Thesis

Some of you may know that I'm doing a Master of Architecture (prof) degree at the University of Auckland. As this year is my final year, I'll be preparing a design thesis - this is basically partly a written thesis (although not as intense or comprehensive as a PhD thesis) and an architectural design project. The latter involves designing a building based on your research and researching by designing.

And so it begins, the final push before actually starting a career in architecture. Some of my fellow thesis people are starting blogs about their thesis work. Although I'm not sure what the intention is (my supervisor and I had a bit of a discussion about this), blogging and the creative process is a very compatible thing. That we have to write as well as create makes it all the more a union. Often blogging is underutilised or, even more sadly, ditched before the water is deep.

Considering the prospect myself, I thought 'hey, I already have a successful blog with lots of readership and a plethora of creative gems from years and years of collecting!' So I thought I'd record my thesis blog on Creative Collision as a way of keeping it up and processing my thoughts. I did also consider just writing a post which said, 'hey guys, see you next year when I finish my thesis and recover from the subsequent implosion.'

Blogging about your creative process is one of the most personal things a creative person can do. Not to mention my thesis is of a very personal topic - exploring my family's roots and Chinese culture in the Auckland context. It is so exposing and you need determination to get through putting things that is happening onto the public realm. Basically, you need balls of steel. Particularly if you get "constructive criticism".

I do invite you to comment on what I am doing and I'll try my best to make it palatable for a wider audience. By the end of the year, hopefully things will have gone swimmingly.

I've created a new label 'Thesis' to keep the thesis posts marked. They will be about creative things and hopefully in line with the rest of the blog. There is also the option to subscribe on the left hand bar (just enter your email address). More pretty pictures to come.