Dear Reader,
You've consumed enough. It's time you start creating something of your own. It's time to start viewing yourself as someone who adds to the world, who's here to contribute and to build something, rather than just take from it. It's time you shift into a creator mindset.
The Fascination with Creation
I always loved the idea of creating something of my own. As a teenager, I was fascinated with filmmaking and photography. I always loved the idea of using a camera to capture aspects of life that I'm drawn to. Despite this fascination, for a long time I neglected this natural drive within me. I always had an excuse for not creating:
I have to figure out a good idea first.
I need better equipment.
Someone else already did it.
The Turning Point
In 2021, I was working a sales job at a department store, which I dreaded. It was Covid time, and I was spending 20 hours per week walking around a mostly empty department store with basically no customers to serve.
One day, as I was reorganizing a rack of clothes for the 10,000th time, it hit me: I had been spending more time at this department store than creating anything meaningful. I was spending my life working on other people's creations instead of making my own.
And I made a decision then and there - no more excuses. I've got to do something about this.
Rediscovering the Joy of Creation
So I made a habit of bringing my camera to work and going out to take photos after my shifts.
I quickly noticed that adding this element of creativity into my daily life was energizing me in a very profound way.
It brought back that feeling I had when I was a kid. You know, that feeling of getting lost for hours just creating things - drawing, building with Legos, making up stories - not caring what anyone thought?
That's what photography brought back for me.
It wasn't about the likes or followers. It was about rediscovering that feeling of being totally absorbed in the creative act, bringing to reality something that felt authentic to who I am.
Those photos didn't make me rich or famous. But they showed me that I'm not just meant to consume people's creations. I'm meant to add something of my own to the world.
The Creator Process
Maybe you've also got something inside you that needs to come out.
Maybe you've been spending all of your time helping build someone else's creations instead of making your own.
And maybe it's time to change that.
Here's how to get started:
Start with what you already consume: What do you spend hours watching and reading? Your consumption patterns are clues to what you should create.
Give yourself a challenge: When I started photography, I did a 30-day photography challenge. I decided to post 1 photo every day for a month no matter what. It got me into the habit of taking photos and actually sharing them.
Create in public: Put your work out there. Even if nobody looks at it, it's good practice. There is good science to back this up. It's known as the Hawthorne Effect: We perform better when we know we're being observed.
When you create in public:
You stay more consistent
You will create better work
You hold yourself to higher standards
You build momentum through accountability
Start Today
Creating anything, even if it's small, changes how you experience life. It shifts your perspective from being a consumer to being a creator, from taking to giving. And in that shift, you might just find a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment. So I encourage you to embrace the creator mindset. Start small, but start today. The world is waiting for what only you can create.
Take care,
-Samuel
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