🎬 #107 Watching With Intention.
Something a bit different this week. Part of the reason I started this newsletter, which is obvious, is that I wanted to to help people decide what to watch. Very simple. But a big part of the reason was to try, in some small way, to offer an alternative to the recommendation algorithm on streaming platforms. They obviously can be really helpful, but they can also lead us to mindlessly go with the latest thing or whatever it thinks you might like. Before long we’re on the 8th episode of a show that we’re not that into. Or we watch a film because it loosely fits into the thriller genre that the algorithm thinks we might enjoy.
It’s recently made more think a lot more about intentionality, both in watching and living. I always try to be intentional about what I want to watch, be it in the cinema or at home. I try not to mindlessly fall into something. I have to trust my instincts about what I might really love to see and not worry too much about trying to see everything - volume is never really a satisfying goal to have - depth is usually the home of satisfaction.
Being intentional is the key for me. Choosing what we want to watch. Trying to pay full attention to what we’re watching [which is why the cinema will always be the best way to enjoy a film] and also knowing that there’s no need to feel pressured to watch anything. Especially when, for the first time ever, anything you want to watch can be conjured up in seconds. Plus new stories are being told at a rate unmatched in the 100 plus years of filmmaking. It can all feel a bit overwhelming at times.
Friends, family and whoever else [including me] might be asking have you seen X or Y, or Z and suggesting that you have to watch it. You don’t. In fact it might end up on a watchlist that, even despite our best intentions, remains unchecked off for years at a time.
So this week I’m suggesting you don’t watch anything. Go do something else, do something you’ve neglected for a while, see a friend, run, stretch, walk, breath, try some Crocs. Tell someone how much they mean to you. Whatever it is, do it with intention.
Happy not viewing
Bry