“We are world eaters.”
– Ad Astra
It’s never been more evident to me than in the last month how much I consume, and what the impacts of that consumption are on my life and the world.
I’d like to be able to create and consume in equal measure, if not more heavily weighted towards the creation side. But that’s not how it is for me. I’m a world eater. I voraciously keep consuming. Courses, books, podcasts, videos, social media, clothes, food, tarot cards, journals, pens, art supplies makeup, skincare, magazines, emails, hair products. The list goes on…
What would my life look like without all of this? (What would my bank account look like without all of this?)
What would the world look like without all of this?
But our capitalistic society demands it of us.
These demands, this consumption, is what keeps the machine running.
We are finding out now what happens when much of that consumption stops.
Many are suffering. The disadvantaged and poor will disproportionately suffer. Systemic racism is extracting even more from communities. “Essential workers” are still going in to work to make sure that we all have food and healthcare and that we can post our Insta Stories uninterrupted.
Acknowledging my privilege here in this time and space has been painful and enlightening.
During this time, I’m reevaluating my own consumption. I’m finding out how I can be deeply nourished by what I already have. And I have so much. So much to be thankful for.
One of the things that makes me happy is to use all of stuff. I’m a finisher. I love to exhaust things completely. And in this time where I’m buying less, I’m able to find joy in the use of what I have and the finishing.
And once I finish a thing, I’m getting creative in finding ways to meet my needs without pursuing more. I think critically about what I will and won’t replace.
And in this, I am re-forming how I live my life, and how I show up in the world.