Blogjune Day 14 - the precious moments are all lost in the tide...

Today's question: What would I like to tell my 15 year old self?

I was something of a conflicted teen. I had the brains to do all of the maths, science and a bit of language, and I also had a passion for music and theatre performance. However, the pragmatic approach to my education was to do the subjects that would get me the best score - and the best options after school - which meant focusing on maths and science.

In hindsight, that was absolutely the right decision for me, and I wouldn't change any of that, but at the time... well, it felt like I was at something of a crossroads, feeling like I had to choose one over the other, and that was a source of angst for me.

So, if I could speak to my 15 year old self, I'd tell myself that there will be time to follow my passions in the future. That I should do what I need to be secure, but that there will also be wriggle-room to make adjustments, find creative outlets, and career options that allow these worlds to intersect. Sometimes it will be hard... sometimes I will feel like I've taken the safe and secure option at the expense of aligning work with my passions, and sometimes I'll have amazing experiences but with the risk of insecure or low-paid work. There will be peaks and troughs, but I'll find a careful balance along the way, and that will be enough to stay afloat whilst feeling fulfilled. It will all be worthwhile.

Blogjune Day 13 - I'm looking forward to the future, but my eyesight is going bad...

My moving preparations have taken precedence, and I've missed two days of BlogJune... but I shall press on!

Today's question: What am I grateful for?

I often seem frustrated, overwhelmed and discontented. But that's not to say that I'm not grateful.

I'm grateful that I chose a profession and career path that has created so many unique life experiences so far, and continues to open up new and interesting opportunities - and for all of the memories of these experience.

I'm grateful that, even though my professional field is a shrinking sector, I've still been able to expand on my professional experience through every role I take on.

I'm grateful that I live in a country where I can live comfortably, with a roof over my head, food to eat, and freedom from war and tyranny.

I'm grateful for my health, and for health services that are accessible to everybody in the community.

I'm grateful for my community of friends and professional peers who both support me and hold me accountable.

Most of all, I'm grateful for living a life where I have options - where even if I lost everything, I could pick up the pieces and start again - and create new memories. It feels like a privilege that I really don't deserve, but I'm certainly grateful for it.

It doesn't mean I won't complain, of course. You can be grateful, but want more from life.

Blogjune Day 10 - Out on the wiley windy moors...

Today's question: Recommend something to read for a weekend away.

Here's a clue:

No, the book isn't Wuthering Heights... it's Waking Romeo by Kathryn Barker.

It's one of my favourite books from 2021, and I'm glad I can finally talk about it, as I was recently a judge in the Young Adult category of the Aurealis Awards, and as such, I needed to keep my trap shut until the winners were announced - which they were last month.

I read a total of 40 novels in my judging commitments, and whilst there was plenty of excellent contenders, this one shone above it all. I'm not going to talk about the plot, as I feel like I can't say too much without ruining the plot... but imagine if time travel was possible, but you could only go forward in time, what would you do? If the world's going to crap, do you keep jumping forward? (Oh, and if you jump forward into a space where matter exists, you die horribly.)

From this premise, Kathryn Barker has crafted an intricately layered time travel adventure, peppered with references to Shakespeare and Wuthering Heights, touching upon themes of sustainability, and considering how we want to leave this world for the next generation. It's also very funny. And very nerdy - especially if you like closing off causal time loops.

Not only did it win the Best Young Adult Novel category, but also Best Science Fiction Novel, so it was highly regarded by judges at all levels - don't let the YA audience put you off (and really, you shouldn't anyway).

Speaking of Wuthering Heights, I start rehearsal this weekend for a group that will be performing Kate Bush's iconic dance at the National Portrait Gallery on 2 July - the Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever. We'll be raising money for the Domestic Violence Crisis Service, and you can donate here. There are performances all over the world, so keep an eye out for one near you!

Blogjune Day 9 - Stereotypes

Today’s question: Do I fit the librarian stereotype?

But first – some Eurotrashy goodness. Can you spot the theme here?



So, I want to respond with another question: What is the librarian stereotype nowadays? Is it the same as it was 10 years ago… 20 years ago?

Is it still the cardigan / pearls-and-twin-set / plaid wearing codger / spinster who like sipping on tea and having a house full of cats? Is it the tragic alternate-reality fate of Mary in It’s a Wonderful Life, who, shock-horror, never got married and is closing up the library on Christmas Eve? Is it the stern stickler for rules, order and quiet – ready to give a death stare and assertive ‘shh’ to anyone who violates the sanctity of their realm?

 
Stereotypes are often grounded in elements of truth, based on shared experiences. But do people still think that’s what librarians are like, now in 2022? 

I'd like to hope that the general assumptions of who a librarian is and what they do - based on people's experience of working with librarian - has changed substantially over the last decade, just as libraries themselves have changed. The value they bring to society should be evident.

Then again, the ABC just announced that they were to axe all of their librarians and archivists - and yes, that article acknowledges that 'the stereotypes of librarians and archivists remain (inappropriately) grounded in a presumption of work happening in dusty bookshelves and basement collections'. If librarians can’t prove our professional value to its national broadcaster and public information network, then they have a real problem on our hands.

So, do I fit the librarian stereotype? I am bookish, I own multiple cardigans and tweed suits and I have dark-rimmed glasses, but that’s about as far as it goes.

If anything, I do try to debunk the stereotype where I can. I’m a strong communicator, I’m good with technology, and I’m a people person. I’m progressive in my social views, and a fan of breaking rules. I try not to take myself too seriously, and let my achievements speak for themselves.

I don’t care much for the stereotype – but I still enjoy poking fun at it. Anybody who’s seen the recent film Gunpowder Milkshake will agree – it was mostly awful (or maybe you enjoyed it?), but its saving grace were the three kick-ass ‘librarians’ who stole the show in the final act.

Blogjune Day 8 - If I could turn back time...

I missed a day, which was bound to happen at some point this month. I won't make up for it, but today's question is: What superpower would you have if you could have one?

Today's musical classic:

I never feel like I have enough time to do everything I want to - thus missing yesterday's post. So, for the sake of picking a 'superpower', let's just say I'd like to have the power to turn back time.

Not to change any of my past decisions, mind you - I know better than to mess around with causality and risk creating time paradoxes. I'd just like to be able to go back and do the things that I missed out on, because I was too busy doing all of the other things.

Blogjune Day 6 - Our castle and our keep.

Today's question: Why do you live where you do?

Today's song:

I moved to Canberra in October 2016. It's now the city where I've lived the longest since first moving away from my home town of Melbourne in 2006.

At the time, it was the right place for me. After living overseas for a number of years, moving back to Melbourne didn't feel right for me. I wasn't ready to live in a big city yet, but at the same time I was keen to move back into the cultural sector. Canberra is small, yet has many cultural institutions - perfect!

It's also not the first time that I thought about moving to Canberra. I very seriously considered moving there in 2008, but the time was definitely not right for me, and Canberra was also a very different place back then. I'm glad I didn't - my life would have been very different if I had.

But in 2016, the timing was absolutely right. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time to step into some great job opportunities. I've enjoyed a moderately active social life, it's so easy to get around (especially if you have a vehicle) and I love how close it is to parklands and the bush, if I just want to escape the urban environment. Of course, even the urban setting here is pretty magical at times with the local birdlife saying hello every morning.

I also live in the inner suburbs. The main reason for this is because I always wanted to be cycling distance from work, and right now I ride about 25 minutes each way every day. My whole life, I've always preferred inner-city living over a house in the 'burbs - I like being close to the action - though Canberra is unlike most other cities in that sense. Much of the action happens in little pockets here and there - more often than not in one of the suburbs rather than the city. So, I'm getting to the point where I'm ready for a change - somewhere with a yard for a garden, and room to be creative and make noise without disturbing neighbours with adjoining walls.

So, I'm moving!

We've been planning the move for a little while now, but in two weeks I'll have vacated my little apartment where I've lived for the past four years. It's an odd feeling, especially given all my complicated memories of this place through that time, but I'm looking forward to some new adventures.

Blogjune Day 5 - Now though we're all here, we're not all there!

Today's question: What have you learned about yourself as the result of the pandemic?

To get us in the mood, let's sing along to this modern classic:

This current pandemic (and I feel like I need to keep reminding everybody that it's still going) has challenged me in new ways - in particular, adjusting to working-from-home conditions when required.

The thing that actually surprised me was: I really don't enjoy working from home.

There were plenty of things that I missed:

• A comfortable work environment with adequate heating / air conditioning, lighting, and insulation from outside noise (such as leaf blowers and 7am-4pm construction work).
• Regular social and work-related in-person interactions with colleagues. Whether it's getting somebody to sense-check an idea or piece of work, chatting about common interests, or taking a break to wander down to the cafe together, it's these interactions which can make all the difference in a workplace.
• The variable nature of a standard in-person job, whether it's at your desk, in a meeting room, attending a presentation, travelling to different sites.
• Interacting with clients and visitors in person - professional relationship-building takes a whole different skill-set when you're doing it via email or teleconference, and I realised that I'm much better at connecting with people when I'm looking them in the eye.
• Space in my domestic relationship. I'd only moved in together with my partner a couple of months earlier, and was still adjusting. Cohabiting whilst working at home full-time could be a challenge, and we needed to find ways to work around one another.
• The ability to physically leave work at the end of the work day. My work space was my home space, and as much as I tried to create effective boundaries, I realised that I was not actually good at this. The simple acts of switching off the computer at the end of the day, turning off the light and leaving the room - never happened.
• The commute to and from work. I realise that I'm the outlier on this one, but riding my bike to and from work has been a constant for me over the many years that I've been working, and removing that from my daily routine had an impact.

Of course, I realise that there are plenty of people who really enjoyed working from home, and that the pandemic finally created the opportunity for them to find new and productive ways of working that worked better for them.

And of course, during the current pandemic, we need to uphold measures to keep each other safe.

But to choose to work at home in physical isolation is just not for me. Even when, in the past, I've worked on personal projects, I've almost always done this in a non-domestic space, such as a cafe, library or public park.

I enjoy moving through a living world of people, whether it's travelling through the chaos of traffic, dancing in the thrum of a crowd at a live music performance, sitting amongst an engaged audience at the theatre or in a conference session, watching a library reading room full of people searching, studying and delving into their work. I love watching people, observing each person's unique traits, and then getting to know and understand them through their through their stories and questions.

I've often considered myself something of an introvert, but the thing that I really learned about myself is that I actually thrive on being in proximity to others as we continue to move through this world.