The next months are going to be a bit intense, so I’m trying to get ahead of the chaos before it starts.
A big part of what makes this semester feel different is that I have two parallel realities to manage: my thesis work, and the fact that I’ll be in Valencia for a a few months. Which is exciting, but also slightly terrifying, because I know myself. Procrastination and thesis don’t go well with one another. So instead of pretending I will magically become a perfectly disciplined person, I’m trying to build a structure that is realistic. I have to have a plan now, so at least one thing is out of the way and I can directly start into the thesis.
My main goal for the next months is to keep moving forward in small steps. I don’t need huge breakthroughs every week. I need consistency. The thesis is not one big moment. It’s a chain of small decisions: collecting, selecting, writing, revising and polishing.
Right now my plan is to split my thesis work into three tracks that can run simultaneously:
The first track is research. This is where I read, collect sources and build the language around my topic. I already noticed that reading becomes easier once I have the right keywords and once I stop forcing my topic into one discipline. I want to keep doing this continuously, because it’s the part that will support everything else later when I start writing.
The second track is practical work. That means taking photographs, documenting everyday installations, and experimenting with reconstructions. The miniature idea especially feels like something I want to push further, because it connects the observational part of my thesis with a more designed outcome. I want to keep producing while I research, so I don’t end up with a thesis that is only theoretical.
The third track is final format planning. Even if I don’t decide the exact outcome yet, I want to start thinking in systems: how the archive will become a narrative, how an exhibition could work, how a book could work and what kind of structure makes sense for my material. This is also where Valencia might become interesting, because being in a different city could change what I notice and could expand my archive beyond one location.
To make this plan actually work, I’m also setting myself a few small rules. Routines that I can realistically keep:
- I want at least 3 focused thesis sessions per week (even if they are short).
- I want one day where I only do practical work (photography, collecting, building miniatures).
- I want one day where I only work on writing (even if it’s messy writing).
- I want to keep my archive clean while collecting, so I don’t have to sort everything later.
If I manage to stick to this structure, I think the thesis will stay manageable while living abroad.
The real challenge of this semester: not coming up with even more ideas but turning them into a finished thesis.
