Author: MAÔ

As of right now, there are plenty of good shows on television. Some might say too much.

But what really elevates a show from good to great is if enough planning has been put into it. If only one season has been planned out, it can only go so far in terms of character development and plot points. 

Not necessarily detrimental in the first season. However, if it’s renewed, the work on subsequent story arcs may suffer. If the showrunners didn’t have future seasons in mind, the show may never reach its full potential.

You do get the wonderful visuals of jumping the shark, but it won’t be as enjoyable to watch. Jumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment when something that was once great has now gone too far and is in decline. The phrase is often used to describe the moment when a television show has run out of new ideas and is resorting to desperate measures to stay popular, and it became the phrase when, in Happy Days, Henry Winkler’s Fonz jumped his motorcycle over a shark. 

But I digress.

Each show that has been on for a while has to balance its commercial appeal with its artistic integrity. It’s a delicate balance that often leads to a compromise of quality. This can be seen in shows that have been running for a long time, as the storylines become predictable and the characters become static. Oftentimes, the series strays from its original premise and gets lost in its own popularity.

A number of examples exist, and the final seasons of Lost, Game of Thrones, and The O.C. are among those cited (these being ones I’ve watched). Seemingly perfect, cultural-icon shows, suddenly lost their pacing in the final leg of the race. Careers have been destroyed for less.

So, even if the creativity behind tv shows has nothing to do with you, keep it in mind as your consuming you Netflix and Hulu. Streaming had changed things as well, but it does seem that we’re shifting back to the more episodic nature of television, rather than whole seasons dropping at once. 

There are a lot of lists on the internet. Some of these lists are helpful for organizing tasks or for providing information on a certain topic. Others are simply made for the purpose of entertainment. Regardless, these lists are often shared widely on social media. Some of the reasons for this are:

Lists are easy to make. You can identify a topic and find a few points to share about it.

They can be made visually appealing. It’s easy to separate with a few images on inforgraphs.

They are easy to read and understand. People often find them interesting or useful, or at least easily digestible.

They are easy to share. They tend to be shared widely because they can be quickly skimmed and understood without requiring a lot of time or effort.

But you should read them with a grain of salt. Not all the lists you find on the internet are accurate – some of them are just made up by people with too much time on their hands!

At the start of this year, I decided that I would devote myself to my creative endeavors. 

Have I done that? 

Well…

Thus far, I’ve consistently posted here every day. I have several bits of writing in varying states of completion, which I’m happy with. Though I’d prefer them to be completely completed. 

I’m planning to dedicate more time to these projects to bring them to completion. But more importantly, I’m looking to find more ways to embrace creativity. 

This has been, and continues to be, a useful forum for improving my writing, getting my opinions out, and committing to practice. But it’s not enough. 

As Adrien Brody’s character, Julien Cadazio, says in The French Dispatch: ” All artists sell their work. It’s what makes you an artist. Selling it.” 

So, maybe it’s time to create something to sell.

The stars have been used by sailors for centuries to navigate the oceans. They served as a reliable compass, helping to determine direction and location. This knowledge allowed sailors to explore the world and travel to previously uncharted lands.

Now, we use our phones. Everything has been made accessible, and all we have to do is click our destination. However, we are losing our connection to the stars, and to the mysteries of the night sky. This disconnection is a loss for us all, as it reminds us of our place in the world and the universe.

There’s something about looking up under a black night sky dotted with pinpoints that makes finding your place seem infinitely more exciting.

The first time I went on a ski trip (many years ago, and I took up a snowboard rather than skis), I was reading a book on internal medicine. It was by an Indonesian author, and he said that your core was what you needed to keep warm the most. 

I think about that often, especially now in these winter months. Most people wouldn’t think it’s particularly cold in LA, not compared to other places. But it’s cold enough. And this year has been unusually wintery.

So, just like in those colder climates, it’s imperative to keep your body warm. Layering your clothes is the best way to retain heat and stay warm. Wear a thin base layer, like a long-sleeved shirt, followed by a thicker, insulating layer like a sweater and a waterproof outer layer. Just like that look book of internal medicine suggested. 

I heard someone say recently that “you can’t ever really know anyone.” It’s true that we can never fully understand another person’s thoughts and feelings, but our relationships with others are based on trust and mutual understanding. 

We can strive to really get to know someone by listening and being present in the moment. Through communication and shared experiences, we develop strong, meaningful relationships.

On the other hand, some people prefer not to share everything about themselves and may feel more comfortable keeping some things to themselves. What’s inside remains inside. Sure, we believe that we understand a person. But the truth is, it’s a trust that we place in them. 

A sort of social compact. 

We may be confident in our assumptions of a person, but it’s only a guess. The truth is actually impossible to arrive at. 

Still, mostly, we believe in the best of those we care about. And I think we’re generally closer to the truth than we are from it.

I’ve said it before, many times, so maybe it’s old news now. But routines are critical. They give you a daily advantage, structuring your time so that you have less to think about. This allows you to use your brain power for other things.

Morning is one of the trickiest times, because it quite literally establishes the flow of your whole day. It’s important to have a routine in the morning that sets you up for success. For example, you could start your day with a light workout, followed by some quiet time for reflection and then a nutritious breakfast. Having a consistent morning routine can help you focus and be more productive throughout the day.

For me, it’s about thirty minutes of journaling while having my coffee, followed by a trip to the gym. I follow this routine most every day, even when I have to wake up at four in the morning. Which, let me tell you, I don’t particularly love. 

But I know it’s key for me to prioritize my health and well-being, so it’s worth it. After the gym, I’m energized and ready to tackle the day. Or, on the weekends, sink into the couch with more coffee and some cartoons.

Beyond those two elements, though, it’s a crap shoot. Make the bed, or do the cleaning. But the sun is up, and it’s a beautiful day in the City of Angels, so getting outside is nice too. All of these factors make it difficult to decide what to do first. However, with a little bit of planning, it’s possible to get the most important tasks done. Taking a few moments to prioritize tasks can help to make the most of each day.

This is certainly why scheduling and routine go hand in hand. 

Flow is sometimes described as a state of complete oneness with the activity you’re doing. But the more you think about it, the harder it can be to get into a flow state.

A good way to enter a flow state is to focus on the present moment and let go of any worries or distractions.

Take a few deep breaths to clear your mind, and then focus your attention on the task at hand. By doing this, it is possible to achieve a flow state.

For those who’ve visited a movie theater since the post-pandemic reopening, that phrase may be familiar. Nicole Kidman is now the unofficial spokeswoman of theater-going, appearing in an ad campaign that emphasizes the importance of the shared experience of seeing a movie in theaters. The campaign encourages viewers to “come to this place for magic” and to keep the tradition of going to the movies alive.

And, arguably, between her entreaties for AMC, and blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water, it seems to be working. Movie theater attendance in 2022 was up from the year before, with total earnings reaching around 7.37 billion US dollars.

This is a stark increase from the 2020 attendance numbers, which dropped to around 2.2 billion US dollars due to the pandemic. The success of these films is a major contributor to the rise in attendance, showing that moviegoers are still willing to come out to the theater despite the risks.

The experience of attending movies is still enough to feel magical, even in the age of streaming services. Movie theaters are still seen as a special event and a source of entertainment. The return of audiences is a testament to the power of the cinema.