Create or Consume? Creativity as an Antidote for Addiction

For nearly two years I considered Lake Atitlan, Guatemala my home.

It was a magical and stunningly gorgeous place, surrounded by 3 towering active volcanoes and idyllically located in a lush, tropical-esque micro-climate deep in the Guatemalan highlands. I really cannot say enough good things about it, which is probably why Aldous Huxley described it as “too much of a good thing.”

The birds sang and danced harmoniously with equal parts zeal and grace while the alluring, turquoise blue waters sparkled in the sun. Even better was when I would look out onto that majestic lake and see elders from the village floating oh so peacefully yet purposefully in their traditional dugout canoes, as they patiently fished by hand for their daily catch.

My days were spent doing all I could to absorb the magic of the place and the people. I wandered through the villages, plucking tasty fruits from the trees, observing the locals’ lifeway, and immersing myself in what was an undeniably thick, rich, and colorful Mayan culture. One filled with truths and tenets we all could benefit from.

The people that lived there seemed to really value connection of all kinds, especially to nature, community, the cosmos, and one another. It was a culture with a strong “we” and a small “I.” One that fundamentally focused efforts on cultivation, community, and creativity. It was awe-inspiring and humbling to be able to experience their culture and fairly remote communities on such an intimate, in-depth level.

And so, while living there, I learned countless lessons about life, the Mayans, and so much more. Some of these learnings are shared in my upcoming book entitled I Wanna Get High, and one day I will write a collection of stories about all those invaluable lessons that I was so fortunate to experience while living at the lake.

For now, I’ll share one of the most important ideas from my time living amongst the Maya, especially as it relates to addiction and dealing with all the damn “dis” that feeds the pattern. The summary is as follows:

Creativity is a vital antidote for addiction.

For in most moments, we can either create something meaningful or consume something to fill a void or avoid all the dis that makes being present seemingly impossible. Daily, hourly, minute -by-minute we have opportunities to create or consume. The choice is ours.

Here’s an example from my time spent learning from and observing the Maya while in Guatemala. It was there that I had this “ah-ha” moment, as well as where I came to realize that creative pursuits can harness, and redirect that very special energy that drives addiction as well as all the dis.

The Maya: A Culture Rooted in Creativity, Community, and Cultivation

One of the first things I noticed once established at the Lake was that the Maya all created and cultivated a lot. I mean a whole lot.

Regardless of their village or local dialect, they were a culture fundamentally rooted in creativity, community and cultivation. This wasn’t for their daily wellness routines or self-care practices either. Creativity, community, and cultivation were vital for their survival, and had been a part of their daily lifeway for centuries.

In fact, nearly everything the Mayans used and ate was created and cultivated through their communal efforts. Whether it be a dugout canoe for fishing, the traditional garments they wore , or the delectable meals they cooked from locally grown crops, they depended upon creativity for their material needs AND spiritual pursuit.

Importantly, this meant that they bought and thus consumed very little. For the more one creates, the less they need to consume. Here’s a beautiful example of what I am talking about, one I learned from my days chatting with the women who created clothes, especially their traditional garments, blankets, scarves, bags, and more.

To make their clothes, the community grew lots of vibrant, colorful flowers in the fields that also could be used as dye for the fabrics. And the materials for the textiles were made from locally sourced cotton or animal hairs. Then, after being stained with the made from scratch flower-dye, the women would skillfully weave it all together to create a gorgeous garment or other textile.

This process was not an easy one. At all. For an American like me who was conditioned to rampant consumption and instant gratification, the process was a painstakingly slow, arduous, and lengthy one. In fact, I was told that for some clothing items such as their traditional dresses, it would take a woman one month or more to create a single dress.

However, you could see and feel the difference in their clothes. They were not only gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing to look at, but they lasted a really long time. They were durable. Well-made. A type of quality that is often harder to find in our country. And the clothes were always crafted by hand using materials grown on the land.

These dresses were also radically original, true “one-of-a-kind” articles of clothing. They functioned as an artpiece that showcased the creative expression totally unique to the woman who designed it. Individuality existed in the collective through sharing one’s creativity, not through their displays of consumption, production, or surplus materialism.

More importantly, it was so clear that the women had humble pride in their creations and craftsmanship, and rightfully so! They had spent months meticulously preparing, designing, and crafting each article of clothing. They built a relationship with it. They connected to it. They used their hands and creative energies to improve their own and other’s lives.

And, my assumption is that they felt really good about themselves because they had created their clothes instead of buying them. They had worked hard and diligently to take things that were rather insignificant on their own and put it all together to make something undeniably special. A weaving of inchoate parts to make a beautiful whole.

Said a bit differently, instead of buying some cheap machine made textile, they used their skills, abilities, and the land to create what they needed. Unequivocally, doing so builds confidence, self-worth, intrinsic value, and brings great satisfaction. It is an activity that demands one tap into their talent, energy, and passion to make something meaningful and purposeful. That, of course, confers all sorts of spiritual, emotional, and psychological benefits.

I know this to be true because it is the very same thing I witness in Culinary Concepts AB’s kitchen. Our students always feel energized, confident, and just really darn good about themselves after they work diligently and intentionally to create something from scratch. Sure, they love tasting it. But that consumptive act is only enjoyed because of the effort, energy, and intention that went into the creativity that preceded it.

Creativity as a Tool for Dealing with “Dis” (and Addiction)

So, while observing the Mayan women during my time in Guatemala, the lesson was rather simple: In most situations, we can either choose to create or consume. It is usually one or the other. We consume what we cannot or do not create. And if we choose to consume more, we also miss the countless benefits offered from the creative process.

More importantly, I’ve found that the more I create, the better I tend to feel. And, the more we (over) consume, the more we outsource our contentment, creative energy, and confidence to an external thing whether that be a substance, shopping, or drug of any kind. This can leave one feeling empty and living in more lack (dis!). This can also naturally lead to a need to consume much more.

However, if we choose to create instead of consume, then we will ostensibly need to consume less. At minimum, however, we will be using our energy for positive, fulfilling, and fruitful endeavors as opposed to feeding an insatiable emptiness that will never be full through trying to consume all we possibly can.

So, consider that creativity may be a wonderful way to redress addiction. In creating more and consuming less, it may help others, the planet, and ourselves. Creativity then, also serves as a great way to deal with all the dis that drives people to compulsively consume!

Creativity as a Tool for Dealing with “Dis”

If it sounds simplistic, maybe because it is. In most moments, we can either choose to create or consume. And it is worth noting that I believe real, intentional connection with self, nature, and/or others is a special type of creativity.

I do think, however, that conceptualizing it almost as a dichotomy offers one a practical decision-making tool that they can use as they move throughout their days, asking themselves the following: Am I choosing to be a creator or a consumer?

More to the point as it relates to dealing with the “dis.” Creativity offers one an outlet, and opportunity, to reduce habitual tendencies toward compulsive consumption of all kinds and channel the same energy into something meaningful, purposeful, and generative. In other words, creating instead of consuming is a way of disrupting the addictive pattern and feedback loop as opposed to feeding it.

And, creativity of all kinds, but especially creating art as the Mayan’s so frequently did, is a wonderful way to deal with all the dis that often drives the addiction. Notably, it enables one to take all the undesirable feelings, emotions, and energy swirling beneath the surface and do something purposeful with it. In other words, creativity doesn’t just deal with the dis, it alchemizes it.

If addiction is often compulsive consumption as a response to dis, then creativity is a desirable alternative, serving as a constructive expression in response to dis. One that utilizes the very same energy, passion, and effort that drives addiction, but transforms it into some life-giving and nourishing.

As you move throughout your days, I encourage you to consider finding ways to create instead of consume, and certainly notice times where you could create but you choose to consume instead. In a loving, reflective way, perhaps just ask yourself: Why?

Stay tuned for the next topic and issue of this newsletter. As of now, it is undecided, however I trust a creative spark will soon reveal what needs to be written next.