In the newspaper last week I read a report about a study that found university students this term more likely to suffer from imposter syndrome because they had won their places without sitting exams. It said that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are particularly susceptible. Whilst all … [Read more...] about Learning To Be An Imposter
Self Acceptance
Should I Go To Therapy?
I'm travelling to London. I'll just let that sink in. It's true. I am going out of my town into London, driving an actual car further than the supermarket for the first time in the best part of two years. I've left my house far too early, and I have programmed the SatNav to help me get … [Read more...] about Should I Go To Therapy?
The Joy Of A Second Childhood
The arrival of the puppy has sparked a shift in my older dog which I hadn't anticipated and reminds me of a shift that once took place in me. Bringing a new dog into the family caused us to worry that our established dog would protest. In fact, it has unlocked a second childhood in her. "Do … [Read more...] about The Joy Of A Second Childhood
The Virtue Of Avoiding Productivity
When my father died amongst his possessions was a big claret-coloured notebook. He'd bought it to catalogue his vast record collection, a task that sat on his metaphorical "to-do" list for decades He had never written in it, and now he was dead. The paper was a smoothly satisfying alluring … [Read more...] about The Virtue Of Avoiding Productivity
Down Time
In "How To Do Nothing," Jenny Odell recalls a performance piece by Finnish artist Pilvi Takala which involved her posing as a marketing trainee at accounting firm Deloitte and doing nothing but sitting at her desk and staring out of the window. None of her "colleagues" knew it was art and became … [Read more...] about Down Time