Hi, I'm Paula Sanderson

It has been a long time since I last posted. At the time, I was riding the ‘it’s just going to be two weeks’ high. I was productive – it was like a mini staycation where I baked, crafted, and blogged. I was just coming off a crazy three-month contract in Aliston Ontario, living with 10 wild teenagers working on All Round Champion Season two, and let’s just say… the break was WELCOMED. But then the crash happened.

Two weeks turned into three, which turned into a month, two months and now… we’re 6 months into this. As an extrovert, I get my energy from being around people and I haven’t been around my people in 9 months. I lost my drive. My focus has gone out the window. I just haven’t really wanted to do anything…

There have been some highs. Career-wise things have been slow, but I successfully pitched CBC in May and got shortlisted to create a short doc. Although I was ultimately not selected, I was so proud to have been seriously considered. In June, I got to work with Chef Mark McEwan on a live stream for Wounded Warriors Canada. In July I was the casting producer for a show in development at CBC and that was a lot of fun – challenging in a good way and really interesting. My volunteer life has been consistent and that has brought a lot of joy. Throughout the spring my Girl Guide unit kept meeting virtually and those Monday nights were lots of fun. In July, I was a ‘Cabin Counsellor’ to the ‘Gold Medal Olympians in Hamilton-Fandom by Fall Out Boy’ aka a cabin of 14-15-year-olds at Ooch. In August, I was an ‘Activity Counsellor’ and taught STEM, Pottery, and Woodworking to 11-13 year olds at Ooch. Plus I got to hang out with my favourite group of Ooch kids – my Teomul family – for an afternoon of fun.

As I sit here writing about these things – I’m having one of those ‘Well I guess I have done some fun stuff’ … but the overall feeling I’ve had for the last six months is stress mixed with uncertainty and a general feeling of ugh.

I read a really good article by Tara Haelle about how this feeling is a lack of surge capacity.

This really resonated with me:

“It was, as I’d soon describe in an emotional post in a social media group of professional colleagues, an “anxiety-tainted depression mixed with ennui that I can’t kick,” along with a complete inability to concentrate… It wasn’t until my social media post elicited similar responses from dozens of high-achieving, competent, impressive women I professionally admire that I realized I wasn’t in the minority. My experience was a universal and deeply human one.”

I know I’m not the only one feeling this constant stress although we’re all doing our best during this GLOBAL PANDEMIC – so I’m thinking a lot you probably are dealing with your stress in the same way that I am….

By watching a lot of TV!

So it’s time to start this blog back up and tell you about all the things I’ve watched over the last few months. I’ve got about 30 different shows to review and discuss – and I’m going to try to publish something almost every day. It might not be EVERY day (again… that complete inability to concentrate might come in). But I’m setting this goal and I think it’s going to be a fun September project.

Stay tuned 🙂