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You are what you consume- let’s change that.

I talked about watching and analyzing the quantity and quality of content we consume all day- how it affects our mind and personality and ways to combat it. The most significant of those for me is- What does your consumption create? If you keep on consuming without any real creation or work, those are the days you feel like a lump- I used to feel this weird numbness in my mind. Your mind must keep on creating and working to relax. On the days you feel low, you resort to consuming. Just once, try the opposite. You might feel better. 

It all brews to this- Create more than you consume; which essentially means do more than you take in. Consumption is necessary, of course, but its value is gained when it is used in creating. 

I love this story here- A sculptor experimented on his students. He divided them into two groups of ten, and the instructions were as follows for the following two weeks-

1. Group A had to create one perfect pot during this time- they have to pour all their energy into just a single pot. As simple as that. 
2. Group B on the other hand, had to create ten pots in this period. Seems a little hard.

At the end of two weeks, all the pots were analyzed. Who do you think had the perfect pot? Group A had all the odds for them since they only had to focus and research on one pot, while Group B had to deliver ten so they had to spend less time in research and more time in making the pots. But lo and behold, the pot of Group A was a disaster. Their research was strong but the actual work wasn’t. On the other hand, Group B’s tenth pot was near to perfect. 

The thing is, Group B had created so many of them that from each pot they learned something and used that in the next one. Till the end, they had almost perfected it. That’s how it works.

This story is a perfect example of creation and consumption. Of course, consumption is crucial for creation, but actual learning takes place from the experience of creating and making mistakes.

Moreover, creating doesn’t mean just the field of arts. It simply means working- using more of your energy in doing something and getting your hands dirty instead of draining it by standing on the sidelines watching and just thinking of doing it. Trust me, you’ll feel much more productive if you form a choreography than you will from learning one. 

The problem with us is that we most often define ourselves with what we consume. The books we read, the songs we listen to, and the shows we watch. Just because you’re a fan of a particular show or listen to songs of that one band, doesn’t mean that you’re awesome. It means that the creators of the show and the band is awesome. Think about it, all the content you devour in a day is the creation of someone else. 

Get this through your head- What you consume doesn’t make you unique. That doesn’t define you and nor it should. Yes, the quality of content affects your mind and movement (you should practice smart consumption) but it doesn’t define you as a person. It helps you create if you let it. You are not what you consume- that’s a part of the definition. What makes you unique is your own creativity and work. 

So next time you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, go create something. It doesn’t have to be good at all. It just has to be something of your own. It’s a simple way to success honestly- spend more time creating. Replace your mindless consumption with mindless creation- it’s gonna be a bumpy but happy ride!

Happy Creating!

Pranjali Jain