Retreat, Write, Repeat: Brandenburg Edition
For certain types of work, it is necessary to immerse yourself in it entirely and not think about anything else for a period of time – the writing process for a dissertation or habilitation is surely one of them. Every researcher knows the dilemma: everyday life is full of deadlines, emails, small and large tasks and distractions. It was precisely for this reason that twelve doctoral and postdoctoral students and associated doctoral candidates from the SFB set off on a few days of intensive work at the writing retreat at the “Coconat” in Klein Glien near Bad Belzig from April 22 to 25.
Coconat & Area
Coconat is an idyllic workation retreat in the countryside of Brandenburg and describes itself as a place for “concentrated work in nature”. The place is characterized by an old farm complex with a variety of facilities – such as table tennis, campfire site, yoga room or craft studio – and modern workspaces on the inside. In particular, however, you will find peace and quiet here and the opportunity to concentrate fully on your own tasks. It was fascinating to see what mental capacities are released when you are served healthy food three times a day – together with yoga and massage, a good combination to focus on your own writing projects with renewed clarity.
Structure & Flexibility
The program of our retreat was deliberately designed to be open in order to meet everyone’s needs. Breakfast together was followed by focused writing phases, sometimes together in the shared co-working space, sometimes alone in other places on the premises. During the day, there were opportunities for walks and fresh air as well as for silent work with noise-canceling headphones. In the evenings, we usually found time together for games, table tennis and campfires – but always to reflect together and wrap up the working day. The informal exchange was particularly valuable here alongside the successful writing projects. There was plenty of time for topics that would otherwise quickly get lost: How do you structure the chapter on the state of research? What to do in case of blockages? Our retreat offered the opportunity for joint discussion, reflection and encouragement.
More Clarity & More Pages
We came back with more written pages, completed chapters and a lot of new motivation. We took the opportunity to get away from the daily routine for a few days and take time for our own projects. We can only advise everyone to accept and organize such opportunities and want to thank the CRC for making this possible.
Author Biography: Sophie Krone is an associate member of the CRC 1265. With a background in sociology and urban development, she is currently working at the Carl-von-Ossietzky University of Oldenburg in the ClimateLab OPEN_CULTURES on imaginaries and materialities of the urban in transdisciplinary projects of sustainable urban development. Her research focuses on praxeology, urban and architectural sociology as well as feminist and qualitative methods, in particular ethnography, visual methods and mappings.