Why you should be a creator and not just a consumer

Andrew Tan
Sep 9, 2018 · 6 min read

The power of the internet has brought us unprecedented access to free entertainment and knowledge. From YouTube to online blogs, and of course, Medium, we are spoiled for choice. Regardless of your preferences, there’s a medium out there that caters to your tastes.

With all this access at your fingertips, it’s easy to get caught up in the never-ending consumption of media for consumption’s sake. Websites like YouTube and apps like Instagram have been designed by a team of professionals to maximize your viewing time on these platforms. The longer they can capture your attention, the more these companies benefit.

When a company offers you a free service, it’s highly likely because you are the “product”. In these examples, you are the source of revenue for these companies. Your data and behaviors are sold to companies who then sell you targeted ads on those platforms. There is no free lunch in this world and companies do have to make money to exist.

I know it’s easy to just consume such media, media that has been designed and packaged for quick consumption and dopamine hits, but today I would like to share with you a different mindset, a mindset of being a creator and just not just a mindless consumer.

Active v.s. passive mindset

Having a passive mindset is the mindset of a typical consumer. A consumer just mindlessly devours content. This content can range from YouTube videos, online blogs and even books. A consumer consumes media only for the sake of passing time, getting entertained and does not think twice about using that media to make changes in their life.

Even helpful media like books or instructional videos that seem to be useful are not as helpful if you do not take action to crystallize that knowledge. It’s a form of intellectual masturbation where you feel like you are getting smarter, but in truth are only depriving yourself the opportunity of truly internalizing that knowledge by not practicing what you read.

Having an active mindset on the other hand is the mindset of a creator. When people think of a creator, they usually think of an artist or a musician. I would like to broaden that definition to include any action that is active. For example, if you read an article about helpful gym techniques and apply those teachings to your own sessions, I would argue that you are a creator, a creator focused on creating a better body for yourself.

There are clear benefits of being a creator and having an active mindset.

  1. Becoming a knowledge expert and potentially make some money

As mentioned, by creating and not just consuming, you start to internalize some of the teachings that you have picked up. Maybe you used to not know how to shoot a great photo, but by trying out the “rule of thirds” you learned from a YouTube video to shoot some food photography, you end up with a better photo.

Slowly as you build up your toolkit of techniques and testing them out by creating, you start to truly understand what you have learned and even begin to be able to teach others as well.

You would have also developed a valuable skill set that could potentially be a source of income as well. You could use those photography skills you developed to earn some side income as a photographer. You could create an online course to teach others how you shot those delicious food photography or create a YouTube channel to share your works and techniques.

Notice that some of these options would involve being a creator in other fields as well, such as writing to create a course and videography to create a YouTube channel. As you start begin your journey as a creator in one field, you might find yourself developing an interest in other fields as well. None of this would happen though, if you do not take action and start creating.

Do note that I am not advocating being a creator because you might get paid. Instead of chasing the current hot way to make money, you should start creating in a field that interests you. It could be something more esoteric like making wooden sculptures or retro 8-bit gaming music. Starting out with something that interests you is a good strategy to stay consistent in creating and honing your skills.

2. Improved discipline, focus and problem solving skills

Being a creator is definitely not an easy task. You will find times where you will sit in front of your desk and not be able to make any progress creating.

This situation however is an opportunity for growth as you start to look to other avenues for inspiration or look online for potential ways to solve problems.

Being able to push past this uncomfortable situation also builds a level of discipline and focus that most non-creators do not possess. You will find being a creator will not only improve your ability in your field of creation, but will also spill over to other aspects of your life. You will find yourself being able to focus better at work, have better discipline with your schedule and overall improve your ability to deal with ambiguous situations.

Now that you know why it’s important to be a creator and have an active mindset. You may be wondering how to get started and what pitfalls you might encounter on the way.

Here are some quick general rules of thumbs as you are starting out as a creator in a field

  1. Keep it simple stupid (KISS)

A common mistake people make when starting out is over complicating the steps required to begin creating. I myself am guilty of this, always looking for the perfect plan, the perfect framework and the perfect time to start creating.

Take comfort in the fact that you don’t need to have all the right steps and plans when starting out. Taking no action at all is the worst thing you can do in this scenario.

So go ahead, take that first step and make mistakes along the way, you will be much better off having taken a few missteps than not taken a step at all.

2. Consistent small steps over large occasional leaps

Another common mistake people make is starting out with huge changes and fizzling out quickly once that emotional motivation fades away.

Think about how many people make the typical new years resolution at the start of the year. The classic example would be someone who want’s to get a six pack. That person initially promises him or herself that they will go to the gym 4 times a week, eat only vegetables, wake up at 5 AM in the morning to make time for the gym.

It’s no wonder they can only sustain this for 1–2 weeks tops. There’s just too many large changes that isn’t sustainable in the long run.

The alternative however works much better. Instead of changing everything in your life to start moving forward, just focus on a small easy win that you can consistently do over time.

In terms of creation, take writing as an example. Instead of writing an article everyday, focus on just writing 100 words everyday. Some more avid writers might scoff at that puny number but for a beginner starting out, that easy first step builds strong momentum. Most of the time you find yourself writing more than 100 words once you actually start writing.

This article was also written with me setting the goal of writing 100 words a day and I can promise you it would have been much harder if I aimed to write one full article a week.

In summary, I would like to encourage you to take that 1st small step on your journey is being a creator. The path to excellence will be paved with difficulties and a feeling to just take a back seat to life and live passively.

Andrew Tan
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