Creator vs Consumer - What makes us happier?

[preventingdiabetes]

Creator = Using creativity to create content, while enjoying the process of creation. E.g: Drawing, Graphics Design, Making YouTube videos, Filmmaking, etc.

Consumer = Consuming content. E.g: Watching Netflix, playing video games, watching movies, entertainment, etc.

Creators can imbue their life with meaning, and can make their craft a Life Purpose. 

Consumers on the other hand, probably won't feel like they have meaning in their lives if all they do is consume content. 

But does consuming content have any benefits at all? Can it spark inspiration? 

 

What's the ideal balance? Should most of our time be devoted to being a creator? Does being a creator make us feel more fulfilled than solely being a consumer? 

[Preety_India]

Balance and moderation is the key. 

 

[preventingdiabetes]

In general though, would you say that being a creator is relatively important to our level of fulfilment and happiness in life? 

[hyruga]

38 minutes ago, preventingdiabetes said:

In general though, would you say that being a creator is relatively important to our level of fulfilment and happiness in life? 

In general though, I would say that being a creator is relatively important to our level of fulfilment and happiness in life. 

[Jacob Morres]

 

3 hours ago, preventingdiabetes said:

In general though, would you say that being a creator is relatively important to our level of fulfilment and happiness in life? 

i think it depends on what youre creating. some things will give you much more fulfillment than others

but maybe even simply the act of creation, anything can be fulfilling. i dont know. thats a good question. like im thinking art and music. like people just like to do that stuff and it seems to fulfill them

i also see being a creator can be fulfilling because its needed to survive well and be happy. like if you want financial abundance or a girlfriend youd need to have the ability to create that. so id say yes  

[gettoefl]

what does god do? god gives god receives

give is what it did receive is what it will do

so enjoy the cat videos as long as you please

you might get the idea you can give back

only what you publish in black or white outlives your life

even cat videos can feature on your tombstone

[Nick_98]

4 hours ago, preventingdiabetes said:

Creator = Using creativity to create content, while enjoying the process of creation. E.g: Drawing, Graphics Design, Making YouTube videos, Filmmaking, etc.

Consumer = Consuming content. E.g: Watching Netflix, playing video games, watching movies, entertainment, etc.

Creators can imbue their life with meaning, and can make their craft a Life Purpose. 

Consumers on the other hand, probably won't feel like they have meaning in their lives if all they do is consume content. 

But does consuming content have any benefits at all? Can it spark inspiration? 

 

What's the ideal balance? Should most of our time be devoted to being a creator? Does being a creator make us feel more fulfilled than solely being a consumer? 

Notice: All the answers down here are based on my experience , what "I" think & believe.

What's the ideal balance?

-Create a little bit more than you consume, Only creations make me feel like a robot, only consumption makes me feel useless. 

Should most of our time be devoted to being a creator?

-In my opinion yes. But that doesn't include beating yourself up because at times you are consuming more than you're creating.

Does being a creator make us feel more fulfilled than solely being a consumer? 

-I think it makes you a better human, and it elevates how you think about yourself. I think most people who create something they believe is meaningful think way higher about themself , than most people who don't.

 

[hamedsf]

creation is enjoyable. we feel like god and goddess on earth when we tap into creation energy. that's why impregnating a woman and creating babies is fuckin' pleasurable! ?

[Nahm]

Not sure if one can consume creating, but surely one creates being a consumer. 

[aurum]

12 hours ago, preventingdiabetes said:

In general though, would you say that being a creator is relatively important to our level of fulfilment and happiness in life? 

Of course it is.

There is no way you’ll be happy if all you do is consume, consume, consume.

But of course, you do have to consume to some degree. Eating is consumption. Breathing in is consumption.

You can’t give a formula for the ideal balance between these two forces. That’s why it’s called balance. It’s done in real time, based on your specific situation, just like walking a tight rope.

Maybe you need a big adjustment. Maybe you need a small one. Maybe you need more creator, maybe you need more consuming.

I will say though, I would be biased towards being a creator. Most of our society is set up for you to just be a mindless consumer, and so it’s a safe bet that you likely need to be more of a creator in your life.

[Danioover9000]

@preventingdiabetes

20 hours ago, preventingdiabetes said:

Creator = Using creativity to create content, while enjoying the process of creation. E.g: Drawing, Graphics Design, Making YouTube videos, Filmmaking, etc.

Consumer = Consuming content. E.g: Watching Netflix, playing video games, watching movies, entertainment, etc.

Creators can imbue their life with meaning, and can make their craft a Life Purpose. 

Consumers on the other hand, probably won't feel like they have meaning in their lives if all they do is consume content. 

But does consuming content have any benefits at all? Can it spark inspiration? 

 

What's the ideal balance? Should most of our time be devoted to being a creator? Does being a creator make us feel more fulfilled than solely being a consumer? 

   Yes, devote some time in being a creator without it burning you out. There is plenty of fields in art and elsewhere to create, some resonate with you, others not as much. Arguably, even your most intense passion will feel like a grind if too much time and energy is put to doing just that so be careful.

   Which is why being a consumer exists, is good, and sometimes more beneficial than being a creator. For example your passion is writing freelance and fiction for the most part. On your break, you could slow down and do less, or listen to music, or read other stories authors have made or some poetry in your field of interest, or view beutiful paintings, or watch some performances, or play some games, or keeping a journal specific to an area you want mastery on, or try to enter flow at will or bring to mind how it feels to be creative, come up with new ways to tell a story, or create a book. All this feeds your mind with inspiration, and fuel to potentially synthesis your speciality with other fields of mastery and art, and through that process you will find your purple cow much quicker than you anticipated.

   I find a lot of meaning letting myself oscillate between creator and consumer. It's enjoyable to listen to your intuition on which side to shift time to.

[preventingdiabetes]

21 hours ago, Nahm said:

Not sure if one can consume creating, but surely one creates being a consumer. 

@Nahm What do you mean?

15 hours ago, aurum said:

Of course it is.

There is no way you’ll be happy if all you do is consume, consume, consume.

But of course, you do have to consume to some degree. Eating is consumption. Breathing in is consumption.

You can’t give a formula for the ideal balance between these two forces. That’s why it’s called balance. It’s done in real time, based on your specific situation, just like walking a tight rope.

Maybe you need a big adjustment. Maybe you need a small one. Maybe you need more creator, maybe you need more consuming.

I will say though, I would be biased towards being a creator. Most of our society is set up for you to just be a mindless consumer, and so it’s a safe bet that you likely need to be more of a creator in your life.

@aurum Yeah. By consumption I mean entertainment and hedonism. 

7 hours ago, Danioover9000 said:

@preventingdiabetes

   Yes, devote some time in being a creator without it burning you out. There is plenty of fields in art and elsewhere to create, some resonate with you, others not as much. Arguably, even your most intense passion will feel like a grind if too much time and energy is put to doing just that so be careful.

   Which is why being a consumer exists, is good, and sometimes more beneficial than being a creator. For example your passion is writing freelance and fiction for the most part. On your break, you could slow down and do less, or listen to music, or read other stories authors have made or some poetry in your field of interest, or view beutiful paintings, or watch some performances, or play some games, or keeping a journal specific to an area you want mastery on, or try to enter flow at will or bring to mind how it feels to be creative, come up with new ways to tell a story, or create a book. All this feeds your mind with inspiration, and fuel to potentially synthesis your speciality with other fields of mastery and art, and through that process you will find your purple cow much quicker than you anticipated.

   I find a lot of meaning letting myself oscillate between creator and consumer. It's enjoyable to listen to your intuition on which side to shift time to.

@Danioover9000 This is a nice perspective! Thanks for sharing. 

[Nahm]

@preventingdiabetes

I’m saying you can’t get out from behind being the creator. These roles, concepts, ideas, labels, all spontaneous creating. Even if you sit & do nothing, you create the experience of sitting & doing nothing. 

[preventingdiabetes]

On 8/28/2021 at 10:56 PM, Nahm said:

@preventingdiabetes

I’m saying you can’t get out from behind being the creator. These roles, concepts, ideas, labels, all spontaneous creating. Even if you sit & do nothing, you create the experience of sitting & doing nothing. 

@Nahm
What should I create? If I had $100 million right now I’d play video games all day. But that’s not what I would’ve done if I was asked that question a few months ago.

[preventingdiabetes]

4 hours ago, Knowledge Hoarder said:

Consume things, that makes you better at creating. That's a recipe for longterm fullfilment

@Knowledge Hoarder
Sorry, do you mean:

“Consume things that make you better at creating”

Or what you originally said:

”Consume things, that makes you better at creating”

If the latter, what do you mean by things? 

[Nahm]

1 hour ago, preventingdiabetes said:

@Nahm
What should I create?

Well that’s the sheer profundity, and the absolute beauty of the situation. There is no should. You’re free. My suggestion, make a dreamboard. Allow that answer to appear in front of you (by writing what comes to mind on the board). It will come. And it will change too, again & again. 

Quote

If I had $100 million right now I’d play video games all day. But that’s not what I would’ve done if I was asked that question a few months ago.

You’re not a consumer. There’s no such thing at all. It’s a belief projected, stereo typing, pigeonholing. You’re creating that experience. If what you really want is to play video games all day, sincerely I mean this, do that. While playing, should anything of interest as to what’s next arise, write it on the board. Maybe a day comes where what’s on that board is of more interest than what’s on that screen.

 

[Danioover9000]

@preventingdiabetes

1 hour ago, preventingdiabetes said:

@Knowledge Hoarder
Sorry, do you mean:

“Consume things that make you better at creating”

Or what you originally said:

”Consume things, that makes you better at creating”

If the latter, what do you mean by things? 

   For example, if you really want to be good as a writer, read other works from writers, and do fanfiction, and so on. Same if it's related to art like being an illustrator, concept artist, dancer, fighter, musician, so on. Consume the products or services in the domain of life/mastery, in the ideal medium you want to be as a creator, as that also feeds the subconscious mind raw data to process and synthesis with other related or unrelated field, like a graphic novel is just book plus images.

   Also, get in touch with what inspired you to be involved in that field. Also be willing to diversify your sources of inspiration, do exercises and drill in techniques, set aside time to put yourself into creativity, and keep a catalogue and portfolio of what you do.

[preventingdiabetes]

14 hours ago, Nahm said:

Well that’s the sheer profundity, and the absolute beauty of the situation. There is no should. You’re free. My suggestion, make a dreamboard. Allow that answer to appear in front of you (by writing what comes to mind on the board). It will come. And it will change too, again & again. 

@Nahm I want to create happiness. I want Enlightenment.

But Enlightenment is just an idea in my head. I have no reference experience for it. 

Also Enlightenment and meeting the need for financial freedom don't really overlap well. You can become Enlightened without financial freedom. And you can become Enlightened without a Life Purpose. But I don't really know. 

14 hours ago, Nahm said:

You’re not a consumer. There’s no such thing at all. It’s a belief projected, stereo typing, pigeonholing. You’re creating that experience. If what you really want is to play video games all day, sincerely I mean this, do that. While playing, should anything of interest as to what’s next arise, write it on the board. Maybe a day comes where what’s on that board is of more interest than what’s on that screen.

How can I recognize if this is an addiction? 

[preventingdiabetes]

14 hours ago, Danioover9000 said:

@preventingdiabetes

   For example, if you really want to be good as a writer, read other works from writers, and do fanfiction, and so on. Same if it's related to art like being an illustrator, concept artist, dancer, fighter, musician, so on. Consume the products or services in the domain of life/mastery, in the ideal medium you want to be as a creator, as that also feeds the subconscious mind raw data to process and synthesis with other related or unrelated field, like a graphic novel is just book plus images.

   Also, get in touch with what inspired you to be involved in that field. Also be willing to diversify your sources of inspiration, do exercises and drill in techniques, set aside time to put yourself into creativity, and keep a catalogue and portfolio of what you do.

@Danioover9000

I see. So consume content as a means to be inspired to create?

13 hours ago, Knowledge Hoarder said:

Sorry for not making myself clear, it's the former, of course? You know, courses that make you more skilled, thought provoking videos instead of other youtube garbage, healthy food rather than junk one, etc. Ofc, that is not to say you can never ever go for short term pleasures, just keep them at reasonable rate.

@Knowledge Hoarder

Makes sense. Thanks. 

[Nahm]

On 8/30/2021 at 3:00 AM, preventingdiabetes said:

@Nahm I want to create happiness. I want Enlightenment. But Enlightenment is just an idea in my head. I have no reference experience for it. 

Write what you want on the dreamboard. Perhaps as you experience that it does indeed manifest, your experience with reality expands so to speak, and you move along your path… life & enlightenment in unison. The happiness sought, might be found intrinsically, in the consciously creating. I’d be at a loss as to what could be more thrilling, fun & fulfilling than consciously creating. 

Quote

Also Enlightenment and meeting the need for financial freedom don't really overlap well. You can become Enlightened without financial freedom. And you can become Enlightened without a Life Purpose. But I don't really know. 

What is not two, not separate, can not overlap at all. There are thoughts about these, financial freedom, enlightenment, etc. There is also writing it on a dreamboard and not thinking about these things. Experiencing, more directly, if you will. Try to notice if enlightenment is thought to be something you could achieve or get, there is an underlying assumption it is not you, not now, not this. 

Quote

How can I recognize if this is an addiction? 

You could talk to someone like a therapist and go about it that way too. You could also consider, if playing video games (‘being a consumer’) all day isn’t settling well, isn’t satisfying… then there is more that you want than that. When that, whatever that is, arises in thought, in the mind… write it on the dreamboard. I suggest ‘that’, whatever it is, is already within you, rather than something you need to think about or figure out. 

You could also consider (and directly experience) awareness of thoughts. Noticing thoughts which are about avoiding what you don’t want… vs thoughts which are about experiencing what you do want. You could frame this up as motive (thoughts) and inspiration (feeling). This ‘opens the door’ so to speak, to emotional awareness & equanimity. One way to jumpstart that is fitness, exercise, cleaner eating. Feeling well being, vs conceptual thinking about getting enlightened, or getting enlightenment. 

“Creator vs Consumer - what makes us happier?”

In the ‘biggest picture’, maybe that just isn’t an accurate frame. Maybe ‘things’ and experience aren’t intended to make happiness happy. Maybe it’s all the icing on the cake, for Happiness. 

Though many influential people & teachers disagree… I suggest Happiness is as Esther Hicks describes… like a cork that floats when whatever is holding it down, under water, is let go. Or as Rupert Spira, Jesus, Alan Watts, and many others offer, Happiness is the true nature, what you really are. Using the emotional scale is most helpful in this regard, as one learns contentment is the result of letting expectations & conditions go, rather than something obtained or achieved… rather than a product of a doing, as if Happiness weren’t the default, the true nature, as if it were something a you has to find, get, make, or culminate. Then, from contentment, thoughts arise as to what you desire to experience, and in focusing on them, in aligning feeling & thought, you’re consciously creating, and therefore creating the experience of passion, excitement, eagerness, etc. Aka, joy.