Blogging, not slogging
I have had multiple attempts now at getting into blogging. I’ve started multiple blogs, on multiple platforms, specifically with the idea that I will be keeping up the practice as part of my research. But every time I do, it falls by the wayside pretty quickly, for a number of reasons - excuses, really; I’m too busy (not true); this platform isn’t right (easily solvable); and just downright forgetting to do it.
This has actually become something of a problem for me and my research - that I keep finding reasons not to put my research out there. I think I’ve often seen blogging as something of a barrier, another thing to have to do, rather than an opportunity - an opportunity to put my ideas and my research out there, and frankly an opportunity to write more. But more than that - another opportunity to play. If my research has taught me anything so far it’s that a playful mindset and a playful attitude encourage and open up further opportunities to be playful, be creative, to explore and experiment. Play encourages more play. And instead of seeing blogging as part of that, I think up until now I have viewed blogging as more of a work activity, rather than play. One of the reasons for feeling that, I believe, is using my studio website as the place for the blog to exist always felt like I was crossing the streams between my commercial work and my research - not so much between work and play, but between commercial work and academic work. But why not? PhD research and teaching are two of the many hats I wear, and they supply me with a level of expertise with people, processes and methods for creative work that I wouldn’t be accessing otherwise.
So I think it’s probably time to change that.
I’m going to experiment with a few ways of doing it, but I think if I could achieve one research related blog post a week - even if that’s mentioning how little research I managed to get done that week - then blogging could become part of the process of being a ‘playful academic’ (Lubbert et al 2021). Writing not just for research, but for fun, as well. And, for the time being at least, it’s going to live here on castroandfriends.co.uk, unashamedly demonstrating the close links between my research work and my playful, colourful, honest creative practice.
Wish me luck.
References
Lübbert, A. & Heimann, K. & Gonzàlez-Fernàndez, P., (2021) “From What Is to What If to Let’s Try: a Treasure-Box for the Playful Academic”, The Journal of Play in Adulthood 3(1), 52-70. doi: https://doi.org/10.5920/jpa.875