What is The PhD Cafe?
The PhD Cafe was born from my interest in home cafe videos, which I’ve made since 2018. Though my videos have evolved since then, some sitting deep within the archives of old phones and a private Youtube channel, the story has somewhat stayed the same; creating cozy content centered around the calm that comes from making your favourite beverage.
What does this have to do with a PhD though? Well I suppose absolutely nothing. At first glance, making an iced coffee or a warm matcha has no direct correlation with doing a PhD, but for me, collapsing both worlds into each other, symbolised allowing myself to exist in one place at one time, sharing tips on how to survive a PhD with the background noise of ice cascading into a thick glass. This dichotomy, represents embracing the things that bring you joy, embracing the fact that we exist in multitudes and making space for them even during the tumultuous times such as during a PhD.
Why this, why now?
Some of you may have come here from my instagram, a visual diary of sorts filled with trending (and sometimes ASMR) sounds. Though I’ve been sharing my tips and building community there I’ve realised instagram may be a tad bit too restricting. In what sense? well, you might have a lot to say on a topic, a vast amount of ideas and angles you need to share to provide adequate context and just when you’re delving deep, fingers sliding between the keyboard….. You’ve reached the word limit.
I didn’t want to constantly feel the need to shrink and downsize incredibly important topics into bite sized bits, that though have a place in their own right, cannot always capture the complexity of the topic nor the space to candidly share all (most?) of my thoughts. So here we are, Substack, a platform I discovered through my comfort Youtuber (Since 2020!)
. Substack seemed like a place where I hope to share my thoughts, tips and perhaps home cafe musings as I navigate the final year of my PhD, explore my identity as a writer and poet and muse about the prospects of opening up an actual cafe sometime soon (?!)What is this community? do I need to be a PhD student to join?
Not at all!, whilst PhD is in the name, I am trying to cultivate a space full of thinkers, doers and dreamers. A space where I can provide practical tips about navigating through academia, but also talking about other thoughts that might crop up too. Whether that be about crafting the perfect home cafe on a budget, overcoming writer’s block etc.
You do not need to have a singular, well defined, fit in a box identity to be here. The only non-negotiable is kindness, openness and the willingness to see past oneself in times that need compassion.
Frequency of posts
Since this is my very first Substack (and first post, yay!) I’ll be keeping things free cost wise for the time being. It’ll be my aim to post once a month, BUT I know this can change over the course of my own thesis writing journey, meaning some months might fluctuate. If this happens, I am grateful in advance for your patience, and if you really really miss my words, you can always find me at instagram where I’ll most likely still be sharing a reel or two during the busier times.
Subscribe!
If this sounds like your vibe then consider subscribing! I’ll see you in my next post, hopefully very soon.
Ideas fo another post?
Have something you’d like to see then please leave me a comment, I’d love to hear your ideas!