Past & Future Studies (Patreon)

This has been a remarkable year for the channel and it is time now to take a small break.

I believe it is important to pause, to gather your bearings at checkpoints, and to admire the progress you have made in your endeavors. I have been taking such measures for the past couple of months and it is clear to me that some time away from Magic and YouTube is necessary for me at this point in my life.

This is in part due to my upcoming comprehensive exams. For those unfamiliar, I am working on a doctorate in Italian Literature, and my first major test is set for the end of January. Nearly all of my time has been spent in preparation for this exam (a gigantic reading list!), which has left me no time to do research for my video projects.

The other element at play is burnout. Video editing is an isolating experience that has become more arduous than creatively stimulating for me. The amount of satisfaction gained from publishing a video has slowly been overrun by the pressure of having to produce the next one, which leaves me in a constant state of unease. "Why aren't you working on the channel?" and "What is the topic of the next video?" have become the inner monologue, rather than "I am proud of this piece". 

These are red flags that require some introspection. I've always told myself that Rhystic Studies, like Magic, should be fun. This is meant to be a hobby, not a source of stress. In order to balance out the ratio of effort to enjoyment, I need to put the channel on hold.

As such, I'll be switching my Patreon page back to "per video" rather than "per month". This means you will not be charged until I upload again. I have a few ideas for videos that I still will undoubtedly follow through on (simply because they're too exciting to me to resist), but I need some time away before I can commit to them at the level of the others I have written this year. So this is not the end: it is simply, like I said up top, a small break.

Thank you everyone for the support this year. You have made it very special for me and I dearly appreciate your patience and enthusiasm for my work. I hope you have a lovely holiday, and I will speak with you soon.

Sam