Monthly Mindmeld: February
January has flown by! Here's what I was up to in the first month of 2025, and what's in store for February. My time has mostly been consumed by a documentary/educational project.
This is a repost from my free newsletter on Patreon.
Hello Friends & Video Village!
Welcome to February! We’ve officially made it through the first month of 2025, and I hope the year is treating you well so far.
January was a whirlwind of creativity, planning, and pushing forward on multiple fronts, yet at the same time, a very large part of Los Angeles burned down. The fires were extremely unpredictable and even though we live nowhere near them, it was extremely scary, and like the rest of the city, we had to deal with air pollution and toxic ash. Our planet is fragile. Going vegan has been one of the things I've done over the last few years to decrease my carbon footprint and I can't recommend it more, both for personal health and planet. I firmly believe that we have the power as individuals to make the change we want to see in the world.
That aside, I’m excited to share what’s been happening and what’s coming next. Let’s dive in!
January in Review
Creative Momentum
January was all about making progress across projects, and I’m feeling good about the direction things are heading!
Detain Me (psychological horror feature film, in development) continues to move forward! It feels like our decision to move our production to The Netherlands has made a significant change. We have also attached a new Executive Producer who has produced many films and has accrued a total of 40+ Oscar nominations and she is going to help us cast the film. It may finally be coming together after I had my darkest of night moment late last year.
Resonance (cosmic horror feature, pre-writing) currently on hold until after finishing Rise.
Paradigm Shift (new interview series for Youtube, not music related) - I did my first interview in the Caribbean, and I hope to do 2-3 more this year. Finished editing and it is scheduled to go live in February!
The Amity Paradox
It was pretty nerve-wracking to share my first short story publicly! But I'm so excited about how well people have received it. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, read it here.
The Rise Project
My work with RAND and APLA has been both intense and rewarding. We have started production and have already completed filming all of the interviews in Los Angeles. In February, I will have two full days on set and we will be flying to Alabama to film more interviews there. Working on such an impactful project and meeting these amazing people continues to be a privilege!
What’s Coming in February
February Short Story: Verdant Hollow
Because of how crazy busy this month is, this month's short story will be a little shorter. I have plotted the story and gotten to know my characters, started to write, scrapped it - and feel better about where to start the story now. This time, we're heading a bit more into gothic horror and I'm excited to play around with it.
Feb 6: Short BTS video from a Rise interview + some thoughts
February 8-9: Two days on set for Rise, prep is going to swallow me in the first week of Feb!
Feb 17-20: Trip to Alabama for Rise (and that'll be a wrap on the Rise shoots!)
February 16: first Paradigm Shift video drop
February 27: Monthly Twitch Hangout! Mark your calendar! 11 AM PT, 8 PM CET.
February 28: Aimed release of Verdant Hollow
Every Wednesday: new music video analysis videos on Youtube
New Patreon Content
I’m brainstorming more ways to bring you into my creative process! Whether it’s behind-the-scenes looks at my writing, reflections on filmmaking, or something new entirely—I’d love your input. Let me know what you’d like to see more of!
I’m so grateful for your support and for being part of this journey with me. February is shaping up to be a packed month, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s keep making, dreaming, and embracing the chaos together.
Much love,
Manon