Twenty-four easy ways to create before you consume
Or how to prioritise yourself and drown out the noise.
Create before you consume seems to be the mantra that I hear in all my online spaces.
Surprisingly, I didn’t stumble across this phrase until it had already passed into common parlance. I saw it shared by Amie McNee on Substack and took a screen shot, as it resonated so deeply the sentiment could’ve been taken from my own mind.
These four simple words encapsulated the subtle shift I’d brought into my own life over the last five years. A shift which has given me the confidence to not only listen to my inner voice but to prioritise it.
And why not?
That voice is the essence of me, and of you.
It is the most authentic version of ourselves that will ever exist but as we grow from children into teenagers, it is dampened down by expectation, by experience and by society.
Once I started listening again, and trusting myself above the noise that the world throws at me, life shifted.
Creativity overflowed, joy sparked in the everyday and contentment was easier to find. This is the simple wisdom that I’ve gleaned through years of striving, reading, learning, and doing.
I don’t want to spend the precious, fragile, fleeting time I have on this Earth simply reacting to a stranger’s life, thoughts or opinions.
I want to focus on my own.
Does this mean I won’t read a book, or listen to music, or watch a play, or scroll social media. This is, after all, consuming another’s thoughts.
No!
It just means that each day, first I intentionally create something for myself or in myself before I consume anything else.
It might be for 60 seconds, it might be an hour. I don’t count. I don’t judge. I forgive myself for falling off the wagon, but I set the intention every day.
Create before you consume.
I share book reviews and behind-the-scene snippets of my writing life on Instagram.
This simple shift has altered my mood, my health and my creativity. My nervous system is calmer, my mind more peaceful and my imagination sharper.
Here are my easy ideas for creating before you consume. No effort required.
(and if you want the science of why these actually work and more ideas, click on the links)
1. Create a peaceful mind.
Meditate – I love the free music and meditations on the Insight Timer app.
Breathe – 4-7-8 is my go-to box breathing at any time of the day.
Stare – I use the sky as a canvas for my thoughts, usually with a cuppa in my hand.
2. Create a calm nervous system
Sing – I’m notoriously tone deaf, but that doesn’t stop me. I have a playlist of my favourite 90s indie tunes that I still remember all the words to.
Hum – I usually combine this with a long drawn out Om, and the Insight Timer app is brilliant for this too.
Walk – I have a forest on my road and a puppy, so this is now a non-negotiable for me. Forest bathing is a daily occurrence, rain or shine (though mostly mud at the moment!)
3. Create a relaxed body
Stretch – your back, your neck, your quads… wherever you feel tight and carry tension.
Yin yoga – literally holding a stretch for 3 minutes. Pajamas and beds allowed.
Self-massage – face, neck, scalp. This isn’t a treat you need to pay someone for.
4. Create a strong body
Weights – lift heavy or light. A few reps or more. It doesn’t matter but feeling strong does.
Spin – or whatever form of cardio gives you a buzz. If you don’t know what gives you that high, there’s only one way to find out…
Swim – slow as a water-snail and my hair never gets wet but each time I add another length I know I’m getting stronger.
I’m a teacher, educational consultant and novelist with an academic background in English Literature, Philosophy and Psychology. I’m working on my second novel and you can Read my First Draft Diary.
5. Create awe
Music – shuffle a playlist of songs that wrench you out of reality and transport you to a higher plane
Poem – a burst of poetry followed by a few moments of contemplation
Photo – have a folder with photos of favourite places you’ve visited or screenshots of art you love. Stare at it.
6. Create imagination
Journal – free write, answer a question, practice gratitude
Read – an actual book. I dare you.
Release the artist – doodle, colour, sketch, paint
7. Create connection
Physical – hug, eye-contact, more if you have the right person
Emotional – a conversation that shows you care. No screens within reach
Social – message a few friends with the exact dates and times you are free for a call or meet up
8. Create purpose
Intention – Set your intention for the day. Try create before you consume for a week and let me know how you get on!
Goals – Revisit your goals for the week, month, year, decade. Whatever. If you don’t have any, create them. The universe will conspire to help you if only you are bold enough to take the first step.
Promise – Make a promise to yourself which benefits you alone and keep it. Mine is creating time to write and if you’re wondering how I’m going with my novel… I have two chapters left before I share it with my agent for feedback!
Let me know which practice resonates with you most or share your own ways of creating before you consume.
What are your tips for creating before you consume?
Thanks Simi, your lovely jewels came right on cue. Perfect timing 🙏