Avoiding creative constipation

Prathamesh Krisang

In a world full of consumers, a creator always wins. And those who ship their work, win big time.

In 2022, only 1% on LinkedIn users posted atleast once a week.

But this rule applies to the broader world as well. Only 1% of the total population creates value, the rest consume.

You don’t have to post on social media to become a creator. But you must create something. And ship it.

One thing I usually look at to know if I am in consumption mode or creation mode is to look at my search, YouTube & browser history.

If I am consuming things that are not related to things I am building, I realise I am in consumption mode.

Sure, Netflix and chill on a weekend is fine. But the problem is when consumption becomes automatic and endless and you have not created anything to show for it.

And… when you get into the habit of creating, the things you do to chill change as well.

For me, it is depressing to consume and not create. It leads to intellectual constipation. Foggy thoughts. Confusion. Overwhelm. Anxiety.

But creating is not enough. If I don’t ship or publish what I have created and wait for it to be perfect, I have what I call a Creative Constipation. Creative block. Overthinking. Imposter Syndrome.

There is something magical about shipping my work that frees my mind to move on and create the next thing, in a much better way this time.

That is how most real progress happens. By shipping or publishing what you have already done and not just create and let it sit on my harddisk. Then ship more.

The more I ship, the more space I have to create bigger and better things to ship. It is incredible how far giving relentlessly and without holding back can take you.