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Advice

The longer it goes, the worst it’s gonna get. Be okay with what you can do to complete it. Don’t worry about perfect. Get done with moving it. Just keep swimming, so don’t experience inertia, just stay in the zone, till you can complete. Take it easy before the quarter begins. Work at a slower pace eg. researching and not writing. Work and not work at the same time. — Kagan Marks, 2 Sep 2022

Many times in life the question is not whether to do thing or another, but when to emphasize one aspect or another. Rest or train? Research or write? Diversify or concentrate? Opposite answers can both be right. The question is which one is the right answer for right now.

Desmond: This past week, I’m primarily working on the script and storyboard, and I was able to do small research for the visual project and the research component, but not much writing was done. I do find some resistance trying to write because I have more momentum with the visual project. What are your thoughts?

Kagan: my advice is, within reason, just kinda go with the flow. If one week you’re feeling the visual project more than the written, do that, and vice versa. It won’t help on either front to spend time worrying, you know? I definitely let the sort of “priority paralysis” get to me every so often and it just kills momentum and wastes time.

Desmond: Hey John, so I wasn’t able to produce an update last week because I was not getting enough output that I wanted… Here is my progress report for last week because I needed more time to work.

John: Haha, that’s life.

In my first thesis studio class, I was overwhelmed with so much to read and felt I didn't have enough time to get everything done. I focused on quantity rather than quality, which wasn't ideal. I should read as much as I can, but also learn to produce quality research each week. At the start, I should have focused on one component of my thesis: realism, factuality, infographics and information design, or persuasion. Then, I could have produced close readings for review each week. This would have been the most certain way to succeed. — Desmond Du, 2023