From Consuming to Creating: Regenerating Ourselves in the Age of Digital Overload

In the world of sustainable business, we often talk about consumption—especially the relentless pressure to extract more from the Earth. But lately, I’ve been thinking about a different kind of consumption. A quieter one. The kind that happens when I pick up my phone to check something and find myself, an hour later, deep in a reel spiral of rescue dogs and dry humor (my personal weakness).

In the moments when I feel tired or overwhelmed—or when the world feels especially heavy—it’s easy to numb out. It’s human. And honestly, a little distraction is fine. But I’ve started noticing how consuming media has become my go-to coping mechanism. Not just once in a while, but often. And it never really fills the well.

One night, I looked up and realized I’d been scrolling for over an hour. I wasn’t more rested or connected. I felt hazy. Distant. Like I’d poured my attention into something that gave nothing back. So I put the phone down. I lit a candle. I wrote a page in my journal. That small act of creation shifted something. I felt myself again.

We consume endlessly—news, videos, updates, outrage, opinions.
We become part of the dopamine economy, constantly chasing the next little hit.

We feed the hungry ghost.

But here’s the thing: The world doesn’t need more scrolling. It needs more creating.  It needs our energy. Our vision. Our joy. Our imagination.

Let’s write.
Let’s cook.
Let’s grow food, make music, paint, dance, build businesses, spark ideas.
Let’s bring new things into the world that are rooted in beauty, community, resilience, and love.
Let’s remember that we are creators.

And for those of us in leadership, let’s also remember this: our attention is a resource. Where we put it matters. What we give our energy to shapes our teams, our culture, our impact. The more we invest in creativity, the more we can show up clear-eyed, grounded, and awake to what’s possible.

The research backs this up. Studies from the NIH and elsewhere show that creativity makes us happier, less stressed, and more able to navigate complexity. It helps us think more flexibly and live with greater purpose. It reconnects us with what’s real.

And especially in hard times—when the world feels chaotic, or when we’re carrying personal grief or burnout--creating can be healing. It’s a way to move what’s stuck. To express what can’t always be said. To remember we still have agency, even when so much feels out of our control. Creativity doesn’t erase the pain, but it transforms it. It reminds us we’re still here, still human, still capable of beauty.

So if you’re feeling tired, disconnected, or overwhelmed:
Plant something.
Take a walk without your phone.
Journal.
Play music and move your body.
Make soup from scratch.
Write a single sentence.
Create something—anything—that reminds you what it feels like to be alive.

This isn’t just about wellness.
It’s about regeneration.
A return to what nourishes.
A restoration of our spirit, our attention, our creative spark.
A reminder that we are not here just to consume—we are here to contribute, to shape, to create.

You are not a gadget.
You are a creator.

Let’s reclaim our time.
Let’s reclaim our joy.
Let’s reclaim our imagination.
The world needs it. The world needs you.


Reading
How to Start Creating When you Don’t Know How to Start
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/rethinking-mental-health/202104/how-start-creating-when-you-dont-know-how-start

Cultivating Five Kinds of Creativity: https://hbr.org/2023/01/cultivating-the-four-kinds-of-creativity

Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Now by Jaron Lanier: https://community.thriveglobal.com/four-arguments-for-deleting-your-social-media-accounts/
 
Sound Track
Sound and Vision – David Bowie
Imagine – John Lennon
Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan


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Let’s keep creating a better world, together.