iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 09/07/2026

Yeah! Photo above from warmups 20 minutes before tipoff. It was a full crowd (during quarters).

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 09/07/2026

Tempo lost today but the game was fun!

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 29/06/2026

Canada Day came early! I was at the fan fest in Toronto all afternoon ⚽🇨🇦

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 17/06/2026

Nathan Phillips Square looked good today. Lots of disappointed fans (Iraq) there, and earlier at Sanka Square too, where the Senegal fans were gathered.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 15/06/2026

Great to see Aysanabee too. And surprise appearance in between by Mayor Olivia Chow, to hype the festival.

View of a rock band on an outdoor stage during a cloudy but still light evening. A video screen behind the musicians reads AYSANABEE.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 15/06/2026

Rashmeet Kaur was hopping tonight at Harbourfront! #LuminatoFestival

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 13/06/2026

You too can get in on the excitement by buying a new PRESTO card 😁⚽

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 13/06/2026

You can't really tell but that's Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen from the recent Artemis II mission to the far side of the moon warming up with Ace prior to throwing the first pitch 🚀🌑. Great game tonight!! #BlueJays

Looking down to the field from the cheap seats where a man in a blue jumpsuit is throwing a ball to the Blue Jays mascot

Looking up past the top most stadium seats toward the CN Tower on a sunny evening with a clear blue sky in the background. Stadium lights also feature.

A view from the cheap seats of the main scoreboard below the open roof of the dome. The screen is showing Ace (Blue Jays mascot, Jeremy Hansen, and starting pitcher Trey Yesavage).

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 06/06/2026

And I did get the hat (giveaway)

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 06/06/2026

Great seat for Pride Night at the Blue Jays game last night, though very rude of them to lose (quite a trouncing, ugh). Good vibes, though!

Viewing the CN Tower rising up from the open dome, that is, the retractable roof of the baseball stadium. Mostly employ seats, cloudy skies, other downtown skyscrapers in the shot.

Looking down from the nosebleed section above home plate to watch on-field reporter Hazel Mae working on the field. Camera crew and field crew doing their things. A few players are warming up in the outfield.

Outfield with a large Pride version of the Blue Jays flag being held up by dozens of 2SLGBTQIA+ org reps, and the Toronto Gay Men's Choir behind them, preparing to sing the anthems. Around the bases, ground crews continue their work prepping the field of play.

Later in the evening, with the dome closed, a moment with the light turns low and colourful spotlights and graphics on the scoreboard give a party vibe. Looks like I applied a purple sepia filter to this photo but I didn't.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 01/06/2026

This is nobody's preferred look but better this than invite in things you don't want in you. Especially because I'm at a medical appointment and not trying to impress anyone with my face.

Selfie. I'm wearing a white face mask - 3M is written in the surface - and an olive green jacket over a graphic tee.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 21/05/2026

Yes, I'm still obsessed and no, I'm not embarrassed about it. #HeatedRivalry

Selfie showing my face and the back of the shirt I'm wearing - visible in the mirror behind me. Text on black t-shirt back is in yellow all caps ROZANOV and a large 81 underneath. You can't make out the front of the shirt in this photo but you can see the top of some yellow lettering, indicating there's a bigger design.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 22/04/2026

Joe Fuda was on set photographer (I noticed in the credits) and he captured me back then too.

A group of people, a few of whom are in robot costumes. I'm on the right with my face fully visible. This was at a Peter Project show at a Toronto gallery.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 22/04/2026

I saw Mile End Kicks last night and that was a throwback for sure! I was not in that particular scene (Pitchfork type music critic, lusting after band guys) but the opening scene was exactly what I was doing for many Sundays, though the bands were usually less popular and the crowds much sparser.

Captured in conversation with Wavelength programmer Doc Pickles. Photo by Andres Hannah-Suarez. Doc is a white man with dark curly hair wearing a dark jacket and I'm wearing a blue t-shirt and have brown hair and glasses. Were looking to the right at something not pictured and hus arm is extended.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 28/03/2026

Retail therapy worked out. Love this colour. 💜

Selfie. I'm wearing a mauve crew-neck sweater, big brown glasses, and have my hair up. Behind me is a beige throw, gold painted wall, and framed photographs. I'm smiling slightly

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 22/03/2026

Saw some folks doing a 90s thing. Here's my yearbook photo from my last year of high school. (Private school, thus the outfit.) I haven't worn contacts in many years and haven't had short hair since early COVID.

Black & white candid portrait of a young me with short hair. I'm smiling but my mouth is closed. I'm wearing a buttoned up collared shirt with a tie and blazer. My name is written in text below the image.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 22/03/2026

I have managed to keep this plant alive through a pot change after bringing it home from a neighbour in the summer.

Tropical plant with green fronds only at the top of a long trunk/stem. There's a small group of smaller leaves at the base. Terracotta pot on a kitchen counter. The plant extends up toward the middle of the cabinet doors above the counter.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 21/03/2026

Pothos cuttings (with roots that sprouted and grew in water for a few weeks) now in soil. I hope this works! I'm new at this.

Terracotta pot with pothos plant - the four cuttings are now in soil. The pot is on the edge of my white desk.

Plant cuttings with brown roots in jars of water.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 15/03/2026

Finally got around to buying these! Spring reading. Self-employment, in whole, in part, or as a temporary measure, isn't going away, and, as I learned from @katiepryal.bsky.social's book (The Freelance Academic, rev ed out now), the self-employed mindset can only help you survive academia too.

Two trade paperback books on a wood table, Hustles for Humanists: Build a Business with Purpose by Erica Machulak, and The Entrepreneurial Scholar: A New Mindset for Success in Academia and Beyond by Ilana M. Horowitz.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 14/03/2026

New phone. This one's going to last 7 years 🤞🏻

Open cardboard box with four individually boxed items from Google: a pink cellphone, pink Pixel Buds 2a, 45w adapter, and a Google Pixel case.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 03/02/2026

Doesn't look great but it tastes good!

Chocolate loaf cake in a parchment sling. Colour is dark brown and the top is cracked in multiple places (what you want).

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 21/01/2026

This form should be on the page (just opened link on my phone to take this screenshot)

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 19/12/2025

Lol but fair. I've bought a lot of #TooGoodToGo surprise bags this year.

Screenshot of a email with the two good to go icon at the top and a graphic with the text 100 Meals Saved underneath it. The text of the email has the headline "you're a super user!" Text underneath reads, "This year, you're in the top 0.5% of users in Canada! By picking up 100+ Surprise Bags on the Too Good to Go app in 2025, you've found yourself in a league few others have accessed. What a milestone! Your impact is significant, both in your community and on the environment. Thank you!"

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 06/12/2025

Got myself a pack of tests and turns out I feel shitty because I've got COVID.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 06/10/2025

This is the person, and the party, I'm supposed to vote for again and again to avoid a worse outcome? When the Liberals lose the next federal election, it will be 100% their own fault, and not that of the folks who decline to support such a craven, bigoted party.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 05/10/2025

Finished (re)hanging my art today! Wall colour is Golden Fleece by Sherwin-Williams.

A cozy living room with a gold-coloured wall featuring a neatly arranged gallery of fourteen framed photos in light wood frames above a light blue gray sofa. The sofa is decorated with large throw pillows in sage green, burnt orange, and mustard yellow. A round light wood coffee table sits on a geometric woven rug in cream, rust, and muted pink tones. On the table are a small brown vase with pink flowers and a woven basket. To the right of the sofa is a yellow ottoman with a colorful crocheted blanket, and to the left, a wooden side table with a rattan basket and a lamp with a white shade. There's another lamp on the opposite side of the sofa, on another wood different side table - right and left arrangements don't match but are visually similar. A tall dracaena plant stands in the back corner, and a rattan chair with a sheepskin throw is partly visible in the foreground. The overall atmosphere is warm, colorful, and inviting.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 29/09/2025

Gallery wall project is underway! This time I decided to raise the whole thing a few inches - not ideal visually but better for not hitting them inadvertently. Also decided to space them out more than before. Think it'll turn out okay. Hope so!

Gallery wall in progress above a sofa. Eight frames are already hung, each featuring photographs. Six more smaller frames, three on each side, are planned, as indicated by white paper cutouts on the wall. The arrangement is symmetrical.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 23/09/2025

I love my chindi! It isn't a kitchen rug per se but works for me.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 23/09/2025

And the evening view. Featuring Star Trek on TV 🖖🏻

A cosy living room setup with a vibrant gold wall that goes well with a yellow armchair and footstool, rattan footstool and table lamp, wood tables and table lamp, colourful wool rug, and a light blue sofa with yellow, green, and red pillows. There's a blue afgan and blue louvered door in the shot, as well as plants, a cotton throw, TV set on a stand and other decor items.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 22/09/2025

I finished painting the living area walls! Art has to go back up, but that will be a project for another week. Don't mind the unfinished blue door - that's next. My apartment is a lot more colourful than it was at the start of this year.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 21/09/2025

So when I primed two weeks ago, the old plaster failed ("blistered") and I had to cut it out in a couple spots and repair it. Plus do a lot of touchups otherwise to smooth out the edges of the "paint islands." My first time using joint compound, and I did my best! Finally primed again today.

Busted wall plaster with the concrete substrate underneath.

A white wall with visible repairs, ready for a coat of primer.

The wall, now primed once again and ready for paint!

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 16/09/2025

Updated my program to better organize all the workshop recordings - 21 of them now! These new "courses" - each containing 3+ workshop recordings - should help folks find what they need without wading through a list that confuses even me.

Screenshot of the Thinkific dashboard for the PhD Career Clarity Program on the From PhD to Life site. The "My Courses" section displays six course tiles: Transitions & Resilience, Applications & Job Search Essentials, Networking & Visibility, Skills & Storytelling, Reflection & Mindset, and Member Resource Library. Each tile has a bold background color or image, with a yellow "Start Course" button. The sidebar menu on the left lists navigation options including PhD Career Clarity, Group Coaching / Q&As, Email Course (bonus), Community, Co-Working Sessions, Workshop Recordings, and My Account.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 09/09/2025

Did a photoshoot (!!) today, will explain later, but here's the look, selfie version.

Selfie-style portrait of white woman with brown glasses and long brown hair wearing a tan blouse. There's a lapel mic on my collar.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 08/09/2025

Got most of the paint off (wasn't trying to strip it completely, just remove the stuff that wasn't adhering well). And I've now done a coat of primer. A couple problem areas emerged, which I gather isn't unusual in these situations. I'll fix those and do a second coat of primer tmrw hopefully. Bah.

A white (primed) wall, with green tape marking the ceiling edge and a paint flakes on the parquet wood floor. Looking closely at the wall, you might be able to see paint "islands," that is, areas where old paint wasn't removed. Most of the wall (the "ocean") was bare surface.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 06/09/2025

I had hoped to paint this weekend but instead I'm dealing with a major old paint adhesion issue. Most of this wall is going to end up being bare plaster before I can do anything else. RIP gallery wall (you will be resurrected eventually). Concrete wall under the plaster so I used adhesive hooks.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 06/09/2025

Saw this yesterday (digitally erased the license plate)

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 06/09/2025

Ugh. I just wanted to fix one area but then it keeps going and... accepting advice. At very least I will prime over the bare surface before doing anything else!

Large area of bare wall where layers of paint have easily peeled off. In one corner there's a pink spackle repair in place, but the rest of the area is much larger and on the left and bottom of the area it's apparent that additional paint isn't adhering to the subsurface anymore either.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 02/09/2025

I decided that the lighter one (Dakota Wheat) is just not my vibe, but added an even darker one to the mix. Now I have these two for you, Golden Fleece (that's the darker one from last night) and Vintage Gold. First photo shows the bold colours I have nearby already; second is wall to be changed.

A corner wall painted in two colors—burgundy on the left side and teal on the right—has three paint sample cards taped vertically on the teal section. The samples are labeled “Vintage Gold,” “Golden Fleece,” and “Dakota Wheat,” each mounted on white paper with handwritten notes. Behind the wall is a bookshelf filled with books, framed diplomas, and a vase with bright purple flowers.

Close-up of two paint color samples mounted on white paper and taped to a beige wall. The left sample is labeled “Vintage Gold” (Sherwin-Williams SW 9024), and the right sample is labeled “Golden Fleece” (Sherwin-Williams SW 6388). Handwritten titles are above each swatch.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 02/09/2025

Yes! Same darker colour on this wall in daytime (don't mind blue doors in progress hahah)

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 02/09/2025

Thank you! Here's the daytime version of the darker colour 😁

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 02/09/2025

Do you like the darker or lighter tan/gold wall paint option? (I know I'm not showing you enough to judge whether these colours work beyond this specific area; I'm just curious about what you think between these two.)

Two golden or tan mid-tone paint swatches taped on white cards on a light yellow wall, to test out the colours before buying paint. Framed photos are above them, part of a gallery wall with (fake) oak wood frames.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 01/09/2025

My Sunday project was painting over the awful yellow paint with much more pleasant light mauve! On the wall above the small backsplash. (You can see the original glossy light yellow on the wall above the cabinets & ceiling - the whole room was the same colour, including doors, trim, baseboards.

Wider view of a small kitchen with white cabinets, a white stove, and a countertop holding cutting boards, utensils, a pepper grinder, and a mug. A kettle sits on the stovetop, and a striped dish towel hangs from the oven door. The freshly painted lavender-grey wall is visible beneath the upper cabinets, contrasting with the white cabinetry.

Close-up of a kitchen counter corner with three stacked wooden cutting boards leaning against the wall. In front, there’s a mug of coffee, a marble mortar and pestle, a container holding cooking utensils, and a tall pepper grinder beside the stove. The wall beneath the upper cabinets has been freshly painted a soft lavender-grey.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 30/08/2025

Hmm! Painted the right wall a new colour ($10 sample size) and I now think it needs to be darker! It is better than the original, though.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 28/08/2025

This is the workshop I facilitated today for folks in my program! Also invited program alum; it was nice to have a few of them there too. Folks left the session feeling better about incorporating networking (broadly defined, meaningful interactions) into their job search and careers more generally.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 25/08/2025

VIA Rail doesn't care that their CO2 levels continue to vastly exceed indoor air quality recommendations for non-industrial settings.

Temtop CO2 monitor with 3123ppm on the display. There's a Blue Jays cap on the tray table too.

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 15/08/2025

View isn't terrible, at least

Canadian Pacific train in a bright red colour

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 14/08/2025

I want to like the train but it's not a safe environment, air-wise. It makes me so angry. This is unacceptable! I'm on a *brand new train car*. And an older person near me is completely going up a lung, unmasked (obviously). I'm disgusted and disappointed. *screams*

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Jennifer Polk @fromphdtolife.com · 12/08/2025

Cute eh? Well, I think so 😁

Yellow armchair and footstool with a small dark wood drink table, cream cushion and multicoloured quilted blanket. There's framed art above the chair and an open louvered door painted bright blue with a round red pull in the background.

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