL: Quick Tips

Ethnography of a Museum

Context I am experimenting with writing again. So back to the beginnings of my academic journey and ethnographic writing. Without further ado: An Excerpt The smell is difficult to describe, an echo of floor polish clings to the dry air, the worn Lino floors make my shoes squeak, but it smells of something else; I … Continue reading Ethnography of a Museum

12 Days of SoTL: Bonus

Useful and Quirky Tools In this post I share some of my favourite tools, most of which are open source, that help with motivation, stopping distraction, or staying organised. For Writing Battle your fear of the empty page! Written Kitten all the way! In this snazzy little Browser App you get a photo of a … Continue reading 12 Days of SoTL: Bonus

12 Days of SoTL: Day 11

Write about your SoTL Normally in SoTL publications, and specifically when we engage in a reflexive practice piece, we would write in 1st person, which can feel very awkward when you are used to writing in 3rd person. Whilst there is nothing intrinsically wrong with writing in 3rd person, you will still have to acknowledge … Continue reading 12 Days of SoTL: Day 11

10 reasons to write

When I set out to note down 10 reasons to write–10 reasons that would push me to write today–I never thought I would make it beyond the first two. But here you go: 1. I write to sort my head We experience a lot of context switching in our roles lecturers in academic development as … Continue reading 10 reasons to write

Working in the garden

Planting a tree is purposeful engagement; putting my winter rosemary into a bigger pot because it became pot-bound is an act of caring. I am pausing to observe the robin curiously observing me. The air is still chilly, and the winged ethnographer quickly loses interest in his subject. Working in my garden is an act of self-care and an act of deep work. Continue reading Working in the garden

Writing vs Boot-camp

Today was the first day of an eight week long twice a week 6-7 a.m. bootcamp I signed up for. On my way back when thinking about planning the writing activities I have to undertake. I realised there is a strange commonality between the early morning intensive circuits training and academic writing. Continue reading Writing vs Boot-camp

How to write regularly?

Trying out a writing challenge. 30 posts in 30 days: The next 30 days will not mark a full calendar month or some other sort of temporal meaningfulness. The only reason I use today, is that I have despite all the good advice not yet managed to create this every day routine. Which is just generally difficult for me–heck I am glad if I remember to moisturize! So beginning today gives me four days (including the weekend) where there are no excuses for not writing. It’s basically a little bit of a head-start. Continue reading How to write regularly?