Hello, it’s great to meet you!
Kristian has asked me to talk about my digital diary/blog.
It’s your 3rdweek? How’s it going? How are you feeling? Anyone started their digital diary? What formats have you chosen? What posts/entries have you made so far?
Let’s take a look at the shape of my blog (I think you have already had a quick look?)
I wish I’d started my posts by week three! It would have helped me to make sense of my rambling notes.
As I began blogging, I soon realised that each entry was connected to a different aspect of the course and my practice. I could distinguish between four kinds of entries that documented:
- the development of my folio
- what I was reading
- sources of inspiration
- the random things I was thinkingabout
Looking at my blog chronologically (using the archive panel) shows how all these things are intertwined. This means that I, and others, can track the development of my photographic practice, my research, my sources of inspiration and my thinking.
I’ll show you some examples of each kind of entry:
Folio
I use folio entries to document my photographic experimentation and how I am thinking about my developing art.
My project is loosely shaped by the idea of ‘edge’.
Each week I tried something new and each week I was inspired by feedback (from my colleagues, lecturers and mentor) and/or inspired by art works and artists. This usually initiated a new idea. Writing a blog helped me document what I was doing, reflect on the feedback I was receiving so that I could work through and understand what was happening.
I posted
- my proposal
- details of my starting point
- photos of everything I made (I kept the small blog files in a separate folder)
- a description of what I had done each week
- feedback that I received
- headings that indicated the key thing I was thinking about each week
- my ideas for future experimentation
- installation ideas
- my review thinking
- the presentation of my final folio
Reading
I use reading posts to record what I am reading and connections I am making with the world of art and ideas. These posts provided me with a foundation for my annotated bibliography and will continue to inform my literature review.
I posted
- lists of books/articles/magazines/websites that were suggested
- bibliographic details (Author (Date) Title, Publisher, Place published
- an overview of the reference
- detail about the specific section of the book that most interested me
- any quotes that I liked (don’t forget pages numbers so that you can find it again)
Inspiration/context
Inspiration entries to record the context I’m working in: the conversations, artists and exhibitions that are influencing my thinking and art practice (describing, reflecting, connecting)
question such as: Where did my thinking about edge begin? What is the meaning of edge? Here the genre seems freer. (questioning, wondering, playing)
Thinking
Thinking entries to record other things that I am wondering, things that don’t yet fit under one of the other headings and threads I’m trying to pull together. They usually address a issues related to my project and folio. This helped to write and refine my project proposal
This is why I love my blog!
It supports my practice
- I can see all the work I’ve done
- I can see the connections between my art practice, my reading, my sources of inspiration, my thinking
- If I get stuck I can look back to find my way again
It helps me to organise myself
- It helps me remember
- It keeps me on task
- I can keep a record of the things people are suggesting and the notes I’ve made
It slows me down
- I really think about things…when I write it forces me to work out what I want to say/remember
- I am developing a language to talk about art/photography and my own art practice
I can share what I’ve been doing with my mentor, Melinda.
- she can see what I’m doing
- we have something to talk about
- it is a foundation for building a successful relationship.
I can rehearse my writing
- I can do things in small chunks
- It helps me do all my assignments
I have found that:
- when I make myself write I had to think hard about what I was reading so that I could understand it enough to put it into my own words
- it doesn’t have to be long.
It’s important to note that I don’t write straight into the blog. I created a Word document that is my draft digital diary. I write everything into this document first, no matter how unformed the idea is, just so I remember. I select photographs and write the text, often drafting and redrafting. I also make great use of the Navigation sidebar and heading levels. When a section is ready to share with others I post it.
Closing thoughts
- Start early
- Write often and regularly
- Connect it to your practice
- Enjoy the writing
- Make a space for both specific/targeted and open-ended writing
- Recognise your audience (self, mentor, supervisor)
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