Once Upon A Time...

...the Princess didn't kiss the frog. The frog didn't turn into a prince. The frog was difficult to photograph, as the light was low and dull, and the tripod was impossible to set on the porch, in the corner, on the steps. The Princess didn't want to move the plant to a different location to not scare the frog.

I was wondering recently whether I have lost the Photo Mojo. Not due to any disasters, but strictly due to under-use. My life has recently jumped to a higher energy level. Thanks to a string of synchronicities, I am now a member of two writing groups, aiming at generating academic publications. This means I now write (or do related things) during 3 time slots which I previously devoted to preparing for the classes I teach. Which means I prepare for the classes I teach after LM goes to sleep, or during some other random times. Which means I have zero time to devote to photography, which I hate.

Going back to writing, I am astounded by how it all works in academia. If my impressions are correct, you MUST write and publish, but almost nobody with the power to decide your academic faith seems to give a shit what it is that you wrote and published past the fact you have a line on your CV that states you did so.

It feels really crappy, because the effort that it takes to generate an academic paper (at least at the beginning of the game, where I am) is tremendous, and having to do so just for sport is terribly demoralizing. The remedy, I guess, is to believe that one's research actually means something in the larger picture. That it adds to our collective knowledge base as humanity, even if the content means nothing to the vast majority of people who have the hiring or advancement power over any given academic.

Edit: After an encouraging exchange with Nanzy19, I resolved to find a way to share my findings with the teachers themselves. I will re-present the info in a way that is useful to them, and find a way to distribute it. YEAH. Thank you, Nanzy19, for your faith in me. :-)