Consume some, create some

So, I'm sitting here, reinstalling Windows Vista on the laptop, trying to catch up on things happening in the gopherspace. The last few nights have kept me from doing so due to storms, which keep knocking out power at home. At any rate, a post by Alex Schroeder immediately caught my attention just from the title: Creating.

I thought to myself, "Creating what?", and clicked through. It's actually about an essay titled Consume less, create more. I highly recommend reading the essay, as it's quite interesting.

However, as a fiction writer, I do have one thing to say about this subject: Find a balance between consumption and creation.

Creating more things, whether it's art, essays, books, music, or whatever you may enjoy, is very much something I encourage. But never let that desire of creation consume you. I've torn myself apart this way, burning out on the very thing that normally brings me joy. And it's something that, from experience, will leave you wanting only consumption for a while, as your creative side recovers from excessive use.

Consume some, create some.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. Use that to your advantage as you consume, so that your creations benefit from the boost of drive you get from that inspiration. You'd be surprised at just how much of a difference it makes in the end result.

Seeing that person sketching on the bus created the inspiration needed for TJCX to write their essay. The essay inspired others, myself included, to talk about that essay. Perhaps what I've written will inspire someone to write about the subject as well. And so on.

Consume.
Create.
Consume.
Create.

A cycle that may never end, but never really needs to.