On creating v. consuming

“Make art, make things. Not to see what you’ll make, but to see who you’ll become.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert

Have you ever noticed how terrible you feel about yourself after you spend hours binge-watching Netflix? Perhaps like you’re wasting your life away? That’s usually how I feel, anyway (despite how ~good good~ Sex Education was!).

And yet, when I exercise or cook a healthy meal, I feel revitalized and alive. It’s easy to reason that this is about choosing productivity over laziness. But this is wrong. It’s not about productivity. It’s about creativity.

What’s the economy got to do with it?

From shopping to watching, our economic system influences all facets of our lives. Since capitalism is based on incessant consumption of all things — whether tangible or intangible — this economic model explains why we live in a culture of materialism, excess and binge-watching.

This is why we are wired to consume, fam. This modus operandi becomes quite apparent when you travel to Eastern countries like Indonesia or India and the people there are perfectly happy and fulfilled with a fraction of the shit we own and consume.

Create to consume ratio

Fun fact: did you know that 90 percent of people on the internet are “lurkers” and do not participate whatsoever? Only 9 percent contribute and a measly 1% create. Let that sink in.

This means that 90 percent of you are mostly consuming… I say this not to make you feel bad or to encourage you to start a blog or launch an online biz, but to provide context to the create-consume principle.

The create to consume ratio is relevant both online and offline whether your profession is in the creative industry or not. Determining your create to consume ratio will help you gain awareness of how much your life is based on consumption. And hopefully, inspire you to consume more mindfully and create more.

Consumption includes buying things or services, reading articles or books, endlessly scrolling on social media, listening to podcasts, watching shows/movies, etc. Consumption is usually passive and has a connotation of absorbing.

Creation, on the other hand, has an active quality and encompasses things like cooking, exercising, journaling, playing an instrument, having a conversation with a friend, hosting a dinner party, organizing/cleaning your apartment, and so on.

Typically, creating leaves you feeling recharged and inspired while consuming oftentimes leaves you feeling groggy or “stuffed”.

Earn your (high quality) consumption

A great technique to instill mindful consumption is to earn it by creating something first. Perhaps when you wake up in the morning, you can create by writing down 5 things you’re grateful for and making your breakfast. Now, you have earned to listen to a pod episode on your way to work.

Something that works for me is to create from consuming so I can better retain the information and ideas. So each time I read an article that sparked insights or listen to a podcast that especially inspired me, I will write down 2–3 main takeaways on my physical and/or digital journal so I can refer to and try to actually implement the learnings.

Along with earning consumption, I advise you to seek high-quality consumption over trash consumption. It’s up to you to determine quality versus trash but personally, I prefer more cerebral, stimulating content than trending listicles or pieces on reality TV.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a meme like everyone else does and don’t even get me started on my love of celebrity gossip, but I aim to consume high-quality consumption 85% of the time and the other 15% gimme all the videos of cute puppies and cats and gossip tabloids.

Creativity isn’t exclusive to the arts or creative industries. You can live creatively without being an artist. Choosing creativity over productivity shifts the emphasis on end results to the joy of the process of creating.