Hey everyone - Adam here.
Cheers to Lifelong Learning.
Up above is the the closing message I adopted for the newsletter I created in a time of soul-searching.. The Freelance Graduate Student is the title of the newsletter where I have written 100+ articles exploring the ideas that inspire me most in my self-education.
After deciding to not go to Graduate School for a MA program in Cyberpsychology that I was accepted into back in Spring 2020… I recognized that a direction for my self-education was needed, and it required an outlet for sharing my work. With this newsletter, I developed a committed practice to publish on a weekly basis sharing what I found fascinating in my everyday learning and building community both online and offline surrounding these topics.
Who am I? I’m Adam Bartley, a Detroit-based 27 year old, who has an immense passion for psychology, music and most importantly self-education. I’m currently striving for something I call a Self-Proclaimed PhD in Lifelong Learning. The Journey to 1,000 is the goal I have in reading 1,000 books. Once I read these 1,000 books, I plan on rewarding myself with a diploma for my Self-Proclaimed PhD. Why not inspire others to do the same? Why read so much?
Up until I was 21 years old, I had struggled immensely with finding a genuine passion in my studies. I went away to school and proceeded to study Business Administration, and did so because I felt it was a realistic choice. However, I began to ponder questions such as what do I really want to spend my life doing? Why don’t I enjoy what I’m learning about in school? What were good habits that I could learn to find more happiness in my life?
As a result of the questions I had been asking, I decided to read my first self-assigned book, so that it could shed light on the route I wanted to take in my future. The first self-assigned book was “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. The key concept from this book as the title suggests was flow. When you experience flow, you typically are so immersed into this moment that you experience deep enjoyment. The more flow you experience, the more joy you discover in the present moment and in life in general.
Reading this book ignited a passion in creating flow-like experiences in my life. I wanted to uncover more avenues in which I could initiate such moments of flow. I decided the next rational step was to get a library card from the Mount Pleasant Public Library, and immediately checked out 2-3 books afterwards. Why not find flow in reading? This began my journey to 1,000 books, beginning my passion and unwavering interest in psychology.
The best part about reading is applying the lessons you learn along the way. I fell in love with writing a daily page in a journal, as suddenly I had more to think and talk about from reading so voraciously, requiring an outlet for reflection. I began to meditate daily using the Calm app, reaching upwards of 2,000 sessions in meditation total. I began to learn how to play the piano as well as produce electronic music utilizing the amazing tutorials online. I learned to take action towards the dreams I was manifesting in my writing, and creating the present reality I had really wanted.
I got my act together and graduated from Central Michigan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in Spring 2019, after switching majors with 3 semesters remaining. Scoring the best grades I had ever gotten in my academic career in a major I loved. Just to think I was considering dropping out of college.. At this point, I felt confident and ready for whatever life was to bring me. Little did I realize, the world was about to dramatically change upon the influx of COVID-19.
I was flung into a reality in March 2020 (not even a year out of graduation) just as everyone else who lived through that time could have never anticipated. I grappled to find meaning in whatever form I could in a time of much societal and personal confusion. Terms like metaverse, DAOs, virtual reality, cryptocurrencies, and NFTs (non-fungible tokens) began to be increasingly on the radar. This led to a unique experience of finding employment in crypto with a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) called Friends With Benefits, working as an Archivist.
There I was immersed into what felt like a practicum for a field I had intended to study on a graduate level with Cyberpsychology, as I was able to observe the wildly growing world of digital identity, personal brands as well as working with folks who were online 24/7. The crypto markets changed in such rapid timeframes leading to a psychological rollercoaster for all participants. Ecstatic moments of bliss as the “bull market” ensued, while deep moments of regret occurred in the times of the “bear market”. Group sentiment shifted with the times, leading to a digital exhaustion on my end. As well as me pondering what the psychological impact was collectively..
In the midst of my job in the “metaverse”, I formulated my “Health Insurance” devoted to the enriching daily practices of reading, writing, exercise, meditation, manifestation and creation. Shedding light on the path in which I was forging for the long-term.. this self-educational voyage.. the goal of reading 1,000 books and creating a philosophy based on this research.
My creative practice musically had led me to a point where I was able to create my own digital identity as BARTYDARTY. BARTYDARTY, a Producer/DJ who was eager and ready to tour when the opportunity presented itself, after releasing a debut album. COVID cases began to lessen, a vaccine was created, alas there was room for in-person interactions once again. This led to touring for the first time as a musician, playing shows in Denver, New York City, California, as well as playing locally as a resident DJ in Downtown Detroit and even hosting shows.
In this quest I began to feel myself more glued to the internet.. Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Discord, you name it. I felt my mental health gradually decreasing, in the pursuit of being an “influencer”. I couldn’t be the only one struggling - could I? I ended up getting laid off due to the crypto market crashing and I was ready to immerse myself back into reality. In October 2022, I began teaching again, after previously having to cut my time short due to COVID in March 2020.
I was ready for change. I was ready for IRL (in real life) EXPOSURE THERAPY.. I noticed a shifting period in my life. I could tell a change was underfoot within me. I was soon to become an uncle. I was placed before a different classroom with different kids everyday and learned the value of children learning from adults by who you are as a person, rather than by what you necessarily say. I became ready to take responsibility in my community, rather than doing so solely in the metaverse. I felt myself maturing and thinking more long-term.
I spent 2022-2023 working more and more in educational environments and began to inquire more upon my future academically speaking. Was being a freelance graduate student sustainable? Would reading these 1,000 books - really create the reality I want? Was it time I reconsider graduate school? The answer to all of these is YES.
This was around the time I began to read two thinkers quite closely. Psychoanalysts Carl Jung, and Viktor Frankl. Pouring over book after book by these two pioneers in Psychology, followed by standing before a classroom of kids daily led me to the realization that the pursuit of practicing as a psychologist was the route I wanted to take. I want to help others find meaning!
This then led me to creating my Psychology Reading Challenge which I intend to complete before the end of this summer. I had begun to list the universities in which I wanted to apply for, as specifically Clinical Psychology programs felt most fitting. I admire the future in which I can work with students as a professor, but also the chance to work 1:1 with individuals, as a clinical psychologist. Applying for a PhD in Clinical Psychology feels right for this time and place in my life. I’m ready to make the intellectual, as well as career commitment to a field which continually interests and inspires me. I’m ready for the lifelong pursuit.
Given my experience working in the “metaverse”, as well as being a former video game “addict” as a child, I feel I have a unique understanding of the tides in which we are up against in terms of decreasing mental health.. due to increasing digital technological presence in just about every activity. However, I find optimism and hope in humanity amidst the challenges and opportunities brought about by digital technologies. I believe a focus on finding meaning and taking responsibility in real life over the internet is the best foot forward.
My time outside of university is something that reminds me of the term: comprehensive designer. A comprehensive designer is viewed as “someone who stands outside the halls of industry and science, processing the information they produced, observing the technologies they developed, and translating both into tools for human happiness.”
A career in Clinical Psychology with a focus on individuals who largely struggle with addictive-like tendencies with digital technologies feels like a promising career course for me to take.
What do you think?
Cheers to lifelong learning.