It’s something I think many of us realize at a conceptual level, but I wonder how often we make decisions or align our lifestyles accordingly.

In reality, it’s wisdom that goes back millennia – “It’s more blessed to give than receive.”

Making something, building something, creating something is naturally a better use of our time than consuming.

We were arguably Created to create.

But thinking of our lives, both digital and physical, how much of our time is spent living this out?

Assessing our time hour-for-hour, how much time do we spend in creative “outflow”, compared to “inflow”-consuming of what others have made?

How much time do we spend watching YouTube and browsing our feeds?
How does that compare to how much time we spend creating things worth filling others’ feeds with?

I’ve aimed to tend in a direction towards more hours in creativity the last while, but I still feel the ratio of consume to create isn’t yet where I want it.

Not that consumption is wrong — it’s indeed a natural part of life, too.

But, I do think we’re created for more.


I was working on a project last week, and found myself racing back to my desk after a bathroom break, because I was so deep in creative flow I couldn’t wait to see what came out next.

It was an anticipatory experience on par with (and surpassing) the “need to know what happens next” in any book or movie I’ve watched in years. The difference was that I wanted to see what I would create next, instead simply passively absorbing what others have made.

It was a euphoric experience, and I think it was an experience worth making happen more.

So, I’m going to try to spend more time in “making” mode these next few weeks, pushing my “create-consume ratio” further towards creativity.
Wanna join me?