Arriving at Kingston marked an important shift in how I approached my thesis. Before coming here, I saw the thesis primarily as something I needed to complete. It felt distant and intimidating, like something that existed somewhere in the future, but not yet part of my daily reality.
What I noticed early on was how many opportunities there are to encounter new ideas. Inspiration is not limited to lectures or assigned readings. There are constant talks, workshops, and events happening across the university. Just yesterday, for example, the student union invited Florine Bonaventure, a creative director, to give a talk. Listening to people speak about their own practice and process makes the idea of creative direction feel much more real and accessible. It also shows how many different paths and approaches exist. I will reflect more on this talk in my next blog entry, but moments like these make research feel connected to a wider creative community.
Another thing that stood out to me was the physical structure of the classroom itself. The tables and chairs are not arranged to face the lecturer in a traditional way. Instead, they are organised for group work, allowing students to sit together and face each other. Most of the time, we are encouraged to work in small groups, often using large sheets of paper to share and discuss ideas. These groups change regularly, since no one has a designated seat. This means you are constantly exposed to different perspectives and ways of thinking.
This setup changed how I engaged with my thesis topic. At the beginning, I was hesitant to talk about it. I struggled to explain it clearly, and I was unsure how it would be understood by others. It made sense in my head, but when I tried to express it out loud, it felt vague and incomplete. Because of this, I avoided talking about it in detail.
However, over the past weeks, I found myself in situations where I had to explain my ideas repeatedly. In group discussions, workshops, and informal conversations, people would ask what I was working on. Over time, it became easier. Each time I explained it, something shifted slightly. The act of verbalising my thoughts helped clarify them.
What also made a difference was the feedback I received. Hearing responses from people with different backgrounds and perspectives allowed me to see my ideas from outside my own thinking. Sometimes they made connections I had not considered, or asked questions that helped refine my direction. Through these conversations, my thesis topic slowly became more defined.
