Why Did I Study Botany?
Recently a couple of people attending my writing groups have asked me why I studied Botany, and how does it fit with being a creative writing tutor?
When I started thinking about what I wanted to study, I had a tricky choice. I could just as easily (possibly more easily to be honest) have studied languages at a higher level, or English Literature, but I chose Chemistry, Biology and Maths. I had the feeling that if I studied languages or literature, I would lose touch with my interest in sciences (this was back in the day before popular science books made a decent level of scientific knowledge more widely available). On the other hand, I knew I would be able to maintain my interests in languages and literature while studying sciences. So I did the science exams in my last year at school. Being a keen naturalist already, and wanting to avoid disecting animals, Botany was a natural choice so that’s what I studied at Edinburgh University. Being a Scottish university, this offered a wider range of options than most English universities did at the time. So along with Botany, I studied Biochemistry, Ecology and the History and Philosphy of Science. I kept up my interest in literature by reading (I may not be able to analyse texts with the confidence of an English Literature graduate, but I can enjoy reading and share that enjoyment with others). I’ve kept up my languages by travelling, doing evening classes and reading. I’m currently trying to learn Scottish Gaelic, for which I find BBC Alba (the Gaelic language channel) very helpful, particularly their Speak Gaelic programme. I wrote my first poem when I was about nine and have had many poems and short stories published.
I don’t like to pigeon-hole myself, and a PhD never appealed (despite my interest in science, I was never really a natural in the science lab so would have struggled with a lab based PhD). I taught Biology, Chemistry and Physics in Malawi for two years (with Voluntary Service Overseas). Since returning to the UK, I’ve had a variety of jobs, the most interesting being my current work in wildlife surveying and tutoring adult education courses (focussing on creative writing, but also nature walks and, very occasionally, jewellery making). I’m also a great believer in volunteering and regularly volunteer with the Water of Leith Trust and other conservation organisations.
I think really, anyone from any background can be a writer, whether you studied engineering or English Literature, or whether you left school at 16, it’s your ideas that matter most. The most important qualities in a creative writing tutor at the level I tutor at (Beginners Classes and General Writing Groups) include the ability to encourage people and to offer inspiring prompts, and being a published writer gives a degree of credibility.
Meanwhile, Richard Gregson over at Whilst Out Walking, today gives us an excellent introduction to Botany with more to follow over the next few weeks!
What I’m Reading
The Art of Activism by Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert, a practical guide to using the arts in social activism.
Thanks for this, Juliet. So glad you decided to study botany. Your commitment to the environment comes across strongly in your posts, which are always both informative and a pleasure to read. I agree that, no matter what one’s background is, there’s a story waiting to be told. I was having work published two decades before graduating with an honours degree in European Humanities. My postgraduate study in Information Science was a wrong turn, and my PhD proposal was abandoned when I opted for early retirement. I would encourage anyone to continue expressing themselves no matter what, in whichever medium suits.