Hello friends, and welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.
Truly–you’ve chosen to take some time out of your day and give this Daily Journal a red-hot go. Good on you (because there are no doubt about another thousand things you COULD be doing, some of which are more important, others less so).
Allow myself to introduce…myself
I’m Dr Marion Piper: creative-type and passionate global citizen. I’ve been thinking about creating this blog for a while now. I did half-heartedly start it in 2015, but I didn’t feel like I had the authority to keep it going.
I’ve lived with imposter syndrome since then and only after a very painful 2017 did I realise that authority is bullshit. I don’t need permission to write, and I certainly don’t need to wait for the right time. So let’s dive in.
Research for whom?
I finished my PhD project in 2017, and traditionally most candidates go on to some form of academic work. Not this lady. I should’ve known that wouldn’t be the case by the fact that I had completed all my postgraduate degrees barely setting foot on a university campus–thank you Open Universities Australia.
During my PhD research, I realised how exclusive and closed-off academia really is. Incredibly profound work is published in journals that the majority of people can’t access (or afford to access).
That just didn’t sit right with me.
There has to be another way, I often thought to myself.
Research for everyone
Then, as if by some kind of magical intervention, I was given the answer.
I attended a panel discussion at the American Education Research Association (AERA) annual meeting in New York this year, and one of the speakers said something that smacked me right in the face.
She had faced incredible resistance from academic publishers, so she decided to use her own personal blog to start sharing her research. Genius. Not only did she reach the people she was trying to help with her work, she also started to meet other like-minded folk who shared her enthusiasm.
I want you to know what I know
What I love about this approach is that it doesn’t require me to conform to someone else’s editorial guidelines, agenda or idea of what is worthy.
I am sitting on a wealth of resources I’ve gathered that I want you to have access to, FOR FREE. No login required. No degree needed.
I was transformed as a person by the doctoral process: an experience that has shaped the woman I have become, just as much as it has altered the awareness I have of the many ways in which the Western world excludes people.
I’ve walked down the hallowed halls and let me tell you–they’re mostly empty.
Let’s get started
So that should bring you up to speed. In this Daily Journal I’ll be sharing a lot of things, such as:
- My PhD research: the relationship between posttraumatic growth and creativity, or how not all encounters with trauma are negative, but some can produce growth, and how developing a creative practice can help
- Words of wisdom from my friends: I know some incredible humans who have the most inspiring stories, so I’ll be giving them the keys so they can drive every now and then
- Inspiration and fuel: a big part of the creative process is finding inspiration, so I’ll let you in on what I’m reading, listening to, looking at and places or events I’m going to
- Thinking out loud: I process big ideas and feelings by talking, and because we’re all human (at least that’s what we’re told) we all go through the same shit, in different disguises, and its important to know you’re not alone
- Movement: I teach yoga, and travel as often as my cash flow will allow, so I’ll be musing on all things ‘movement’ because if blood flows, so do we.
A new post, every Sunday
This is my commitment to you. Rain, hail or shine, you’ll hear from me every Sunday. If I can do more, I will, but let’s start slow and see where it goes.
A thought…
I’m aiming to close out every post with something provocative for you to start your week with.
One of my favourite poems is Everything is waiting for you (2003) by David Whyte. The line I’d like you to keep with you this week is:
Put down the weight of your aloneness and ease into
the conversation.
So, tell me friends – what kinds of things do you want to hear about in the Daily Journal? Let me know in the comments below.
