Not that kind of doctor, pt. 2

When someone lives with capital-D depression, sometimes the cliché that no news is good news doesn’t apply. I’m happy to say that in this case, my lack of blogging over the last few months has been indicative of good news on the mental health and wellness front.

So, what have I been up to? Back in April, I defended my dissertation and passed without revisions. Although I am now technically Dr. Sweigart, it still doesn’t quite feel real. Maybe it will when my thesis is discoverable in the online database, or the bound hard copy arrives, or I receive my diploma. However, that hasn’t stopped me from changing my LinkedIn and Twitter profiles to include PhD after my name. Last week, I published an article in strategy+business magazine that translated my work into practical terms for those who might benefit from my observations and conclusions but do not want to read all 357 pages. I’m proud of this work and of the positive feedback I’ve received so far.

Starting in May, I also took an eight-week creative writing class over Zoom with Ann Dowsett-Johnston. It was my first memoir course since my senior year at Rice, when I studied with Marsha Recknagel. I enjoyed it very much and will be taking the follow up seminar this fall (also over Zoom). As a result of the class, I am working on a book proposal. It is going slowly, but I am finding great satisfaction in the process. Very few books are published commercially compared to the number of aspiring authors so I have high hopes but low expectations. Regardless, I am loving the writing for its own sake.

Overall, I’m well and happy. And that’s good.