7 Habits to Become a Creator, Not Just a Consumer

What is Consumer Culture?

In the modern era, consumer culture dominates the world around us. Now, when you hear consumer culture, you might think of a few different things: the flashy signs outside of businesses, advertisements for sales in front of colorful storefronts, or even people on the street trying to sell you something. These are all perfect examples of consumer culture, which is defined as a culture wherein the owning of goods is intrinsic to the sense of self. This, I am certain, you are familiar with—every day on social media, we are constantly presented with people advertising things to us, whether that advertisement is intentional or not. When you watch a beauty guru, or a fashion influencer, you subconsciously associate their life and their happiness with the things that they own. So, you naturally want to partake in that happiness by owning the same things as them. And when you buy something, you do feel that happiness, the instant gratification of hitting ‘purchase’ releases dopamine, making you want to chase that high again and again by continuing to buy material goods. 

Literally purchasing something is not the only way that we partake in consumer culture, though. Every day, we are consuming media: TikToks, TV shows, movies—these are all things that we consume. But in a world that seems to move so quickly, it is only natural that short-form content becomes most popular. Watching a TikTok, or scrolling on Instagram releases the same instant dopamine as shopping. What TikTok and shopping have in common, though, is crash afterwards. If you are like me, you often find yourself scrolling TikTok mindlessly for hours, and then another hour afterwards feeling guilty about it. Or you buy something only to regret it later as you realize you did not need or want it as badly as you thought you did. 

The way out of this spiral of instant gratification and subsequent crash is through creation. When we create something, we earn gratification in a more long-term sense. This way, there is no immediate crash afterwards. Managing to balance consuming and creating is the best way to keep from being swept away in consumption, so here are 5 different ways that you can start being a creator, not just a consumer! 

1. Journaling

• Keeping a journal is one of the easiest ways to start creating. Just writing a few sentences about your day helps you to get into the headspace of creating, and it allows you to take time to reflect and slow down in a world that always seems to move too fast. Self-reflection, or writing things down, has many benefits—it allows you to process your day and to let go of the things throughout the day that brought you stress. Journaling right before bed, in my experience, is a way to wash away all that happened and start the next day fresh. 

2. Cooking

• Cooking is beneficial in many ways, both physical and mental. First, it is much healthier than pursuing the instant gratification of fast food. It is also a way to lessen anxiety, as it allows you a sense of control over what you are eating and putting in your body. Partaking in things like cooking, which are slow and deliberate, is also shown to reduce stress and tension. 

3. Making Art

• There are countless ways to make art—painting, drawing, sculpting—and the beauty of them is that you do not need to be skilled or talented to reap the benefits. Painting and drawing, regardless of how good you are, are great ways to release emotion physically. Even if you are not happy with the finished product, or just scribble all over a sheet of notebook paper, you will feel a sense of catharsis. 

4. Going to the Gym

• While it may not seem like a way of creating, going to the gym is a way to pursue long-term goals and earn gratification. When you go to the gym, you are able to listen to music and focus entirely on yourself. Outside of being a great way to improve physical health, working out also helps to build a healthy mental relationship and confidence with your body and appearance. 

5. Crochet/Knitting

• Working with your hands is a fantastic way to create, and it comes with the added benefit of making something cute to wear or display! There are countless different patterns and strategies for crochet and knitting—even techniques like finger knitting can yield beautiful results. Being able to watch something you have made on your own slowly come into being is a great way to earn dopamine. 

6. Photography

• Photography is also a fantastic art form and has the added benefit of being extremely accessible, since you can use your phone as your camera. Photography can be done anywhere and is a great way to be present and take time to appreciate the world around you. 

7. Scrapbooking

• Scrapbooking can go hand-in-hand with photography. The practice of cutting up and pasting together mementos can be time-consuming, but also very rewarding. It is a great way to reminisce while also crafting something with your hands. Having something concrete that allows you to see your hard work pay off is an amazing way to earn dopamine without crashing or feeling bad afterwards. And besides, who doesn’t love glitter and washi tape?