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Stop me if I’ve asked this before. What’s a good ratio between media consumption and production?

I guess there’s a lot of nuance here:

  • Am I consuming media to relax, or as research for a future endeavor?
  • Are creative people ever relaxing?
  • Do we consciously suck up information and ideas for future projects, or is all data captured and stored for later use by our subconscious mind?
  • Is it possible to consume media that’s “bad” for creativity? Is there an “uncreative” or “anti-creative” media consumption?

I ask myself these questions a lot. I play video games and watch anime. Both mediums have influenced my writing to a degree, but it’s not like I set out to enjoy them as creative pursuits–with the exception of Tropico 5 on my PS4. I view that game as a simulator of project management and international diplomacy that will certainly inform future works of mine.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve eased off NaNoWriMo to enjoy much needed relaxation, reconnect with friends, and finish off some shows and games I never have time for. Even this blog has languished a bit when compared to my former weekly output. But the creativity engine is still roaring, believe me. It’s just in Sleep Mode for a bit.

P.S. I finished Fate Extra: Last Encore. Maybe I’ll do a future post on that. Interesting stuff.

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After finishing my short story for FIYAH Magazine, I admit that I’ve fallen into a slump. Writing’s a big investment of energy. I do it because I like to, and because I want to share my work. There’s no guarantee anyone will like what I’ve done. That’s depressing to think about, but its on my mind every time I’m typing, and it tempers some of what I write. For the next few projects I’ve been mulling through, I’m trying to ease the worries that come with writing by making outlines. Continue reading “Outlines: Why Bother?”

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One restless night, I logged into Netflix and began Fate/Extra Last Encore. I was so bemused by the show I thought I’d slept through important scenes, or assumed I’d dreamed up some of what I saw. Turns out I was awake: everyone dies in the first episode, which I thought I’d hallucinated, and in similar fashion to the rest of the franchise, dying was only the beginning of the adventure. Continue reading “Fate and Death and Rebirth”