How much entertainment do I actually need?

     I've spent a big chunk of my life enjoying the entertainment provided to me. I like sports, music, movies, video games, stand up comedy, and a handful of TV shows. I won't say the time was wasted. Entertainment has cheered me when I was down, allowed me to relax when I've over worked myself and when entertainment is at it's best it can be quite inspiring. While the activity of consuming the entertainment is passive, there can be times when it triggers action. When I was young I was often inspired heavily by comic books, cartoons and video games to draw my own characters. When I would watch football I would often end up at the park trying to imitate Barry Sanders, Ickey Woods or Joe Montana. A lot of my sense of humor is inspired by Monty Python, I still get incredulous looks when I try to explain why Mister Hilter was funny. In a way, the entertainment I enjoyed formed some of my development. 

    I'm sitting here pondering, have I consumed too much? Is entertainment just less inspiring now? Did I just get lazy? I like to create but it's hard. Life has become so full, right? Work, school, wife, kids, 5 hour marathon of The Office. Who has time to write, draw, inspire others, exercise or just enjoy the company of family? I have to know if Dexter gets caught, if Chris Johnson breaks the rushing record or  if I can save Princess Zelda again. 

    I've been telling myself over the last 12 months, "After I'm done taking classes I have to get back to creating". I know I'm not a great writer, a great artist and I will never be Barry Sanders but I have a feeling that I have the capacity create and inspire. I realize that I do need to take breaks and just enjoy some good entertainment but I really need a diet. I have to give it a shot, perhaps this is the first step. 

Humbly,

Joe Martin