Creating and consuming




 

 

Lately, I’ve been submitting my life to the MRI scanner of my own introspection. Some of that is really healthy. Other times … not so much. However, I think everyone in America could benefit from an honest audit of their consuming and creating habits.

Last week, while listening to the phenomenal “Battle Ready” podcast, Erwin McManus dropped some serious gold when he suggested that some people spend their whole lives fantasizing about vacations and retirement because they have acquiesced to a life they hate instead of creating a life that they love. That’s sobering.

The last few days, I’ve felt like someone who spent years inside the digital world of Tron, only to escape and discover my analog life covered in cobwebs. There is so much I could say about this. One could make a convincing case that we all spend way too much time online. We find ourselves being sucked into the vortex of social media meanderings and spelunk through the endless rabbit holes YouTube offers us. Yet, what do we have to show for the time we have spent? We don’t realize that, like the snake eating itself, the digital fruit we are consuming eventually consumes us, and precious time is lost. Our heads become both weary and obese with information. And in our fattened state, we become whiny, overly critical creatures, grossly unexercised in the realm of creativity. Ironically, the virtual world at our fingertips is both real and powerful. The digital world is a tool that, used rightly, can influence people in ways that our ancestors never dreamed of. However, in the wrong hands, this virtual world can become the biggest time suck and the greatest source of regret in our lives. On the more devious side of the spectrum, you could even say that the digital world has been the catalyst that has created the dystopian future we now live in, marked by political pyres and eternal echo chambers. But not all hope is lost. All of that digital fat is combustible and can be leveraged as fuel for compassionate creativity. Think about it. The vast library you have accumulated over the years from your digital consumption can be harnessed to communicate truths and solutions that might very well forge a new chapter in human history. You just need to have the courage and discipline to do so. For me, I think that plays out best in my creative writing. For you, it might be a completely different artistic manifestation.

Sometimes, I fantasize about living high up on a mountain or on a remote island … far away from any wifi or cell signal. But if I actually embraced that lifestyle, I would be abandoning my creative calling as a prophet and preacher in this digital age. Instead of becoming a hermit, I aim to limit my digital consumption to a diet of inspirational morsels and educational entrees so that I might regurgitate those into your mental mouths like a loving wolf parent. Yep, I’m just going to leave you with that image. Have a great week!

PAUL MICHAEL JONES is an artist who currently dabbles in music, photography and creative writing.

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