Doldrums!

I mostly find myself writing for this humdrum site during the most inconvenient times. And most of the time, the things that I write during these aforementioned times of day are rather humdrum in retrospect. Sometimes I'll begin to write something only to lose interest after the second sentence and close the window, never to reopen the untitled, unfinished post again.

A couple weeks ago, I realized that the dearth of writing that I've produced in the past semester may have contributed to my deteriorating oratory ability. (I've also found that I have trouble describing my architectural projects to others, but that's another story.) The infographic in my head describes the lack of literary consumption that resulted in a hiatus in writing which has cumulatively caused my deteriorating oral ability, all of which are by-products of being an architecture student.

The question I ask is: How can I improve my fluency and eloquence, especially when it comes to describing my projects? It seems as if I am only able to present fairly well with an iota of preparation and am unable to properly map out the course of the conversation I seek to ignite. When someone prompts me about what I'm doing, my mind immediately goes blank and I offer a blank stare and an "Uuuhhhhhhhh...." Classy, right?

I think the solution lies not in reading or writing more, but in planning ahead and asking the right questions. That brings me to point out that in order to ask the right questions, you must be prompted to do so by a evocative topic of conversation. That being said, expose yourself to interesting things! Explore sections of the bookstore that you typically scorn, try the "white girl drink" at Starbucks that you've successfully avoided, wear the neon pink shoes you really like that garners funny stares, and so on and so forth.

Keep your brains conditioned throughout the break. Go on information binges, catch up with the news! Continue asking questions, continue exploring. Don't hibernate for a month in bed with Netflix and a perpetually refilling bowl of popcorn (although that does sound fairly idyllic and is probably what I'll be doing). Be prepared to return to school with an explosive mind, not one stuck in the Doldrums.

I commend you if you've retained any bits of this, for I find that my eyes scan everything and peruse nothing.