I'm Ba-ack!

Hello all,

I'm back from Ireland and wow, does it feel weird.  I'm a little discombobulated, mostly because of jet-lag but also I'm experiencing withdrawal from my morning dose of porridge with honey cream.  Note to self: microwaveable oatmeal with honey does not equal porridge with honey cream.

The photo on the left is from the Aran Isle of Inis Mor (Inishmore) off the west coast of Ireland, and one of my new favorite places in the world.  I'll post more pictures once I've had a chance to sort through them all, but I thought I'd share this one because it's one of my favorites.

So, today I thought I'd address some more questions regarding DIY MFA.

Question: What sort of work will we need to do in September during the classes or is September the time to absorb information?  How much time should we allow each week for each class?

Answer:  I see September as being a time to absorb information and start putting together your DIY MFA plan.  After each blog post, I'll give one or two short assignments and people can either do them right away or come back to them later on as they build their DIY MFA.  For instance, when we talk about reading the literature, one assignment might be to assemble a reading list for yourself (we'll talk about what sorts of books should go into that list when we cover that topic in Love of Literature).  In Craftivity, for instance, an assignment might be to try out a technique covered that day in the post.  You get the idea.

Unlike classes in a standard MFA, those in DIY MFA are more about absorbing information and putting together a plan.  Then, when you're ready, you put the plan into action.  As I've mentioned before, the real work in DIY MFA happens after September.  iggi-U is just the preparation, after that, it's all up to you.

Question: Is there going to be a space for iggi-U grads to share their DIY MFAs as we put them together are then work through them?

Answer:  Funny you should ask.  I've been using the hashtag #diymfa on twitter when I post updates about iggi U, figuring it would make it easier for iggi U tweeps to find the info.  That could certainly be a space where people can share their DIY MFA experiences and get in touch with each other.  I was also thinking we could use #diymfa after September to do twitter chats and such so people can give updates on how they're doing, etc.  Sound good?

Thanks to Kerryn Angell for these great questions!