If you're a parent, you've probably watched more Bluey than you ever expected. And we all know that it’s full of life lessons. But what surprised me is that some of the most meaningful lessons and advice I've learned about writing, research, rejection, and academic life have come from…a cartoon dog.

In this episode of Crayons in My Manuscript, I share six unexpected lessons from Bluey that have shaped the way I think about scholarship, productivity, and what it means to live well as a writer and researcher.

We'll talk about:

📚 Why your work should never become more important than your life (Rug Island)

🔍 How curiosity is one of the most important research skills we can cultivate (Calypso)

🤝 Why writing and research are team sports (Seesaw)

⏳ The importance of boundaries, rest, and asking for what you need (Sheepdog)

🍃 How to navigate manuscript rejections, failed applications, and academic disappointment (Stickbird)

✨ Why protecting your sense of wonder may be the most important scholarly habit of all (Born Yesterday)

Whether you're a doctoral student, faculty member, researcher, academic parent, or simply someone trying to sustain a writing practice amid the demands of life, I hope these reflections encourage you.

Because sometimes the things we're learning through parenting aren't distractions from scholarship—they're making us better scholars.

🎙️ Crayons in My Manuscript: Writing support for academics with full plates and even fuller hearts.

#AcademicWriting #ResearchLife #PhDLife #AcademicProductivity #Bluey #WritingMotivation #ScholarParent #GradSchool #FacultyLife #AcademicLife #WritingCommunity

What happens when your vocation outlives your job?

In this episode of Crayons in My Manuscript, I share a personal confession: I still live like a scholar, even though I don't currently hold an academic post.

After earning my PhD and turning down two visiting assistant professor positions during a season of major life changes, I've had to wrestle with questions of identity, vocation, scholarship, and belonging. What happens when you still think, research, write, and contribute like a scholar—but no longer have the institutional title, resources, or recognition that often come with it?

In this conversation, we'll talk about:

• The hidden challenges of life outside academia • Why losing institutional support can feel surprisingly personal • The difference between a job and a vocation • Reframing your identity when your career path changes • Continuing meaningful scholarship in the midst of real life

Whether you're between academic positions, pursuing scholarship independently, balancing research with parenting, or navigating a career transition, I hope this conversation reminds you that your calling is bigger than any title.

I'd love to hear from you in the comments: Have you ever carried an identity that the world didn't quite know what to do with?

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📚 Subscribe for more conversations about writing, scholarship, productivity, and building meaningful work within a full and beautiful life.

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Why is it so hard to start writing in summer, even though you finally have the time?

In this Summer Office Hours episode of Crayons in My Manuscript, I'm getting honest about a question that haunts graduate students, faculty, adjuncts, working professionals, and nontraditional scholars alike:

"Why can't I just start?!"

If you've ever stared at a blank document, avoided opening your dissertation chapter, delayed a conference paper, or spent an entire writing day doing everything except writing, this episode is for you.

We'll unpack the hidden reasons behind writing procrastination in summertime, including:

✏️ Changes in caregiving rhythms ✏️ Lack of structured time ✏️ Fears that emerge ✏️ Why struggling to start isn't always a discipline problem, but rather a case of the “should”s.

You'll also hear a personal reflection on my own writing procrastination and a simple reframe that has helped me begin projects when motivation is nowhere to be found.

Because sometimes writing doesn't start with what we think of as “writing.”

Rather, sometimes it starts with opening the document, annotating a source, drafting one terrible sentence, or simply admitting what's making the work feel difficult.

💬 I'd love to hear from you in the comments: What barriers do you face when you start writing?

🎙️ Crayons in My Manuscript is a writing productivity podcast for graduate students, faculty, first-generation scholars, military-connected academics, parents in higher education, and anyone trying to build a sustainable scholarly life.

If you're looking for practical writing advice, academic productivity strategies, dissertation support, and honest conversations about life in academia, subscribe and join us.

#AcademicWriting #WritingProductivity #GraduateSchool #DissertationWriting #AcademicLife #WritingTips #Procrastination #FacultyLife #PhDStudent #ResearchWriting #ScholarlyWriting #AcademicProductivity #HigherEducation #NontraditionalStudent #FirstGenerationScholar #CrayonsInMyManuscript