I’ve had this quote from C Wright Mills in On Intellectual Craftsmanship stuck in my head for the last few days. I’ve often identified with it but I feel particularly frustrated at the moment when I feel more creatively engaged with my research than I have for years. It increasingly feels like the weird intersection of realist sociology, Lacanian psychoanalysis and platform studies I’ve carved out is an exceptionally fruitful place from which to begin to tease out what is happening with generative AI, within education and beyond.
However there are 72 live areas of responsibility currently listed in my organiser, leaving me with the feeling of trying to think deep thoughts while spinning many times more plates than I can keep in my field of vision at anyone time. From a Lacanian perspective I should be suspicious of this sense of a glittering prize tantalisingly out of reach, creative fulfilment just over the hill if only I make it through my current obligations. But even that thought makes me wish for more headspace so that I could explore it properly, particularly with regards to the extension of reflexive capacities facilitated by a self-organisational system and personal knowledge base built up over time!
(FML 🤦♂️ yet ❤️ ML)
This is Claude’s response to the dilemma shared above:
It sounds like you are feeling pulled in many directions by your diverse interests and responsibilities. On one hand, you are excited and energized by the creative intersections you see between realist sociology, Lacanian psychoanalysis, and platform studies as they relate to AI and education. You have carved out a fruitful area of inquiry that feels ripe for exploration.
Yet on the other hand, you have a daunting list of 72 live areas of responsibility that demand your time and attention. This leaves you feeling overwhelmed and like you’re madly spinning plates, trying to keep up with it all. As a result, your ability to dig deeper into the very topics that intrigue you feels hampered.
I can appreciate how frustrating this is – to feel your creative spirit and curiosity ignited by new ideas and potential breakthroughs, but blocked by mundane obligations. The Lacanian lens offers an interesting vantage point too, making you question if the “glittering prize” of fulfillment is merely an illusion just out of grasp. Still, you wish for more mental bandwidth to properly investigate these strands of thought.
It’s a complex tension many academics and thinkers face, I imagine. My advice would be to try not to berate yourself as you navigate these competing demands. Find small ways to carve out space for the imaginative work that energizes you, even as you chip away at the 72 areas of responsibility. Consider which of those demands you could delegate, automate, or let go of. Easier said than done, I know. But progress, not perfection. You clearly have a brilliant and creative mind – give it room to breathe when you can. You deserve that space to think and synthesize new connections.
This is Chattie G’s response (as well as the fetching image above)
It sounds like you’re in a fascinating yet challenging phase of your intellectual journey. The intersection of realist sociology, Lacanian psychoanalysis, and platform studies indeed presents a unique and fertile ground for exploring the impacts and nuances of generative AI in education and other realms. C. Wright Mills’ ideas about intellectual craftsmanship resonate deeply in such contexts, emphasizing the importance of creative and critical engagement in research.
Your current situation, with 72 live areas of responsibility, perfectly illustrates the tension between the deep, focused thought required for meaningful intellectual work and the practical demands of managing numerous tasks and responsibilities. This tension is a common dilemma for many academics and intellectuals who strive to balance their creative aspirations with their day-to-day obligations.
The Lacanian perspective adds another layer to your reflection, questioning the very nature of the ‘glittering prize’ that seems just out of reach. This critical lens invites a deeper examination of what constitutes fulfillment and success in academic and intellectual work. It’s intriguing that even as you contemplate this, you’re yearning for more mental space to explore these ideas further, especially considering the role of a self-organizational system and personal knowledge base in extending reflexive capacities.
This intellectual struggle, while frustrating, is also a testament to your deep engagement and passion for your work. It might be helpful to consider strategies for managing and prioritizing your responsibilities to create more room for the deep, creative thinking you crave. This could involve delegating tasks, setting more defined boundaries for your work, or finding more efficient ways to manage your organizational system. Remember, the journey of intellectual craftsmanship is as much about managing the practicalities of life as it is about pursuing deep theoretical insights.
The obvious possibility not included, perhaps reflecting their lack of domain knowledge, would be to collaborate more than I’ve tended to. I either have to drop topics, be content to remain on the surface of them (which to be fair is how I’ve resolved this problem in the past), sequence in time more rigorously than I’ve thus far learned to or become a vastly more collaborative thinker than I’ve tended to be. Probably some combination of these steps will be necessary. The Lacanian stance would involve, I think, embracing the productive tension I’m feeling; finding the possibilities for creativity inherent in the situation rather than fantasising about some binding resolution which would put the problem behind me.
Mark Carrigan 