Personal Update: Back From My 2025 Spring Break
Returning From My Self-Imposed Two-Month Hiatus
Back on March 4th of this year, I made the incredibly difficult decision to take a self-imposed two-month hiatus from producing content; though I remained open to guest spots on podcasts during that time. After four straight years of publishing new film reviews, delivering year-round Oscars projections, hosting podcasts, and managing a steady stream of other film-related work without a meaningful break, I knew I had reached a point where stepping back was necessary. Part of the motivation was creative burnout, sure, but it was also about giving myself the space to focus on some important personal goals I’ve been putting off for far too long.
Now, two months later, I’m back on Substack. And while I’d love to say the break was everything I hoped it would be, the reality is more complicated. Some goals moved forward, others stalled, and I return with mixed feelings about what my Spring break accomplished, but also with a clearer purpose of what I still want to accomplish for the rest of 2025 - especially when it comes to the future of The Mendez Movie Report.
On a non-content creator, personal note, the break was pretty much a disaster. Thanks to a string of unforeseen life events, almost every one of my “real life” goals ended up stalled out. One major goal in particular might be self-destructing as I type this, but I’ll have to wait and see what fate has for me there. As the saying goes, “Man plans, God laughs.” I’ve come to accept that maybe right now isn’t the season for high-stakes personal milestones. So, I’m giving myself permission to ease off the pressure on that end for a bit; hopefully giving my mind the reset it needs to eventually approach those goals from a healthier place in the near-term future.
That said, it wasn’t all bad. I started getting physically active again though I’m still trying to figure out what the best workout schedule and meal plan is for me. I laid the groundwork for a more focused, and aggressive, search for a new day job. I caught up to some anime that I had been behind on for a few years. I even got a chance to explore a few local festivals for the first time. I had my 36th birthday and my rocky marriage (of which long-time readers know of my struggles with) somehow celebrated an 11th anniversary. I got to treat myself to a brand-new laptop, and I managed to win the Oscars prediction contest at the Tampa Theatre’s Oscar Night party. The prize? A glorious basket filled with wine bottles, fancy glasses, a whiskey decanter, snacks, and a stack of free movie tickets - of which I then accidentally ran through the washing machine inside my wallet after forgetting to take them out of my swim trunks post-pool swim.
As for what really matters when it comes to why you read and follow this Substack, the break ultimately did what I hoped it would in that it cleared out the mental cobwebs that had been building and reignited my excitement for film criticism. Honestly, by the halfway point of the break, I was already itching to dive back in. But I stuck to my planned timeframe, giving myself the full two months to reset. During that time, I kept up with new releases; not just through a scant few of press screenings, but more often by heading to the theater as a regular moviegoer, surrounded by general audiences.
Behind the scenes, I made a handful of quiet but meaningful updates to the website and YouTube channel; little things you may or may not have noticed, but ones that reflect the direction I’m moving in. Over on my Letterboxd I’ve begun some slight tweaking of how I represent my rating and grading system. I’ve also started mapping out a new content rhythm - aiming to publish at least one film review every weekend, laying the groundwork for updated Oscar projections for the new season, and evolving the Films That Matter series into a more curated feature under the “Best Of” tab. On top of all that, I have plans in motion to expand the podcast’s live streams and push more non-podcast and podcast-related content to the YouTube channel. Needless to say, I’m fired up. There’s a lot I want to start work on, and I can’t wait to dive into it all.
That said, there is one major change you’ve probably noticed by now. I’ve completely removed the paid-tier option from this Substack. After nearly a year of having it available and, to be blunt, seeing zero takers, I realized it just wasn’t the right time. Maybe that’s a lesson in humility, or maybe just a misread of where things stood. Either way, it’s pushed me to reframe my mindset rather than feel discouraged, I’m using it as motivation to eventually build something strong enough that people will feel inclined to support it financially. I think I simply jumped the gun. So for the foreseeable future, all content here will be 100% free, no paywalls, no premium tiers, just the work, shared openly like when I started this newsletter.
One major pleasant surprise I had during my self-imposed two-month absence was that I somehow GAINED subscribers even as no new content was coming in. That little boost gave me a jolt of encouragement, and now that I’m back in the saddle with fresh content coming, I’m hopeful that momentum will only build with an even quicker pace in new readers coming in.
In fact, things are already picking up. I’ve got a new guest podcast appearance dropping this weekend, plus a special roundup post in the works of a rapid-fire collection of pithy takes on some of the bigger releases from the past two months that I didn’t get a chance to fully review. And after I had initially planned to wait until the Fall, my first Oscars projections for the new season’s Best Picture race are coming sooner than later. Oh! An to top it all off, my brother and I will be returning The Reel Lounge podcast to a new weekly livestream that will kick off…this very Sunday evening.
Until then, not only am I back, but I’m just getting started! Welcome back to The Mendez Movie Report! Let’s kick-off this Summer season!