I often find myself completely overwhelmed by the amount of options there are. Even just picking what food to eat and what video to watch while eating, what book to read, it often feels like the process of choosing is the event rather than the action itself. The decision-making process while creating (rather than consuming) can be even more daunting; at the same time though, you have full control, unlike the process during consumption.
This break, I’ve put a fair bit of time into creation: working on this website, making music, releasing the music. Sometimes it can feel like dumping water into an empty pool.
If I take on these acts of creation as simple tasks (like choosing something to eat), then there should be an end goal, a final “event,” rather than the act of deciding being the goal itself. To me (and to me only, I speak for no one else), this solely task-oriented creative process does not work! Obviously, like many things, this is easier said than done. Still, every time I go into a project with an end-goal in mind, I usually end up somewhat disappointed or abandon the project all-together. Once again, expectations are a killer! I’ve found the most satisfaction going into projects for the sole purpose of learning and creation as those two things will always happen naturally.
Another note (perhaps a bit off-topic): At least with people in my age group (18-22 ish), it seems the actual consumption of media and its messages matters less than the perceived consumption and the aesthetic it creates. In this sense, the perceived consumption is enough, while the actual consumption doesn’t not necessarily hold as much weight. I assume this is a byproduct of social media.