I listen to a lot of words online. These would include mostly podcasts and audiobooks. I also like to read people’s blogs, and some thoughtfully written newsletters that I have signed up to receive in my inbox.

Those are a lot of words for a person to consume in a day. And adding them up for a week (5 days mostly), I have a ton of other people’s ideas and ways of living in my head. 

I love words. And so this brings me a lot of joy. 

BUT

I feel like I need to limit the amount of other people’s stories and ideas coming at me each day and each week. Or atleast get thoughtful and intentional about them.

So to be intentional about how much of media I am consuming, I have decided to start a Media Consumption List for myself. This list is just a Google Sheets document I can access on my phone. I list every podcast, or blog, or TV Show or Movie or Newsletter I just happened to have read, listened to or watched. And a little comment box if I have any opinions to add.

I came across this tracking on Sarah Hart-Unger’s blog The SHU Box. 

The idea behind this tracking is to be a little more mindful of what kind of stuff are we consuming online. And how much too, for me. 

Because I don’t want other people in my head ALL THE TIME.

I want some time for headspace and daydreaming too. 

Making art and writing could use some imagining and daydreaming that come from me rather than from just consuming stuff online. 

I like to listen to audiobooks and podcasts while working out. That makes it easier for me to show up to exercise. So I want that consumption to remain.

But when I go for walks outside, I wont be taking my headphones with me. I will leave that time to take in my environment, think my thoughts, and simply daydream. 

The idea of just sitting and staring into space has lost all credibility and space in our lives. But I truly believe it has an important place in our days, as well as well-being. When human brain flits from one thought to the other, which may seemingly be of no real importance, then we have space to connect dots that we didn’t even realize existed, or could have any connection whatsoever.

New ideas need space to get generated. And space that is free of stress and productivity goals. An emptiness of sorts. Where play of thoughts can happen organically.

It is this kind of space that we are giving up in the landscape of our minds by letting mindless media consumption take over our heads. Every time we have five minutes to kill, opening Facebook (or pick your poison of choice) to watch funny bird videos (yup that’s me!) to fill our brains is what we opt to do. Rather than just sit with emptiness. 

Yes, it’s uncomfortable. And for some of us absolutely terrifying based on what is going on in our lives (and I am not talking about those situations).

BUT my work, my thoughts, my ideas…I can’t let that bubble up and develop and do my most creative work if I suppress it, and cover it, and never let it flourish.

Less Consuming, More Daydreaming

That could that be my mantra of the year!

Not to say that I don’t enjoy my beloved podcasts and blog posts: I do a lot. I like those positive influences in my life, and exposure to new ideas or way of thinking. We definitely need those too to have dots to connect! But within a limit, of course.

If a simple list of my media usage can help me recover my creativity to any degree, I am happy to have to track it.

And putting that little step in my choice of content will also hopefully help me pick the good quality ones to get into my brain.

Bird videos are fun, but really, they are not helping me do my work with more originality and authenticity.

Only my once-in-a-while-empty brain can get me there.