The Low-Consumption Content Creation Rhythm I’m Trying

How “Obedience” led me to digital minimalism, creative clarity, and slower content marketing systems.

At the end of 2024, I shared my Word of the Year tradition on Substack—how each word, over the years, has helped me recognize the quiet movement of God’s providence.

This year, the word that came to me was Obedience.

Did I know what it meant when I chose it?
Not really.

But three months in, I’m starting to see how this word is not a command, but an invitation.

In this entry, I’m sharing a few things that have shifted and unfolded through obedience.

1. My Relationship with Social Media

2. Re-emerging Creativity

3. And the (very bare-bones) Content System I’m trying as I embrace a lower-consumption lifestyle

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The First Act of Obedience

Since the start of the year, I’ve been using something called a Brick. It’s a simple device that blocks apps you select, until you tap the physical Brick to unlock them. (Editing this post because Brick sent me a code to use if you’d like to try it out with 10% off! Here’s the link)

Image from getbrick.app

The idea was to decrease screen time—especially after a year of exclusively nursing my youngest, where I found myself doom-scrolling nearly every feed.

I’ve used screen time limits and app blockers before, but the extra step of needing to physically tap the Brick added an extra strong layer of friction. Having to get up and walk to where it’s placed was inconvenient enough to interrupt the loop.

As I write this, I’ve been Bricked for 167 hours. Yay!

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A Clearer Circle of Influence

With fewer bits and pieces of news, sales, acquaintances’ milestones, where a friend’s friend celebrated their birthday, scenes of someone’s hallway nook, and what someone’s child ate today… I started to feel a shift.

A wise priest friend once taught me about the Circle of Concern vs. the Circle of Influence. I had reached out in a panic during the lockdowns—angry and overwhelmed by the insurmountable state of everything.

He gently reminded me to focus on what was within my influence, to act with prudence, and to give the rest back to God.

Constant consumption can blur those lines. When we take in so many messages in a short span, everything begins to feel like it requires our reaction. Our attention. Our action. We were never meant to live this way.

These inputs become our talking points: “Hey, did you see this?” (on Instagram…)

They even start to feel like intentions:
Saved ideas we never return to. Good ones, even. But not life-changing if they stay buried in a folder with a hundred other un-acted-upon posts.

Because knowledge that isn’t acted on… fades.

When we pare down, we gain clarity.
We can choose what matters.
We can act on fewer things, more deeply.

And we can finally have room to respond to what truly matters.

This—this clarity—is what led me back to a regular rhythm of writing here on Substack.

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My Current (Minimal) Content Rhythm

Bear-in-mind, my job is content strategy. So I still need to be effective for my clients and my business. But because I have limited time and want to spend all of it with my family, here’s what it’s come down to:

Desktop-Only Social Media

My phone is Bricked all the time now. I’ve gone back to checking personal social media on laptop only. It takes me back to the 2000s when we’d login, update our status, see what’s up, log back off, and live life. Feels nostalgic.

Client posts are scheduled. And so are my own!

One Platform Focus

Substack has become home base. I aim to write every 7–10 days. Ideas and standout thoughts are jotted down throughout the week in notebooks, apps, or napkins, and then written into a longer-form piece to help make sense of my thinking.

My other platforms now have an auto-reply set up for DMs, inviting them to connect with me on Substack or via Email for business inquiries. I’m still thinking of what to do for comments, but we’ll get there when I’m actually able to post more.

I encourage my clients to have a pillar long form piece: YouTube, a Podcast, Substack, or LinkedIn. I’ll write more on the importance of long-form as a world building tool, but for now… Just know that if you need to prioritize or somewhere to start, it will be the best use of your time as far as content goes.

AI-Supported Repurposing

When I have margin, I use AI to repurpose my own writing across other platforms. (Sometimes I don’t have the time, and that’s ok. Client work and mom life are already full.)

I’m also experimenting with simple AI agents that repurpose content and distribute for me with my approval. I’m really particular about brand voice, so we are refining here and there. These are tools I believe will open the door and elevate more moms seeking flexibility through entrepreneurial pursuits.

Consumption-Free Sundays

Self-explanatory! I intend to write a piece on the spiritual necessity of rest sometime. I just love this topic.

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Creating (and Sometimes Publishing) with New Terms

Before this Brick experiment, I never once considered being off social media. It’s my work after all…

I thought I’d be missing a lot if I stepped away. Now I’m realizing how much I’d be missing if I continued to live the way I had been living.

Instead of passively taking in, I’m more discerning of whether content consumption will inspire me or weigh me down.

I still love to create.

I still love to document.

I still believe in sharing stories and connecting with one another through our shared experiences on or offline. In fact, I do more than ever.

But now, I don’t feel any desire to post for relevance, or jump on to every trend. I think I’ll be pivoting to sharing just like this. The things that have helped me, that perhaps might help someone else too.

To create on terms that align with the life I’m called to lead.

And I think… this too, is obedience.

I’d love to connect with any of you who have been trying out some form of this!

I’ve truly been amazed by how thoughtful and curious the readership is on Substack. I’ve come across so many insightful pieces around digital minimalism and intentional parenting.

It’s only been a few months, so this is Minimal Content System is still relatively new to me. What have you found works for you?

Thanks for taking the time to read.
Camille