980 days. That’s how long it’s been since my last post on Wado Reviews.
Back in April 2020, I made the decision to stop doing reviews and I let this site disappear into a void.
When I first started the website, I loved what I was doing. The feedback was positive, the numbers were decent, and I found myself motivated and enjoying a new venture.
But, after over 130 different entries to the website, I burned myself out. I was putting myself under a lot of pressure to push out content, which meant I was rushing things, I wasn’t satisfied with the standard of writing and, most importantly, what was a hobby and something that was supposed to make me happy was quickly feeling like a chore and I was beginning to resent it.
So, I walked away, it wasn’t supposed to be for this long, but once I had left I consistently struggled to muster up the motivation to come back to it. Then, COVID-19 happened, and cinema more or less died for over a year. When things started to go back to normal, I was so eager to get back to other things such as my sports, that something like writing ended up at the back of the queue. The way I saw it, if I wasn’t fully motivated to return to it and do it to the best of my ability, then I wouldn’t come back.
So time continued to pass, but during 2022 I started to get the itch again, it wasn’t overwhelming, but it was there. Something that I had let sleep at the back of my mind was starting to push back, and it had become harder to ignore.
A few things happened this year in my personal life that has heightened the motivation, I need to focus on things that make me happy, and when I get the creative juices flowing, I’m in a good headspace. So, perhaps the return of these reviews is going to act like some kind of therapy for me.
Things will be different this time around, I will be more selective about what I post and when I post it. I am not going to put myself under pressure to churn out mountains of content, that’s what brought this website to an end last time. I want to focus on quality over quantity, and treat this as a hobby I can do in my spare time, so that’s what I’m going to do.
So, why now? Quite simply, because Avatar: The Way of Water comes out tomorrow, and I can’t think of a better film to use as the basis of the relaunch of Wado Reviews.
So, stay tuned, I’m ready and raring to go, and I want you on this journey with me!
See you soon,
Jake.
Wado Reviews 