Move From Consumer to Producer
Convert your ideas into reality
Everybody is a consumer. We all indulge in it; food, clothes, music, books, films, games, etc.
The problem is, the more we consume, the less time and motivation we have to create something that we can share with the world.
We are spoiled by availability.
Consuming has never been easier, cheaper or more abundant. With the advent of the internet there has been a sharp increase in the availability of goods, services and content.
At the click of a button you can get anything from pizza, a movie or a book delivered instantly.
However this is not good.
Being a consumer doesn’t let you enjoy the experience of creating something from scratch, the satisfaction of being a maker and the feeling of fulfillment when you see your finished product.
If you haven’t produced anything yet, you are not alive, you’re just going through the motions.
You’ve been born to create, it is your mission in life, you are selling yourself short if you don’t even try.
You are unique. There has never been a mind like yours before and there will never be. Nobody can create like you. You came here to play your symphony and the world is ready to listen to it. Don’t just waste your time indulging in mindless activities.
There are many ways to leave your mark in the world but all begin with your passion and the unique way you see the world. Every time you talk, write, sing, paint you are creating, the point is to give shape to your concept and present it in a way that can be use by others.
Creative pursuits
Writing, composing, painting, video making, blogging, podcasting, or anything in which you use your imagination to create something original.
The good thing about this artistic productions is that all you need is your hands and some basic technology. If you shape it into a digital product is very easy to ship and share with others.
Certainly there is a lot of competition but at least at the beginning you shouldn’t worry about that. Just do it for the sake of it, without an end in mind. You’ll have plenty of time to market that later.
Practical creations
Cooking, DIY, building, programming, making, knitting, gardening. These are not just creative but also useful creations made with an end in mind.
In a way this distinction is artificial. Everything you create is creative by definition. Whether is a wall or a poem it requires imagination, planning and execution and the end product is always unique.
Creating as a therapy
We, humans, are wired to create. Since the dawn of times we’ve been producing stuff; tools, traps, weapons, instruments, paintings, songs, dances, and stories.
Among other things, this keeps us sane. To be truly human we need to create. It’s in our DNA.
Art therapy has been used for a long time as a vehicle to foster healing and mental well being. The ability to express our inner thoughts into art has definitively a therapeutic value.
Also storytelling is deeply ingrained in our psyche. We’ve always used stories to escape from the harsh realities of life and into the more pleasant paradises of our imagination. Most superstitions and even religions are about that — the need to believe in something comes from the collective imagination.
Creation for growth
Producing is a struggle; out of nothing you create something, and all you need is your imagination.
This process forces us to activate parts of the brain that we don’t normally use when we engage in passive activities like consuming.
Creation is active; it takes us out of our comfort zone and makes us stretch out the limits of our imagination.
When we practice this process we are more likely to generate original ideas and to overcome obstacles. We become more intelligent.
Producing for self- sufficiency
We have become extremely dependent on others making stuff for us. This all good when plain sailing but, when SHTF, you better be able to produce your own food, water, repairs, artifacts, etc.
This means learning many different skills in a broad range of subjects and becoming a generalist.
Specialization is for insects. We are born to be Renaissance men with a can-do attitude.
If you need something done, better do it yourself.
Creating for immortality
“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work, I want to achieve immortality through not dying”
Woody Allen
Despite Woody Allen’s claim, there is something very consoling in the fact that after we depart, we’ll leave a legacy behind that can be used by others to connect with us. That’s why when you write a book or compose a song you become immortal.
We are still reading the Bible and the Iliad despite the fact that their authors are long gone. So in a way they are still here with us.
Creation gives you God-like powers.
Creating to compete with A.I
Producing output in a variety of fields will extend our shelf life and protect us from redundancy.
Machines are getting better and better at narrow AI but not so good at general AI. Also they haven’t been able to replicate creativity, yet.
In order to future proof ourselves, we need to become creative and productive in a variety of fields and combine those fields in new ways. This could actually save humankind from obsolescence.
Conclusion
Being a producer is better than just being a consumer. You might think you don’t have what it takes, but you do, we all do. You might feel like an impostor, we all do. You might feel the fear, we all do, but do it anyway.
The thing is, don’t let your resistance stop you. You are here for a reason and that reason is to find your muse and to create something only you can do. Don’t deprive us of the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your loom.
