little wins and locking in

As it is Gemini season and Saturn is returning in Aries, it is time for me to lock tf in. After a year of questioning my creative self-worth, oscillating between compulsive optimism and insane depression, I’m rededicating myself to this Substack, so now it’s no gods, no country, all gas, no brakes, baby!

Here are some things this past month that made me feel alive again:

At the beginning of the month, my dear friend Benjamin Watts and a small, but growing group of freelance/independent games and entertainment journalists launched Lost Press Club. Like any people who leave a major media company, this is our inevitable post-IGN venture. Please follow us and keep us in mind for editorial or review coverage opportunities!

My favorite development of this month: I was selected as one of Letterboxd’s May Featured Members! (Shout out to my pal, Angie, who is also featured!)

As this feature also launched at the beginning of the month, I suddenly started getting a lot of followers on Letterboxd and really thought it was the result of launching Lost Press Club. It was a walk, but it made sense to me: why not go straight to the source of my reviews? But alas, it was just a perfectly synergistic timing. It’s a small, trivial win, but (definitely) maybe a sign of encouragement to lean into this. Thank/blame them for my big head.

Realizing my Top 4 is memorialized now, I’m pretty happy with it. It should tell you exactly how unserious, angsty, and romantic I am; also, just how much I appreciate a good music moment or two in movies. Also, I hope the film bro who ghosted me twice (shame on me) and lives on Letterboxd (but was never a true “letterboxuationship”) saw this feature and was reminded that I deserve an apology, like many other men have wisened up to and have given to me in the past.

Other fun things: I won a matchbook giveaway contest on Instagram thrown by matchbook.la!

Hosted in the spirit of celebrating Los Angeles after the tragic wildfires in January, she writes:

A NOTE FROM THE HEART 💌
Los Angeles has always been my home. My roots run deep here—my parents, my grandparents, generations of family have lived and loved in this city. It’s more than a place on a map; it’s woven into who I am.

Lately, our city is hurting. Beloved restaurants are closing their doors, fires have scarred the Palisades, and small businesses are fighting to stay afloat. And yet, in the midst of it all, there’s still so much beauty, resilience, and spirit in this city. That’s why I feel called to celebrate it—to shine a light on the people, the places, and the stories that make Los Angeles extraordinary.

Thank you for following along, for caring, and for sharing in this journey. I’m endlessly grateful for this community, and to call Los Angeles my forever home.

I entered the contest hoping to share the collection with my friend, Ali, who is rebuilding her father’s matchbook collection after losing it in the Palisades Fire. She also entered, so I felt good about our chances. Actually winning a game of chance is already so exhilarating and already itself a prize, but of course, getting to help my friend create something meaningful for someone she loves was a great honor.

Speaking to both the person behind matchbook.la and Ali, and then peeking into their projects, it was surprisingly moving and inspired me to keep pursuing the things that bring joy, even if it’s just for me or one person. So thank you, friends, for that gentle reminder as I keep feeding this creative appetite.

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