The Grant Application as Mirror
I’ve been applying for more grants lately, and while I started the process for practical reasons (funding, visibility, deadlines) it’s ended up forcing something else: clarity.
There’s nothing like writing a project summary to make you realize how foggy your ideas are. What are you trying to say? Who is it for? Why now? Every question slices away the vague parts until only what truly matters can remain.
It’s uncomfortable work, the same way therapy is uncomfortable. You go in thinking you’re making a case for something external, but you end up confronting yourself instead.
I used to think grant applications were bureaucratic obstacles, and they certainly are to some extent. But I also see them as structured opportunities to articulate your vision out loud. The clearer you can describe it, the more real it becomes.
Even if I don’t get the funding, the process itself is valuable. It’s a mirror. It shows me where I’m still hiding behind abstractions, and where I finally sound like myself.