We live in a time when traditional media is being viciously usurped by new media. More than half of Americans entertainment comes from streaming and social platforms. Young adults are likely to scoff at the idea of cable and network television. Box office numbers have fallen far behind view, subscriber, and patron counts on alternative platforms. More kids today want to be Youtubers more than they want to be astronauts or scientists. There is a felt need to be seen in this rising generation.
Shaped by social media and parented by screens, the next generation has been taught about a cycle of create and consume. With the accessibility of a movie-quality camera and the ubiquity of film-making education online, anyone can join this dance and become an artist. The rise of the part-time Youtuber and combination of work and play in this space marks a new path for creativity and sufficiency.
Consumption can either fuel creation or paralyze an artist. It’s a necessary part of growing a project and finding inspiration, but it’s dangers are many and hidden. When we get in a pattern of sitting and watching, we lose the things that makes us artists, creators. The tool that enabled access to learning and abundance becomes the thing which restricts our ability to develop and share our work.
The design of platforms and devices seems to be at odds. When we see the “Create a post” button right next to our feed, crossed wires lead to indecision which always becomes the choice of the house: browse, scroll, consume. Our moment of doubt, insecurity, or fear can push us right back into the stream of content created… not by us.
Many creators choose to do their art in closed systems. Non-smartphone cameras, non-laptop typewriters, non-consumptive creator tools. They silo off practice from participation. This is the strength of analog tech like a journal. It allows you the focus and uninterrupted time to build worlds. Flow can only be found in the single-tasking focus brought about by the ruthless elimination of distractions (there’s a reason website/app blockers grew in popularity with the rise of online media). For the creator looking to tap into this prolific era’s resources, finding this space is essential.
For those who eschew the creative impulse, what is your relationship to this inevitable cycle? Are you creating from your consumption? Does beauty flow from your abundance? Or does energy find its way to you at the end of a line, cut off from further cultivation in the river of creation?
Find your voice by hearing the voice of others, but don’t dwell here. Build a system that opens your time and energy to the creation of something that matters, simply to you or generously to others.
