Useful sidetracks

To quote the Cranberries ’everyone else is doing it so why can’t we?’ What could be more normal than detailing the minutiae of one’s diurnal endeavours for all to see?  Notably I only use one other Cranberries quote, ‘do you have to let it linger’ which is directed at those people producing noxious gases in my vicinity.  At a stretch those last three lines actually form a rhyming triplet so that’s a free poetic intro straight off…

The reasons for starting my own blog aren’t really crystallised in my head but these are some of the vague catalysts:

practice a different style of writing

act as a diary for my phd

help me put my musings and ponderous moments into a more memorable and accessible format

let me create an archive of accountability for all those interested in what i get up to when not in the office

always good to do something new

probably the only way i will be able to assess how i am developing from day to day in terms of ideas for my research project.

I see this as something separate to my academic work, but something that can be beneficial.  I don’t subscribe to the perspective that procrastination is a waste of time (although it can be a way of passing time) but almost everything done during that day can have a positive spin put on it.  Why think that ’work’ is the only useful or notable achievement from one’s day?  I think it is a sad state of affairs that we are continually defined by our work.  When someone asks me what I do I am tempted to answer, ‘well I play guitar quite a lot, watch films where the creators have tried to do something different or interesting…listen to a variety of music that has meaning…read books…make my girlfriend happy…cook…play football…run…try to stimulate my senses everyday and not be a twat to people I encounter….what do YOU do? 

 

i think that’s enough! right, on with the writing!

Tags: intro