Think it through

You can't really just be a lecturer at a university; That's one of the sad things about life in academia. You really need a research career too, which is far far harder. Research is the life blood of funding and maintaining university standards, but it is also a job which demands genuine interest in the researcher, lest their mind be lost due to the insane traumas of pursuing a path into the unknown.

Why talk about this? The short answer is that I need new projects, topics which spark some genuine interest and which aren't linked to the tortuous five year doctoral project that almost ended what remained of my sanity. It is not a joke, you really do have to be interested madly in what you're studying in a PhD, otherwise it doesn't work. Fortunately I was interested enough, unfortunately it was still just a little wrong even after viva. C'est la vie, Clompie.

There are fascinating fields to try and work into. Think about growing plants for a moment, and the dynamics involved in how stems, leaves and petals develop so quickly. Imagine coral reefs and the rich ecosystems of life that exist and depend on each other. What happens when you clap your hands underwater? Are there underlying patterns to species diversity in forests and groves and farmland? Are there mathematical patterns underpinning narrative forms? Can we link mathematics to primal language and form our own Rosetta Stones?

It's hard to break into a new field, especially when you're still rather jaded from a doctorate and tough life experiences, and concerned about whether you're even suited for research at all. It's a tough job, one which requires long long hours, flexibility, and rigid self-control in taking care of yourself. If you work too hard you can go mad - mad! maaaaaaaaa! - and end up walking around Llanbadarn campus in your pyjamas, asking people where the ice cream van is, in December. And you have to read a lot, many many articles that you might not understand at first or second readings, but which could point towards the idea or article that inspires you to do the thing that might lead to interesting things.

Research. It's fun. If you can just get there...
O.