“I don’t have time to read.” 

I hear this at least once a week, typically when someone sees me reading and decides to let me know that even though they like and appreciate reading, they just don’t have time for it.

Upon further questioning, it becomes clear that most often, they do have time. It’s that they choose not to read or choose not to prioritize it. There are many reasons for this, but the primary reason, at least from my perspective, is that they are watchers, not doers. It feels like we are increasingly transforming into a culture of passive observation over active engagement. This includes a wide range of activities, not just reading.

Of course, there are only so many hours in the day, but what will you do with them? I read between 60 and 80 books a year, and when I share this with strangers, they often respond with disbelief. “It’s simple,” I tell them. “Don’t surf the web, and don’t do social media. Suddenly, you will find you have all the time you need.” This is where the excuses begin. Cat videos, gear reviews, and last night’s sports highlights are all “critical updates” that can’t be avoided. Watching, not doing.

The difference between doers and watchers

How does this impact photographers and bookmakers? The best creators are doers. Doers are proactive risk-takers who act, create change, and manage setbacks. Doers are also the ones setting the trends because their actions allow them to test and experiment, breaking the mold of what’s been done before. Doers are goal-oriented and typically produce in both quality and volume. Many doers are proof that quality often comes from volume.

Watchers, by contrast, are passive observers who flip from channel to channel, app to app, screen to screen, all without truly engaging with much of anything or taking any real action. You see them on planes and in airports, coffee shops, museums, libraries, restaurants, movies, schools, on public transit, beaches, park benches, at the DMV, and almost every other location. Open Instagram, scroll, close Instagram. Open TikTok, scroll, close TikTok. Open Facebook, scroll, close Facebook. Email. Twitter. Slack. Discord. Wherever else a notification might be hiding. 

Repeat for hours, days, weeks at a time. On a recent flight to Japan, I watched in disbelief (yes, I too am a watcher sometimes) as the person next to me scrolled through TikTok for 12 hours straight.

YouTube is perhaps the most potent kryptonite for watchers. Although YouTube can be a remarkable educational tool, it can also be the worst nightmare for the passive watcher who bounces from video to video, wasting incredible amounts of time that could go toward doing instead of watching others doing (or watching others talking about doing). 

Photography, the field I know best, is a minefield for watchers. Gear reviews are at the height of popularity, but these films talk about everything except using the gear, everything except photography. Many of the watchers of these films bounce from review to review with no intention of ever buying or using the equipment. The doers are out using the gear they already have. Their focus is not on the camera. Their focus is on the work that comes from using the camera.

When I was very young, my cousin built a canoe with a sail mount and sailed from the top of the Ohio River to South America. The trip took several years. He was robbed numerous times, nearly died in a hurricane, and had countless other mishaps and adventures. Until recently, I never had a chance to ask him about his preparation. In my mind, I imagined him spending months, if not years, poring over maps to grasp the extreme level of logistics. When I called and asked about his preparation, he replied, “I think I had a paper map. But really, I just started sailing. I’m not much for preparation.” Doer.

The Internet is an incredible place. It has everything. With the Internet at our fingertips, a trip like my cousin’s runs the risk of never happening because of the amount of material one could watch before departure. Which canoe to buy? What sails to use? What paddle is most efficient? How to DIY that rig? What route to take? What kind of clothing works best in the tropics? Which insect repellent? What are the three top things to do in any city along the way, or all cities along the way? If that weren’t enough, you could just stay at home and watch all the films from others who have made similar voyages.

Watchers risk stagnation, erosion of critical thinking skills, and apathy toward the world itself. Too much watching and slowly, the world outside begins to feel slow and boring. Comfort and ease become driving factors. Next comes a lack of initiative, originality, and innovation. 

Photographers talk about what piece of gear to buy next, but haven’t used the gear they already own. Bookmakers fail to hit “print.” Instead, they search for new companies, papers, or cover options. They watch films about which software is best. They watch films about what might be coming soon in the book world, waiting and watching the world go by.

Break the cycle right now

The platforms that allow us to watch are some of the most incredible systems ever designed. They are extremely difficult to turn away from, but if you want or need to, I have a suggestion. Start now. Set an alarm for tomorrow morning, one hour earlier than usual. When that alarm sounds, do not reach for your phone. 

Do something. A run, a walk, a ride—maybe even open up Blurb BookWright and start to design. If you can’t do an hour, try 30 minutes. Try reading instead of scrolling. A half hour of reading per day means at least a book a week. A half hour of page design adds up, and before long, your own book will emerge before you.

The key is breaking the cycle, pattern, or routine of choosing to watch as the first option. Doing takes effort and a plan. It’s like exercising, you don’t get in shape right away. It could take weeks or months, but the payoff is tangible. 

Personal experience, professional gains, tightly edited groups of photographs, and printed books stacked nicely on the bookshelf. That’s at the end. Along the way, you’ll have a first-person, real-time life. The kind that only approaches you when you put down the screen, open the door, and take that first step into the light.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started.

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Dan Milnor is a professional photographer and Blurb’s creative ambassador. He shares his photography and bookmaking expertise here monthly. Ready to make your first book? Blurb is here to help. We’ll get you set up and printing your work in no time!