Want to be happier? Create more than you consume

We've been living in the era of consumption for so long that some people got stuck there. 

Yes, things are slowly changing, partly for necessity, partly because people realised that all this overconsumption can lead to debt, a feeling of void and depression.

But what is the antidote? I say it's a concerted effort to be creative, to create something, anything. To be pro-active rather than passive - like scrolling on your phone for days on end.

Too many people these days (it definitely got worst during the pandemic) have take-out food and binge-watch something on TV. There is nothing wrong with this per se, but if you think about it, it's consuming other people's creations and I'm not talking about you buying some wonderful piece of craft someone's designed and made.

Before you shout at the screen that you are not a creative person, you don't know how to cook and you certainly don't know how to act in or direct a film, I'm going to stop you right there. No one is asking you to become a creative ninja overnight, cooking a three course meal or start painting like Picasso.

No, no, this is about thinking differently. This is about becoming aware that maybe the scale has tipped too much in the direction of being demotivated, of wanting constant comfort, of wanting an easy life where we don't have to do or think too much and everything is being done for us, both in thinking and decision making.

I'm very aware of the overwhelming uncertainty of life right now, the challenges, the ever changing landscape and the energy it takes just to get through a day,

It's exactly for this reason that I'm suggestion to at least become a little aware of your habits, your comfort zones and how easy it is to get stuck there. What I'm proposing is to be open-minded. What is it that you could 'create'? Can you darn some socks that have holes in them? That's creating. Can you bake something small? Can you hand-make Christmas cards this year? They can be very simple. You can also enrol in a class for £20 where there are many beginners, as well as more established artists. There is a lot out there. Please don't feel you have to spend a ton of money to do courses. 

What about learning to make a terrarium or how to propagate a plant? There are free tutorials everywhere. It really doesn't matter what it is you are making. The point here is to create more than consume. And yes, you can still binge-watch a Netflix series... I certainly do!

Once you have a mindset of creating, you will find more inner joy, you will feel more in control of your life, you will learn to have different thoughts, more creative thoughts. Your outlook of life will change. You might meet interesting people. All this can lead to an expansion of your life.