On writing, storytelling and my academic work
Credit: Tyler Ingram
Three years after I began writing this blog, I find myself still pleasantly that people choose to willingly read the story of my life. That’s perhaps the thing that keeps me going, despite sometimes feeling alienated from my professional writing. You’ll see, a comment that my friend Morten Rand-Hendricksen made on my research blog gave me both a big warm fuzzy feeling of recognition and a jolt to encourage me to do more academic writing (and to publish even more than I do right now)
I don’t think people fully realize how well thought through your opinions are Raul. And I applaud you for putting them out there because they are not popular ones. Over the years I’ve been involved with a multitude of political and non governmental organizations and movements and I can tell you from experience that you are right on the money with your criticisms.
I had drinks with Linda Solomon from The Vancouver Observer last week, and she told me that she hadn’t realized I had a PhD. She now does and I had a lovely conversation with her about my academic research too. I’m not a credentialist, but it’s been frustrating me to no end lately that people seem to only see the blogger side of me, without taking into account all the other work I do (research, consulting, teaching). I identify myself primarily as an academic, and more so recently.
I have been feeling frustrated that the academic side of me only shines in the Vancouver blogosphere when I write on my research blog or when I participate in the Gastown Dialogues on the Future of the Web or any event where my academic side is being called upon. August is a big month and I have been thinking I should write less on here and more on my research site as well as focus more on my academic research. I don’t know if this may affect me negatively but I’ve been feeling frustrated for a while and what better month to start making changes than August.
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Balance is important.
But a journalist telling you she didn’t realize you had a PhD might be a backhanded compliment. So many academics are incapable for writing for a wider audience. Maybe you can capitalize on that with some paid writing for news media based on your research expertise.
And your ability to communicate to those broader audiences (in addition to your academic credentials) might make you an attractive collaborator on academic research grants.
If it were me, I’d identify your top three things to do. When you get up, proceed through them first, and then attend to other (non-top three) items of interest. If part of that includes extending your academic reputation, then put it at the top of the list and ensure that the first thing that you do in the day is focus on academic stuff. Allocate chunks of time to 1-3, and then, afterwards, fill up the rest of the day with the massive ‘other’ category.
This system works well, though it will definitely force you away from some things in the service of your ‘most important’ task(s) at the moment. In my own case, I’m blogging less now, and preparing more for comps/getting papers ready for publication. Once the comps/publications are out, then I’ll readjust my own task list, and proceed from there.
Glad I could be of inspiration to you Raul. There’s far too much conjecture and rhetoric and very little actual, truthful, factual content in social media these days. It’s time to bring objective reason back into the mix and you are a shining example of just that.