It’s Been a While…

Have you ever fallen so completely behind with things that it makes you feel like you should just throw in the towel entirely? Me too, yay! But we both know that’s not a great idea, especially if it’s something you truly enjoy.

Things have been pretty hectic here (yes, I know I say that every few months, but boy-oh-boy do I mean it this time). From work to household chaos and everything in between, it’s been a constant juggling act - and I’ve felt so guilty about letting this place fall by the wayside for so long.

What you may not know is that I’ve been tinkering and toiling away in the background, looking for ways to return with a fresh start. And somewhere along the way, I realised something: maybe this extended break has been more of a blessing than I thought.

If I’m being honest, I was burning out. The increased workload left me drained, and the little free time I did have was swallowed up by more “work” - and I use that term loosely, because CollectingAsylum has always been more hobby than job. I had just… lost the spark.

The longer I stayed away, the worse it felt. Like I was letting everyone - and myself - down. Reviews sat half-finished for games I no longer felt like playing. Movies piled up that I couldn’t bring myself to watch, because it all started to feel like homework rather than something I loved. And that’s not a dig at those games or films - they just couldn’t compete with the mental fog I was in.

But over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed something shift. The spark has been creeping back in. I’ve missed doing this. I’ve felt the itch to get back into the swing of things - but I didn’t want to fling myself headfirst into another burnout cycle. So I started with the basics: asking myself why I do this, and what I can change to make it better.

The answer was simple. I do it because I enjoy it. And to keep enjoying it, I need a plan I can stick to - one that’s realistic, this time. I’m notoriously guilty of creating 1,000-step plans, overstuffed schedules, and chasing a standard of “perfect” that doesn’t exist. Perfection? No. High quality? Absolutely. But the real goal this time is consistency.

The time away reminded me what I love about this place and why it matters to me. So here’s my promise to you (and to myself): I will show up regularly here, on social media, and on YouTube - not every day like some unstoppable content machine, but often enough to keep the cogs turning, and keep the fun alive. No more burning out, no more ghosting the things I love. We’re trading perfection for progress, burnout for balance and maybe - just maybe - the occasional dramatic comeback post when life throws me another curveball. Just me, doing what I do best, one post at a time.

- V x