This reflexive essay explores metaphors as conceptual tools in pursuing a doctorate. We ask, how can incorporating student-generated metaphors in student self-reflection and supervision language lead to more manageable and enjoyable doctoral work? It is argued in the essay that the use of research area-specific student-generated metaphors in supervision communication can contribute towards cultivating a more inclusive and supportive supervisor–supervisee relationship and promote the doctorate as a process of learning to reflect self-critically. Through an autoethnographic case study on the use of maritime metaphors in supervision communication, we highlight doctoral supervision as a collaborative activity where the adoption and development of research area-specific student-generated metaphors support the intensification of the importance of one’s research project and a sense of situatedness in and belonging to a research community. This essay hopes to encourage metaphor use in doctoral training to foster a supervision culture that nurtures academic softness, ease of communication, and student well-being.