If You’re Consuming Too Much Then You’re Creating Too Little
These days, it seems that if you’re not consuming something – videos, podcasts, blog posts, books, magazines, films, social media streams – then you’re probably asleep.
There’s so much great stuff out there and many of us feel compelled to keep up at a dizzying rate. My clients and students confess that their biggest challenge is finding time to create.
You’re Consuming Too Much
But a closer look usually reveals that most of us are consume a shocking amount in any one day, and that much of that time that could be spent creating. If you’re trying to create and ship something, you may need to check your consumption/creation ratio.
But I can’t give up my morning news reading! I am not letting go of my New Yorker subscription! I absolutely must start my day checking in with everyone on Facebook!
Don’t worry. I don’t advocate pulling the plug completely on what you’re consuming. Instead, if you’re truly committed to bringing your own ideas to the world, you must make sure your consumption/creation ratio is correctly balanced.
What You Consume Becomes What You Create
There are many reasons we consume – to learn, to escape, to be moved, to be updated on progress in our industry and, of course, to procrastinate.
I’m not judging what or why you consume. Everyone has the right to enjoy whatever they want. But you should be aware of what you consume and the impact that has on you.
Why is it so important to be vigilant with our consumables? Our time is precious and limited. The abundance of consumables can add to stress. Our creative work is directly affected by what we consume.
We must guard our precious creating time and energy or life will slip by and all we have to show for it is that we scanned a lot of articles and watched a lot of YouTube videos.
Just like food or beverages we take in, what we read, watch or listen to has an effect on our mental, emotional and physical states. And our mental, emotional and physical states are critical to our ability to think, feel and create.
Literally Check Your Consumption
Have you ever sat and thought about what you actually consume every day? Take about ten minutes, now, to do just that. Make a list of things you consume on a regular basis:
- Blogs?
- Newsletters?
- Newscasts?
- Magazines?
- Books?
- Podcasts?
- Videos?
- Music?
Next to each item on the list, jot a rough estimate of how much time per week you spend with each item.
Next, ask yourself this question for each: How does this further my professional goals or enrich me personally?
How much time a week do you spend creating? Put the consuming number next to the creating number. This is your consumption/creation ratio.
Get Your Creative Balance Back
Once you’ve done this exercise, you’ll know what’s really fueling you and your creative goals. You’ll be able to enjoy what you enjoy even more, and turn the dial down on things that aren’t contributing to your goals.
In our crowded world of information, the real game for all of us is to manage our consumption. Our ability to deal with and process information is vital to our success. Be aware of how your consumption impacts your creativity and adjust accordingly.
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What did you learn about your consumption/creation ratio? What changes might you make this week to swing the emphasis from consuming to creating? Share your thoughts in a comment below. And thanks for consuming this article!
Images courtesy of Michael Himbeault and Devicious.
Cynthia Morris helps writers, artists and entrepreneurs make their brilliant ideas a shining reality. She writes articles, e-books, blogs and is finishing a historical novel set in Paris. Get your creative juju back with Cynthia’s creativity workshops, from her Juju Infusion videos and from her free newsletter, Impulses, all found at Original Impulse.
Of course, it was my penchant for consumption that led me here, but this time I can be glad. This is a good reminder that we all need to keep ourselves in check. I just can’t imagine Hemingway constantly refreshing his news feed.
Ben,
Glad this was a good consume-by (drive-by).
I imagine Hemingway flipping off his Facebook stream and heading out for another drink with his sweaty pals. He was way too physical/sensual to be at a screen all day long.
:)
I love this! As a content marketer, I feel the need to keep up on so many things that I definitely consume too much and create to little. Thanks for the great reminder to settle down and create more.
Definitely going to RT this article. Glad I found it through your Twitter feed!
Thanks, Anna!
We’re all in that boat – needing to ‘keep up’ with what’s going on. And it’s so vital for people trying to make something to get that mental space.
Glad you found this article, too!
Julia, I’m 100% in agreement. In fact, I think this is a serious loss our culture is facing – we’re losing the art of thinking and problem-solving.
Too much tuning into other people’s ideas and not listening and observing on our own. That’s why I love farming along with running a freelance writing business. I have ample reasons to tear myself away and let thoughts percolate. Great headlines always show up when I’m hanging clothes on the line or feeding the pigs.
Instead of worrying about what you’re missing by not reading everything, think about what you may be missing inside of yourself or in the non-virtual world around you by reading everything.
Here’s my take on this: http://www.yourhealthyhomebiz.com/thinking-101-put-down-the-book-and-step-away-from-the-screen
Sarah,
I think you meant me, that you’re in complete agreement with (not Julia). I will go forward with the happy glow of being agreed with, assuming you mean me!
I LOVE that you farm and write at the same time. It seems the perfect combination of touch and thought.
Your article is great; I completely feel that need to be in the kitchen making food or on my bike, or outside at the park. It feels like I crave more and more physical and sensual experience to balance out screen/sitting time.
I love your point about our diminishing problem solving skills. Creative people must have space to reflect and allow things to gel. And the filters to know how to shut out the world in order to generate our own unique work.
Thanks for commenting; I love what you’re doing, so keep enjoying it!
OMG! My friend and I were talking about this months ago. How to balance the line between consuming and creating. In January we made a list of all the things we wanted to create this year and planned out a whole schedule…one thing for each month depending on the size of the project. Then we got planners and wrote out a monthing schedule of what needed to happen or be done to achieve a finished project. I’m happy to say that even with expected unexpected’s, learning curves, and a few detour, we are both on track for a very prodcutive year. Love this article….going to share
Nikki,
I love how you and your friend partnered up to make sure you got your creative needs and goals met. Having someone else on your team makes all the difference.
The detours and unexpecteds are the fun part, right? The bonuses for all the planning and work you’re doing.
Keep going and be sure to build celebrating into your productive year!
Love this post! It’s my struggle all the time. It drives me nuts sometimes.
Thanks for reminding!
Greez,
Ad
Thanks Ad! Hope it helps you change and feel less nuts. :)
Hi Cynthia –
I just found this article via Jonathan Fields posting it on Facebook! So, as Ben wrote above, it was my consumption that brought me here and it’s a happy thing.
I was once in a very powerful MasterMind group and there was an awful lot of conversation each week about the latest book and the latest workshop and who was the best guru/teacher, etc.
One day, after having had enough of it, I said to them: “This is possibly the most talented group of people I have ever known, assembled in one place and it’s amazing and appalling that we talk so much about OTHER people’s work. We should be creating, not consuming!” I was tilting at windmills a bit but it had really started to get to me and made me think.
Later, I was discussing this idea with an artist friend of mine (visual arts) and he reminded me of the beach shacks that can be found in discreet places at the national seashore on Cape Cod. Artists will trek out there (not an easy thing since it’s usually a hike in the dunes) and spend a week or a month alone. As my friend said, “it helps purify their inner visual eye when all they can see is sand, surf, and sky.”
And I think that applies to anyone who is writing or speaking or sharing in any way from a place of authenticity. That sort of retreat from other people’s ideas can be really helpful to discover our own voice, whatever form that may take.
Many thanks for your article here. And I really love the practical suggestions since not many of us have the time or resource to haul our cookies out to a beach shack for a retreat…
Frank Butterfield
Frank,
Thanks for finding this article! I’m glad it touched you. I love the way you describe that need for us to withdraw from everyone else’s work in order to create our own. I fully believe that.
Time or resources to haul yourself away…I challenge you on that. Retreats can come in all shapes and sizes and don’t have to be at the beach. For instance, my favorite cafe here in Denver (Pablo’s) doesn’t have internet for customers. I love going there to write or revise. Even though there’s a lot of activity around, I feel relief from the need to check online for some new thing to grab my attention.
And, bigger retreats can be planned for and saved for.
But that’s not the point, I know. The point is to have the mental space necessary to create and how we get that. Filling it with less stuff is one way.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Cynthia –
Love your comment!
Challenge accepted and fulfilled!!
I’m actually writing from a small island off the coast of Maine, sitting outside the small public library which is the only place I can get wifi. No mobile phone access here. None of which I knew before arriving!
So, I have my own personal beach shack (it’s a bit nicer than the ones on the Cape) and I’m looking forward to some delicious creating over the next month and a half.
On August 1st, I will have 3 books ready and at least one of them published.
Frank
Sweet, Frank! Your situation sounds wonderful. I think more and more we’ll be seeking out those places that allow us to think and focus – and everyone’s creative idyll will look different.
Enjoy yours and congratulations on the books!
I’m a facebook junkie and learned through doing your exercise you so generously provided that it’s useful but it’s not bringing me in line with my ultimate goa which is to finish writting my book.
Life has a beautiful way of showing up for us when we need it most. I’ve been praying for an answer and I think I just found it.
I’ve realized that newsletter are a better resource for me.
Thank for your inspiration and I look forward to hearing more.
Thanks, Sara! I’m glad you had a ‘lightbulb moment’ from this. Enjoy your Facebook time, perhaps just on this side of the ‘junkie’ line!
:)
Fantastic article and so close to home. I just returned from my honeymoon and while I’ve accomplished a lot of post-wedding tasks, unpacking, etc., I’ve somehow procrastinated on the writing (and job-hunting) by telling myself I absolutely MUST “catch up” (as if one can catch up…) on all the Twitter and blogs I missed out on. These are mostly writing-related, and I do want to spend time with most of these people and their creative output, supporting them. But this article has reminded me that I need to start this new week with a fresh focus back on my own goals.
It’s really hard to balance sometimes, especially since I’m a people-pleaser and want to make others feel good by letting them know I’ve taken the time to read their output, and give thoughtful consideration to it. That makes it very difficult to draw the line, but I think it has to be drawn somewhere to find a healthy balance. Thanks!
Cheyenne,
I’m glad this was useful for you! I think we need to regularly reassess our priorities. Even on a daily basis you can ask: What’s most important to me today? What will most serve what I am trying to create?
And then act according to that. I know that’s a simplified version of things but still useful.
Enjoy finding your healthy balance again and again.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Cynthia!!
I’m going to check my consumption right now!
With so many distractions, so much to consume, it’s no wonder I have so much trouble managing my time!
Thank you for the reminder!
You’re very welcome, Eric!
Well what a start to my day. As a “comsumer” this may well be the beginning of more productive behaviours.
Let the checklist begin!
Thanks for using my graphic :)
Hey Micah! I hope you don’t mind. It’s a fantastic graphic – really inspiring. I did have it as my desktop wallpaper recently, but now it’s a photo of Mars taken by Curiosity :)
Thanks!