The Manual #9
Stop consuming. Start creating.
Stop consuming. Start creating.
As people we naturally want to consume as much as possible. So many of the apps and services we use daily are designed for us to consume as much as possible, usually passively.
Look at apps like Twitter, Instagram and TikTok — they’re designed to have infinite scroll so you can have a constant flow of content to consume. They want to keep you on the app as long as possible so you can see more of their ads.
Now there’s nothing wrong with consuming content like this, but like food, you have to regulate your consumption. Too much of it means over indulgence.
There are two forms of consumption — passive and active. Passive is having the TV on in the background or endlessly scrolling Instagram. Active is reading a book or following a tutorial. The two can blend though.
I try and set myself a goal to create on a daily basis, however small or large. I try to use anything I’ve consumed and apply it to whatever I’m trying to create. Here I am creating this very email where I share my thoughts and other tidbits I think are worth sharing.
Top Tech Under $100
I covered some of my favourite tech and gear under $100. It did very well on my channel so I’ll be doing more in the future. Always looking for more gear recommendations, so let me know!
Minimal Product Photography
A video sharing my process on how I take minimalist product photography. This one is a super simple one that anyone can follow. No need for any expensive equipment.
Side Hustles for 2021
I’ve been uploading a fair few videos on my second channel recently. I did this one on side hustles I recommend for 2021.
Link Lowdown
A collection of links to stuff I think are worth sharing.
Victoria’s Secret pays $938,000 for NYC location — What an insane amount of money to pay in rent. But it makes sense. These are high profile locations that aren’t usually profitable and are more for branding and marketing purposes.
If You Make More Than $100k a Year, You Should Hire a VA — Interesting thread on hiring a virtual assistant. I’ve been looking into a hiring an assistant so this has been very useful.
Ray.so — Web app that helps you display your code beautifully.
Quill Chat — An all-in-one messaging service.
Sample Breakdowns by Tracklib — Incredible playlist of videos that breaks down the samples of popular songs. Opened my mind to how much work goes into producing music.
Recut — Very neat app that automatically cuts out quiet parts of videos. Perfect for podcast and video editors.
Compressor.io — Web service that optimises and compresses images.
Klotz PC Case — I’m always on the search for great looking PC cases and this one looks promising. It’s difficult finding aesthetically pleasing cases.
Indeed, we need to stop consuming and create more.
I do that sometimes. With a regular 9to 5pm work is complicated to manage time and, after a tough day we just want to sit and relax.
Great post. Loved it!
As always!