Turning up to write

I love reading other people's blogs and discovering what people are sharing with others.

Two I have discovered recently have been Moira Mcloughlin 's blog and Lynne Stobbart's

 

I have learnt so much by writing and have realised that writing the blog has set me a discipline that I lacked before in relation to turning up at the page. After all you can't expect to write a book if all you do is think about writing.

In my friend Kate's book I shared my experience of not begin able to write my PhD and re-reading it has made me realise how tough I have been on myself. I have just read Moira’s blog (see above) and I realise that my PhD journey was strewn with rocks and boulders, some of my doing and some that I could not see my way round. So rather than continue to be highly critical of my failings I have begun to see that maybe there is a reason for it and that instead of regretting not being Dr Sue I can think about whether that title would have ever served its purpose of giving me permission to be me, permission to explore the issues I am interested in - butterfly minded and eclectic!!

The police helicopter has just been over our house and it gave me flash of insight into the way I see the world. I like the helicopter view...up high , looking across and making connections and linking folk. A PhD requires microscopic and forensic analysis of a very narrow topic, not sure I want that and can do it. I know I want to write about lots of subjects and that sharing them is important but I also know that the academic environment is too exclusive, I want to share with ordinary folk, real people who inhabit the real world.

 

Let’s see what happens.

 

River Derwent at Muggleswick