Annotating
Reading is only half the battle apparently. Apparently, I'm supposed to keep notes of the stuff that I have opinions on. Though I have been told I don't have an opinion because I'm no one so I can only back my opinions using other references (authors) whom I agree or disagree with. Needless to say, it's very confusing to be told you don't have an opinion, but the entire degree is based on your perception on the subject matter... so, isn't that technically my opinion? Or is it my non opinion, opinion.
In order to remember the mountain of words and know which ones are particularly useful to build on my opinion/no opinion stance, I guess the most useful thing to do is to annotate. Ya, I didn't even know this word until I was on the Evernote promo video telling me how important it is. I guess it is important? (See how this opinion/no opinion position is already making me less opinionated? I'm not sure if I like not having an opinion. Isn't that where Jiminy Cricket stands on your shoulder to tell you right from wrong? Right and wrong is an opinion isn't it?) Evernote did a pretty good job selling its tool to me. To be honest, I'm not sure what is the best platform to annotate on and since I have been suggested to use Evernote (not specifically only the promo video, other people also suggested it) I very clumsily gave it a go.
I'm not particularly technology savvy, nor do I particularly like Evernote. (THIS IS NOT AN AD). But since this is quite important for me to have a record of what has been written, I sucked it up and just took images of the page(s) in which I thought could be useful for me to have a record of. In a way, it also makes life easier as I have compiled a place of the pages and authors I'm using and reading. Because we all know that we SHOULDN'T let the bibliography grow to a point where we can't be on top of it ... but let's be honest, annotating and writing out the bibliography whilst reading, annotating and writing is a pain in the ass. I mean, I'm not planning on plagiarising, but sometimes, documenting the shit you've read is more work than actually f*cking reading.
Anyway, back to annotating. It's a very clumsy process I have currently - taking a picture of the page, importing it into Evernote, select the annotate format, highlight the sentences/paragraphs which correspond to my research, write out on the side why/how/who (on occasion to further research who the person is and how they could also help with the research), repeat, repeat, repeat until I've finished the book. Then onto the next book to start the process all over again.
BORING
In conclusion, this is a never ending activity until I finish the degree. I guess practice makes perfect... but what is the value of perfecting annotation?
Task: keep at it. Sooner or later the process will wear me down so much I won't think about it and just do it on autopilot. Which is bad... I don't want to be a robot. 🤖
Brene Brown says we need to be mindful and aware... actually, Brene Brown says in order to be creative, we need to be vulnerable, love ourselves whole heartedly and that we are our own toughest critic.
Task Task: be mindful and aware of my emotions whilst annotating. Love myself whole heartedly. Be my own toughest critic. Try to take a breathe and know that maybe, just maybe, things will be ok and life has a way of sorting itself out. If not, there's always Disneyland and Randy Pausch's Last Lecture.
