The Gist 17: 10/15/2025

A roundup of news from this week at Gestalt Media.

Let’s talk about time management. But first:

Life Goes On

After a prolonged battle, the expected came to pass last Tuesday. We lost the leader of this family. A great man; honest, fair, and even-keeled. I will have a lot to say about this later, as there are lessons in a life that can change how we all view the world. Johnny Ray was a powerful force, and he did it with a cool, even tone and mischievous grin. He will be deeply missed.

Self Scare Interviews

Most of last week’s interviews were understandably rescheduled, but that didn’t stop us from having several great conversations with talented creators.

Rebecca Rowland: Bram Stoker Award-nominated editor, a Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author, active HWA member with frequent publications of speculative fiction and critical essays.

We had an absolutely invigorating conversation around the deep themes of horror, the subjects that inevitably overlap with our horror experiences, and the traumas that inform them.

Gemma Amore: Bram Stoker and British Fantasy Award-nominated horror fiction author, editor, podcaster, and voice actor based in the UK.

Overcoming the logistics of scheduling an intercontinental interview schedule, we had a fantastic early morning/afternoon conversation that touched on motherhood, environment in fiction, storytelling as a survival technique, and so much more.

Kevin Wetmore: Kevin J. Wetmore Jr. is a professor at Loyola Marymount University. He is the author or editor of many books, including Post-9/11 Horror in American Cinema and Uncovering “Stranger Things.” He lives in Los Angeles.

The guy who literally wrote the book on horror as a psychological response to trauma, I was extremely excited to sit down with Kevin and was not at all disappointed. We covered well over a hundred years of film history and some of the finer points of human interaction with media in a complete world.

Coming up, we have some absolute legends in the genre. Stay tuned.

Whole Ass One Thing

Since we made the decision to give Self Scare full attention, it seems like there’s more to do than ever, but perhaps counterintuitively, more is being accomplished day by day than ever before. It is because of this, I wanted to take a moment to share a piece of sage advice from a wise man that has stuck with me through these chaotic times:

In our busy as fuck world, it can be extremely tempting to start trying to do everything at once. To juggle responsibilities and move the needle a little on every goal, day by day. As an AuDHD, chronically overbooked, multi-task extradonaire…I get it. Logically, it makes sense; nothing gets left behind, and everyone gets a little attention, but science doesn’t support this method. Some statistics:

Context Switching is a Brain Drain: Consistently, research finds that up to 40% of productivity is lost when participants engage in frequent task/context switching. Every new project requires a subtle slowdown, switch, and ramp-up. Over time, this not only eats into time spent actually working it’s incredibly difficult on the brain and the limited energy resources we have for it. Like driving through town and hitting every red light along the way. It’s better to hit the highway.

Error Prone: Mistakes happen when we’re not fully engaged. Small errors of even a few seconds can double or even triple the number of errors committed. Conversely, intense, prolonged focus can not only help prevent errors but also provide a kind of conceptual persistence that can spot problems before they arise.

Cognitive Depletion: The brain is by far the most intense resource hog in the human body. Single-task focus allows the brain to function at its peak for longer periods of time without wasting resources on ‘support’ processes required when task-switching. It’s the most economical process. Which greatly reduces overall fatigue, which…increases productivity and effectiveness long term.

All that being said, we know that focusing on a single task for as long as possible is ideal. I do understand that life, especially in a capitalist society that squeezes every ounce of energy from us on a daily basis and constantly begs for attention, is not conducive to this mindset. But I think we can leverage our strengths and make conscious decisions towards this goal. If a sidetask can wait….let it wait. Work on whatever is most important right now. For me, I find a time, a very specific time, and anything that’s not the main attraction today goes into that window. We can deal with it then. Nothing gets ignored, but it doesn’t have to interrupt every five seconds as emails, texts, phone calls, and other distractions pile up with ‘real quick’ responses.

Far from a perfect system, I also want ot highlight how single-tasking for a neurodivergent such as myself seemed completely antithetical to literally everything I’ve learned about how to survive in the world, and this….primarily is why it works.

The great strength of the ADHD mind is not in multi-tasking as is so often championed (because this narrative serves a certain economic principle), it’s hyperfocus. Hyperfocus is the power that we leverage when we’re behind the clock and rushing to get everything done at the last minute. It’s the superhuman concentration that allows us to learn complex subjects and vast amounts of information in seemingly minuscule time frames. It’s the precursor to the information dump that provides our friends and families with every last detail of our special interests, whether they’re interested or not, but it is something else. When applied to a task of great importance, one that will further our goals and ambitions, hyperfocus is the tool of intense, uninterrupted productivity. Multi-tasking is the temptation that calls us away from these achievements and torpedoes results.

Again, I understand, I’m oversimplifying and using a wide brush for this concept in a relatively small space, but I’d like to at least share the foundations of the concept for those who may find themselves, as I constantly have, overwhelmed and overcommitted with a seemingly endless list of impossible goals. How did it get this far? How can I ever catch up? Through a combination of medication, therapy, self-assessment, and honesty, I have found a path that, at least for some minds, appears to work. And I’d be willing to guess most people could find something worth their time in there.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, maybe try doing one thing, really well, and see how that works out?

The Gist

With great presence comes a profound sense of loss, but also lasting impact and legacy.

Self-Scare has taken primary focus at Gestalt Media and is benefiting greatly from the increased attention.

Try doing one thing really well and see if that works for you.

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” – Alexander Graham Bell