The Space Between Consuming And Creating

If creativity is a vast landscape, then there exists a fascinating realm that often goes unnoticed within this landscape. It's the space between consuming and creating.

Actually, it's more like a mental terrain where ideas, connections and inspiration simmer, form and take root in interesting or unexpected ways.

This space, I've come to realize, is as crucial to the creative process as the act of creation itself.

The Fallow Period

Nature, in its infinite wisdom, gives us a great analogy for this creative interlude: the fallow period.

In agriculture, it's a time when the land is tilled but not cultivated, allowed to rest and rejuvenate.

On a similar fashion, our minds need this fallow time to process what we've consumed, to let "ideas cook" and transform.

Perhaps, this fallow period could also be viewed through the lens of the four seasons. If summer represents the peak of outward activity and winter the depths of introspection, then this space between consuming and creating is akin to autumn.

A transitional period, where we gradually turn inward, processing the abundance of experiences and information we've generally gathered.

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In my experience, this space isn't characterized by much "doing" in the traditional sense. Instead, it's a time of passive activity, much like the slow cooking of a complex dish. A little bit of engagement and more of letting go.

Consume Late, Create Early

I've found a rhythm that works for me in navigating this space. I tend to consume - whether it's reading, watching, or listening - just before going to bed.

Then, after a full night's sleep and once I'm fully awake, I engage in creation. This pattern seems to allow my subconscious to work on the input overnight in really interesting ways, which results in fresh insights or ideas in the morning.

Sometimes, the ideas can be so outlandish that I wonder if I'm tapping into some hidden reservoir of creativity I didn't know existed!

The rationale behind this approach, I believe, is in the brain's ability to process and consolidate information during sleep.

Consuming before bed gives our minds the raw materials to work with during our rest and upon waking, we're able to catch these processed ideas like fruits falling from a tree, making the act of creation feel more fluid and inspired.

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Of course, it doesn't always work; unexpected things can happen, disrupting the whole process. But when it does work, it's like magic.

Productivity And Visible Output

To cultivate this space, the first thing we need to do is resist the urge to be constantly producing or consuming, at least in our heads.

We need to allow ourselves time to simply be with our thoughts, to let them wander and connect in unexpected ways.

I know this can be really hard to do, especially in our fast-paced world, where everything seems to be happening, everywhere, all at once.

But the trick is to embrace the quiet moments, to find pockets of stillness in our day where we can let our minds roam free. It could be during a walk, while doing dishes, or even in the shower.

Perhaps, also, this can be an enlightening way to view the times we're not being productive, since productivity isn't always about visible output.

Sometimes, the most productive thing we can do is nothing at all, allowing our minds to process and connect ideas in the background.

Maybe in actuality, we're brewing up something unique, interesting, and entirely our own on the background of this apparent unproductiveness.


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