When I first started my PhD, one of my supervisors gave me some sage advice and used two pertinent metaphors.
It is a marathon (not a race).
It is a really vast cave and you only have a tiny torch to illuminate one small thing at a time.
Both of these metaphors are spot on.
What I am finding most interesting is that my current experience of navigating discomfort and trying to find a path forwards in uncertain terrain, feeling a kind of lostness and exploring ways to forge a path forwards is a direct parallel for my research.
Right now, the world is in flux and change is a constant. I am interested in approaches for how we can navigate change, how we can track the process of change, how we lead when facing the unknown and how arts approaches might provide useful methods for illuminating and navigating unknown terrain. Of course, there is a lot more to it - but this is the nuts and bolts of my research in lay terms. My topic combines arts, education and business leadership theories to explore ways that we might best grow future-ready skills for navigating change.
And on the side I have been exploring some interesting digital tools to see how I might also digitally map my own process of ‘revealing the terrain’.
As a snapshot in time, I’m sharing this timelapse Obsidian ‘graph view’ video of my research with each node representing a different article, dissertation or book loosely clustered around ‘navigation of the unknown’ with different theoretical and methodological lenses. It is a satisfying thing to press play on if you feel like progress has been stalled (if you have the stitch in the marathon and need to stop for a bit or if the torch has gone out in the tunnel and you feel like you are standing in complete black).
If you have been hesitant about trying Obsidian as a note-taking app, I recommend giving it a go - even if it is for the personal satisfaction/visual gratification of seeing the connections you are making over time. For research purposes, you can easily add key words and backlinks, colour code notes and add list plugins so that keywords and tags easily bring up lists of references for an additional navigation system alongside a spreadsheet or referencing tool (I am also using Zotero, Canva whiteboard and Padlet to track ‘all the thinking’).
So… this is what a couple of months’ research looks like in Obsidian - starting with blackness, making small bits familiar and slowly making connections. This also explains why I haven’t written very many blogs lately as I am in full ‘immersive mode’ deep in the cave: finding new tiny paths, illuminating new hazards and designing new ways of approaching leadership (and facilitation).
What metaphors have helped you navigate uncertainty? And if you use Obsidian (or another mapping or note-taking tool), what’s one trick that’s helped you map your progress?
My workshops sit outside my doctoral project, but they apply methods and ideas from my research and build on workshops I delivered before starting my PhD. I’m currently open to a limited number of workshop collaborations with schools and leadership teams in 2027. If you’d like to discuss fit and timing, you can get in touch with me via email: studio@katrinawardcreative.com