In This Concert of Content
Find the notes in the noise, then start composing.
How much of the content you consume is simply distracting? How much is educational, inspirational? How much of what you consume helps you create?
Our subtle thoughts, moments of boredom, pangs of dread are all drowned out by this concert of content. All you can hear is everything at once.
In this concert of content, everything reverberates and little resonates. Resonance isn't even the goal. Rather than trying to match frequencies, we look for ways to amplify our own — by including a hashtag, commenting on a trend, or pandering to an algorithm. Yet somewhere in this concert of content are notes, not just noise.
The noise: hyperbolic headlines, excessive emojis, digital ads, trivial alerts, giant billboards, virtue signaling, robot voiceovers, celebrity news
The notes: skillful writers, honest journalists, classic texts, clever YouTubers, practical films, passionate artists, humble experts, committed comics, meaningful conversations
You can choose what to listen to, if you just step out of the venue.
Conscious Consumption
We need to decide what we consume and why. If you make conscious decisions about what you use to entertain yourself, everything becomes more manageable. But our devices and social platforms are designed to capture and keep our attention. It's hard to break from their influence.
When we're trapped in a doom-scroll or binge session, we start to act unconsciously; we stop thinking critically. We forget to ask questions like:
Why do I care?
How does this affect my life?
Does this make me happy? What would I rather be doing?
We forget to ask because we're too busy amusing ourselves. The key is to avoid this absent-minded mode and, instead, consume consciously.
You don't have to consume this concert of content. Step out of the venue and tune in to what inspires you to create — to write an essay, cook a meal, learn a song, plan a trip, or try a new workout. Find the notes in the noise, then start composing.
Springboard:
What's one small thing you could create today in place of consuming?
I didn’t know that a newsletter could be a meaningful conversation but that’s what it feels like. I’m guilty of over consumption of fiction but for over the past month I’ve fasted from fiction. It’s because of this class. Maybe I’ll write about that. Thank you.