Pick a question
You don't need all of them. You need one.
A tiny research project is four things: a question you care about, a way of noticing, a record, and an end date. It runs for a while, and then it stops. It does not have to be useful — it is better if it is not.
Filter by the kind of attention a question asks for, or by how long you want to give it. Open one to read it properly, then start it. If none of them is your question, write your own at the bottom.
Embodied Studies
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The First Sound
What does my city say first?
Every morning, log the first sound you hear before you open your eyes. A call, a bird, a scooter, a kettle.
30 days · voice notes and writing
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The Same Fruit, Daily
When exactly does a season peak?
Eat the same in-season fruit every day. Rate it out of ten. Say one word about why.
4 weeks · writing
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Ten Minutes on the Floor
Where does my body actually touch the ground?
Lie on the floor for ten minutes a day. Map the points of contact. They move.
30 days · voice notes and writing
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Sound Map, 6am and 10pm
What does my house sound like when nobody is performing?
Record or describe the sounds of your home at 6am and at 10pm. Same two moments, every day.
2 weeks · voice notes
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Wordless, Then Words
What is there before language gets there?
Do something with no words in it — swim, knead, dig, dance. Write for three minutes the moment you stop.
4 weeks · writing