At the start of the final year of my PhD I had it all mapped out. My data collection was completed, I was progressing steadily with my coding, and I had figured out how all the different parts of my paper-based dissertation would eventually fit together.
All that was left was finishing the last stages of my analysis and writing the last chapters of my dissertation. And fortunately my plan seemed to work out. After the Christmas break, with most of my teaching commitments behind me for the year, I had planned a final push towards the end.
But then, the pandemic hit
As we all have experienced, this changed everything in our lives. All of a sudden, my office changed from the university to my home, where both my wife and myself had to work. Moreover, we had to combine working at home with full-time taking care of our son as access to daycare facilities was restricted. This meant a thorough balancing act.
We had to balance two full-time working schedules, with giving full-time attention to our son; we had to create an office space while preserving the home space; I had to combine my focus on the dissertation with family time. Fortunately, we found our rhythm and I managed to finish my dissertation on time.
This balancing act taught me valuable lessons
In a time of uncertainty, it inspired me to interesting reflections on the content of my dissertation as well. My dissertation, titled ‘Balancing the Creative Business Model’ focuses on the way in which creative organisations deal with managing the many different interests and obligations they are faced with at the same time.
Many creative organisations (such as those in the sector of architecture on which I mainly focused) are constantly in a situation of uncertainty and insecurity about their future. As such, they need to balance different interests to satisfy creative, economic, reputational, as well as broader social needs.
The last few months especially have made me even more aware of the value of being able to realign your perspective towards the things that are most important to you, and change your activities accordingly, in the light of unexpected changes in your environment.
“Such a skillset is invaluable for anyone in these uncertain times, and there is a lot to learn from highly value-driven creative organisations for whom such adjustments are a constant reality.”
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