Writing a Dissertation ......... How to Begin.....
The Concept is the idea and the Context gives meaning to a concept in its Historical, Social, Cultural and Political sense. This is how our session began. Mary spoke about introducing the concept, and to then begin to develop the ideas. She discussed finding first the "Big Words" that relate to the concept, and to break them down so that you gain a better understanding of the theory. It is then much easier to define and understand how that theory relates to your own practice, and to gaining a clear insight into how that concept informs your practice and your writing
To begin a Dissertation it is a good idea to first think about your conclusion. What is it you want to find out? With a clear vision of your intent, it is much easier to then discuss is your dissertation how you want to structure your essay, and have a better understanding of how to develop that essay.
When thinking about Chapters, it is a good idea to first think about what you want to convey within the chapter and how it will lead on the next chapter. Think "where am I going with this?"
If you find yourself getting lost when writing paragraphs within the chapters, thinking about your conclusion will return you to your focus.
At the end of the session, Mary invited us to write for ten minutes using "Free Writing Techniques" This proved to be an excellent system to free your mind. Writing with no thought of structure or ideas. I have used Automatic Writing in my work since I researched the Surrealists, Free Writing is the same.
Here is the content of my Free Writing exercise..... thinking about the theme of my dissertation Women Landscape Photographers .......
Why do men and women photograph the landscape in different styles? Male images are more technically defined, sharper and with more detail. Women are more inclined to make pictures that are more emotional and emanate from a deeper place within. So how can I understand this? What do I need to research? Do I compare and contrast or do I concentrate my writing on how women see the world around them? What is important to them and to me?
As a woman landscape photographer what is it about the land that draws me to it? Is it the beauty, is it the connection with a higher energy, is it the feeling of immense freedom that accompanies and attaches itself to me when my feet are grounded on the earth? I love how the sand is soft and gets between my toes, I love too, the firmness of the land beneath my feet, it makes me feel secure. The sky and land both change constantly and this resonates with me as I feel that I am also changing all the time. The ebb and flow of the sea mimics within me.
I feel a belonging to the land, the past is ever present and right there with me, as is the present and the future.
It is hard to explain how freedom takes its form within me, and outside f me. The infinity of the horizon, the vast space that encompasses me as a small being, a few atoms joined together, forming me.
I am standing in the vast open space that is the earth in a universe in a galaxy. The huge dimensions are impossible to imagine but somehow when I walk on the land, I do feel this infinite space as being part of me and I of it. The vastness of it is the attraction, is the freedom.
My freedom is my imagination. I can imagine and visualise anything in this huge space around me. The land looks alien when I study it, when I really look and see nothing . From nothing comes something. Part of the freedom is that I can look out at the horizon and know that I am of the world, but here I don't have to be part of anything except to know that I am a human being listening to the sounds of the earth and being .... just being.
The ten minutes came to an end .... I was, and am amazed that with very little thought about what I was writing, there came snippets of information will be helpful and inform my practice. There are questions that I can research. I felt that this exercise is incredible useful and I will use it to help me write my dissertation. Freedom of the mind is a wonderful tool to use.
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