How I’m Creating Before Consuming
A mindful shift that’s helping me reclaim my creativity.
I’ve been creating and posting content online for nearly a decade, before aesthetics were formulas, storytelling had strategy, and growth was gamified. Back then, things were simpler. I posted what I loved, created to express, and shared what I wanted to share, not to perform. There was a kind of freedom in not overthinking it.
But somewhere along the way with algorithm changes, and new social media platforms to keep up with that freedom faded.
I started telling myself that hours of scrolling were “research.” That saving other people’s content was fuelling my next idea. That I was staying inspired. But in truth, I was stuck, lost in a loop of overconsumption, comparison, and self-doubt.
I haven't been creating from clarity or intuition anymore, but to keep up. And it drained the joy out of the very thing that I wanted to do forever.
The Cost of Consuming First
When you consume more than you create, you start to forget the sound of your own voice.
I noticed it in subtle ways, optimising captions for SEO, video edits that copied trends I didn’t even enjoy, ideas that weren’t really mine but had “performed well” for someone else. I’d open Instagram to post and end up in a rabbit hole of “just checking what others are doing.” And suddenly, I wasn’t inspired, but exhausted.
The more I consumed, the more I doubted myself.
The more I doubted myself, the more I consumed.
I started to believe that my content wasn’t good enough. That I wasn't posting like an influencer. I was looking at creators who were playing a totally different game and wondering why I didn’t feel the same spark. I wasn’t being a creator, but a collector of other people's ideas, momentum and voices.
I feel burned out, disconnected, and I'm tired of showing up as a watered-down version of myself.
Reclaiming My Creative Energy
So lately, I’ve been working on getting back to what I know:
I’m a creator first. Not a content machine, or an endless scroller.
So I'm leaning into this energy as a creator.
That means that I have to protect my energy, and the quality of my attention with more intention.
Here are some gentle shifts I’ve been making that have helped:
1. Create before your consume.
I try not to open social apps in the morning until I’ve created something. A draft, a caption, a video, or just writing down a single idea. It doesn't have to be perfect, but just has to come from me. The earlier in the day I create, the more connected I feel to my intuition. The more I create from my intuition, the better my content does.
2. Set time limits for “inspo”.
Tuesdays are now my trend research days, and I set a timer of 10-15 minutes max. I'm intentional about what I'm looking for, I don't just scroll and hope that something sparks my inspiration. Without this boundary, it turns into a creative drain. Inspiration shouldn’t leave you feeling less than.
3. Create from memory, not mimicry.
Instead of trying to copy a format I liked, I ask myself:
What stuck with me?
What did I feel when I saw that?
Then I create something new, using that energy, and not following their exact structure. I want to channel my own ideas, not copy.
4. Let real life be the content.
All of my best ideas come when I’m not trying to create, they show up during a walk, in the middle of journaling, or while taking a shower. The less pressure I put on myself to “be creative,” the more ideas find their way to me. I’ve started trusting that life itself is the content. The rest is just how I choose to express it.
5. Curate to protect my peace.
This one is hard, but very necessary. I’ve started unfollowing creators whose content makes me feel small or second-guess myself. If it feels repetitive, surface-level, or like it’s echoing what everyone else is already saying, I let it go. Honestly, only a small handful of people genuinely inspire me or challenge me to think differently. The rest just adds to the noise, and I don’t want to keep circling the same recycled ideas.
6. Remember why I started.
I’ve wanted to be a content creator ever since the early days of YouTube in 2005 and reading fashion blogs on Blogger. When I first started creating myself, I wasn't chasing perfection. I just wanted to be present and finding like-minded individuals, who made me feel less alone and more inspired. That’s what I come back to when the doubt and comparison creep in. I remind myself that creating is, at its core, a form of self-expression. It’s not just about how my content performs, but how it connects me to myself and others.
If you're a fellow content creator, or a content consumer, and felt this way too — the weight of overconsumption, the pressure to be “on”, the quiet burnout of trying to keep up with everyone — I want you to know that you're not alone.
It's ok to step back and recalibrate. Your voice and creativity are still there, and we all need to work on our boundaries with social media.
Creating before consuming changes everything.
Stay mindful,
Ieva🪞