Writing about writing [work, status]
Jul. 11th, 2024 09:19 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rebeccmeisterLet's just start from the premise that I cannot work for all waking hours aside from time spent towards self-maintenance (eating, bathing, cleaning). My mind rebels and refuses to work in a linear, systematic fashion. I can encourage it, but cannot force it. I will get better as I continue to practice.
In the Elgin House, the Lair has a desk with excellent light from a big window, and there are things to go outside and explore in the yard, right there. A great place for reading the entire internet (ha!), books, small drawing and painting projects, and photography, as you've seen.
The Tempe Lair does not have an equivalent desk, and is generally a darker space, so, not as well situated for art projects. I could set myself up elsewhere in the house, but I'm not at that point just yet.
I also just sent over one paper to collaborators for their review and feedback (yay! FINALLY!), so I'm in that transitional state between papers. It takes a while for me to transition mentally from one project to the next; the next most logical project to pick up on is a leafcutter paper from my dissertation that has been rejected from two journals so far. Collectively this meant that much of yesterday was spent flopping around, trying to piece together where I left off with things, trying to ponder those annoying bigger questions, such as, "How to provide context for the motivation for the work?", trying to figure out what new and additional papers I need to read to stay up-to-date on the literature, and trying to remember how to deal with the heat in the Central Valley (highs in the 110's, lows of 89-90 degrees).
Today I have ridden my bike north to downtown Tempe, where I think what I'll wind up doing is: laptop camping at Cartel for the morning (right now), ASU campus library for the afternoon, visit the Bike Cellar because, well, bikes, then either meet up with folks somewhere for dinner/drinks, or back to the Tempe house for the evening.
It also continues to be clear to me that I want/need to keep moving my body every day. There are two potential rowing options to investigate and Princess TinyBike, of course. I can't really replicate what I got started for strength training at the Elgin house because it is too hot outside for me here. So maybe I'll try out the Tempe Family YMCA.
Eventually I'll also work in more art and other expeditions. Having just now checked, the ASU Art Museum has two new exhibits opening this Saturday, so I should go sometime after that rather than hurrying over there today. Information about the Ceramics Research Center says they're generally not open over the summer, so if I really want to go visit I'll need to contact someone and arrange for that. I will also try to make it up to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art at some point, and maybe also to the Heard Museum and other downtown Phoenix destinations - you know, just to make sure everything's still there.
Mapping these plans out makes me realize I'm still dissatisfied with my local art situation in New York. I need to make an effort to poke around some more on that front.
That is a purpose of travel; provide perspective on everyday life, to continue answering the question of, how do I want to live my life?
And I will also say, I do NOT miss the overall grocery store situation in Arizona. The Sprouts that is closest to my Tempe accommodations is actually the most well-stocked Sprouts I have encountered to date, but it isn't as though it has the cheap avocados, salsa, tortillas, and roasted chiles of the local Food Citys. As with Texas, it's possible to find all the things I'd like to buy and eat, it just involves a grocery-shopping circuit that is absurdly time-consuming. I continue to appreciate the well-stocked co-op in Albany.
And with that, back to the writing projects.
(oh, also, LOL, back to overhearing coffeeshop conversations about bad business ideas!!)
In the Elgin House, the Lair has a desk with excellent light from a big window, and there are things to go outside and explore in the yard, right there. A great place for reading the entire internet (ha!), books, small drawing and painting projects, and photography, as you've seen.
The Tempe Lair does not have an equivalent desk, and is generally a darker space, so, not as well situated for art projects. I could set myself up elsewhere in the house, but I'm not at that point just yet.
I also just sent over one paper to collaborators for their review and feedback (yay! FINALLY!), so I'm in that transitional state between papers. It takes a while for me to transition mentally from one project to the next; the next most logical project to pick up on is a leafcutter paper from my dissertation that has been rejected from two journals so far. Collectively this meant that much of yesterday was spent flopping around, trying to piece together where I left off with things, trying to ponder those annoying bigger questions, such as, "How to provide context for the motivation for the work?", trying to figure out what new and additional papers I need to read to stay up-to-date on the literature, and trying to remember how to deal with the heat in the Central Valley (highs in the 110's, lows of 89-90 degrees).
Today I have ridden my bike north to downtown Tempe, where I think what I'll wind up doing is: laptop camping at Cartel for the morning (right now), ASU campus library for the afternoon, visit the Bike Cellar because, well, bikes, then either meet up with folks somewhere for dinner/drinks, or back to the Tempe house for the evening.
It also continues to be clear to me that I want/need to keep moving my body every day. There are two potential rowing options to investigate and Princess TinyBike, of course. I can't really replicate what I got started for strength training at the Elgin house because it is too hot outside for me here. So maybe I'll try out the Tempe Family YMCA.
Eventually I'll also work in more art and other expeditions. Having just now checked, the ASU Art Museum has two new exhibits opening this Saturday, so I should go sometime after that rather than hurrying over there today. Information about the Ceramics Research Center says they're generally not open over the summer, so if I really want to go visit I'll need to contact someone and arrange for that. I will also try to make it up to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art at some point, and maybe also to the Heard Museum and other downtown Phoenix destinations - you know, just to make sure everything's still there.
Mapping these plans out makes me realize I'm still dissatisfied with my local art situation in New York. I need to make an effort to poke around some more on that front.
That is a purpose of travel; provide perspective on everyday life, to continue answering the question of, how do I want to live my life?
And I will also say, I do NOT miss the overall grocery store situation in Arizona. The Sprouts that is closest to my Tempe accommodations is actually the most well-stocked Sprouts I have encountered to date, but it isn't as though it has the cheap avocados, salsa, tortillas, and roasted chiles of the local Food Citys. As with Texas, it's possible to find all the things I'd like to buy and eat, it just involves a grocery-shopping circuit that is absurdly time-consuming. I continue to appreciate the well-stocked co-op in Albany.
And with that, back to the writing projects.
(oh, also, LOL, back to overhearing coffeeshop conversations about bad business ideas!!)
no subject
Date: 2024-07-11 05:07 pm (UTC)Unfortunately, how I want to live my life can't be illuminated by travel. It *can* be illuminated by checks ending in "billion dollars", though. :)
Unfortunately, I can spend all of that in one place...
no subject
Date: 2024-07-11 05:41 pm (UTC)I am very tempted to copy out a chapter from the book I am currently reading, The Ministry of the Future.
no subject
Date: 2024-07-11 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-07-11 06:04 pm (UTC)I'll eventually write more about the novel, once I have finished reading it.