I was already due to fly back to Holland that day for some family celebrations over the weekend, so when Valiz extended an invited to come and talk about Thinking Back, Making Forward at the wonderful art bookshop San Seriffe in Amsterdam on 24 September, I did not have to deliberate long.
I ended up in conversation with Valiz’s Emily Rhodes and fellow book contributor Joost Grootens, a graphic designer. By way of a series of questions, we explored our various reasons for doing a PhD. We pondered on the process and how we navigated assumptions and expectations, while also expanding on what doing a PhD by / in relation to our respective practices hd offered us. And last, but not least, we navigated the thorny questions about the schism and / or relationship between practice and research. Afterwards I had a nice chat with some people in the audience – the space was packed – who had asked interesting questions, including one about ‘scientific’ rigour. A wonderful opportunity to revisit.
