Burnout, Respite and The Spice of Life

So, Click's Flick on a Stick has been up and operational for a whole year; and Clicksflix.com's been up for about six months. I just picked up my first new Texas Inspection sticker for Max, my Honda CRV: one of the reasons I'm writing this blog in the first place. In the past year, I've killed one of my credit cards and by this time next year the other will fall. The debt war will end in less than two years; hopefully the blog will keep up with the fight.


I've been absent from this page for quite some time, in fact I've not written for a little over a month. After Christmas, following my post on Corpse Bride, I reflected on the need to have the proper setting and physical conditions to be properly critical during a film watching. And, before that, to prepare purposefully for the effect that art has on the soul. This one is about endurance, the capacity of something to last or to withstand wear and tear. And so, in May, I decided to take a break in order to take a rest and run this race as a distance sport. This project is a marathon, not a sprint; therefore, I've got to pace myself.


Burnout is the reduction of a fuel or substance to nothing through use or combustion. It's also a physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress. This is something I've experienced before. Before the inception of the project, and before Max and I got together, I used to attend three movies a week, in the theater (both in the dollar theater and the prime theater,) becoming insensitive to the power of what I watched. At some point, a few summers ago, my interest in one my loves had dwindled and I felt numb. I actually said to one of my friends, "I'm not that interested in movies right now," a major shock to all!!


My advice, if you're like me at all: change it up. I'm a Netflix member. My queue is jam-packed with movies and television serials, like everyone else's. My parents have more content on their lists than I do on mine. They only get two discs at a time; I receive four, one from the movie list and three from the TV list. I do this to fend off burnout and to change it up, making my viewing less tedious. I also own several different TV shows, to fill the gaps between Netflix deliveries. "Variety is the spice of life," someone said and I agree full heartedly. If you are in danger of burnout: spice it up and shock yourself back into the game. Also, don't be afraid to rest: read a book, knit a scarf, build a house with Habitat for Humanity, learn an instrument. Just get out of your lab and unplug. There's a reason our bodies shut down every day, the critical mind is no different.


I'm starting up again next week...be seeing you!!


*****


Coming Soon: Sense and Sensibility