# Any (full time) composers that struggle with productivity?



## Thomastomaat (Jan 30, 2020)

As I'm starting out, my biggest challenge for the last year has been my productivity. I struggle with it on a daily basis, I really have to push myself to start working, and really put in the hours. You then might think, do you even want to be a composer, and as a matter of fact, yes I do. I have clear goals in mind, I know what I'm doing it for, and once I'm working, I enjoy doing it. It is just that a combination of being easily distracted, lack of discipline and a lack of desire that makes it pretty tough sometimes.

I've already come to learn that I'm definitely not the only one with these struggles, it is in our nature as a human being to be "lazy". But I've also spoken with some successful composers who never had that issue. They just want to make music everyday so that is what they do. They don't have to make elaborate plannings, read books about productivity and self-help-guides, they seem to just wake up everyday and start working.

So I was wondering what your take is on this subject. Do you also still struggle with this? Or did you in the past and seem to have overcome this by now? Let me know, I'm very curious about it


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## davidson (Jan 30, 2020)

Are you kidding, I could probably win gold at the olympics if procrastinating was a sport. I'd suggest giving yourself set hours for whatever musical task you're working on - start at 9am, lunch at 12, back again at 1pm...you know how it goes. Some of us just need a bit more self discipline than others.


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## jcrosby (Jan 30, 2020)

Deadlines don't hurt either!  I can't help but think of the amusing scene in _Forgetting Sarah Marshall_ where the Peter sits at home procrastinating while eating a huge bowl of fruit loops 

Seriously though, unless you have a deadline don't try and force creativity. If it aint there it aint there... the best advice I got from a friend years ago was spend time doing something in your studio every day, even if it's just organizing samples, favoriting Omnisphere patches, or whatever you jam is... Basically find ways to fall in love with the whole process of keeping yourself being productive in some way or another... When the creative sparks hit, or a project comes your way it'll feel a lot less like work.

Also find ways to break up production into a few routines. Do some sound design, loop-making, or instrument-building on specific days. When you get the creative bug just follow it, and return to your regularly scheduled program after...

The other thing is to learn how to 'sketch', (getting your ideas down as quickly as possible with as few tracks as necessary, then revisiting them the next day, or a few days later). This comes naturally once you develop a semi-regular schedule of breaking things up into routines when you're not on a project... 

Basically the mindset of dividing tasks into sub-routines of smaller parts lends itself to approaching writing like sketching. Sometimes you'll find a bigger idea pop into your head, follow it when it does... But other times sketch some ideas out and visit them later. You'll find yourself being able to separate the wheat from the chaff quickly...


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## Thomastomaat (Jan 30, 2020)

Yeah, it is mostly when I have fewer to no deadlines that I'm struggling a lot to make my time worth it. But in those periods, it is extra important to put in the hours to find new work, and thus creating new deadlines.

I like the idea of not force creativity, although usually it actually helps me to block an evening for just composing, without distractions.

I feel like my working hours are fine, always around 9 to 6 and sometimes one or two evenings for composing. I must say that 2-3 of those days are spend working as a web-developer, which makes it especially punishing when I did not have a productive day.

I do think that in my quest to the perfect productive day I kinda created an elusive goal, resulting in not being satisfied with an semi-productive day. Wish I could sometimes just turn of me overthinking everything lol.

Thanks for the replies


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## chillbot (Jan 30, 2020)

Coffee. Get up early and drink coffee. It's magic.


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## Beluga (Jan 30, 2020)

Working on a project is the best part of the day for me and I look forward to it as soon as I get up. Sometimes I push it back a little to even enjoy it more when I can finally sit down and produce music. It's only when I have been creative 6-12 months straight or more that it becomes hard and I feel my creative energy is used up and needs to recharge. If I can't do that it becomes a struggle. Luckily I don't work non-stop and often find time to relax.


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## InLight-Tone (Jan 30, 2020)

Read "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. That'll get your butt moving...


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## davidson (Jan 30, 2020)

InLight-Tone said:


> Read "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. That'll get your butt moving...



I've read that twice and it just won't resonate with me for some reason, which is frustrating - I know millions of people swear by it. If we're going book recommendations, I'd say Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness.


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## MartinH. (Jan 30, 2020)

davidson said:


> If we're going book recommendations, I'd say Peak Performance by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness.



Or "Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise" by Ericsson and Pool.


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## Alex Fraser (Jan 30, 2020)

I read this post once a year:








Why Procrastinators Procrastinate — Wait But Why


The full story about why procrastinators routinely ruin their own lives.




waitbutwhy.com





Actually, the blog is kind of epic, but that post in particular hits right to the heart of productivity.

My other tip: Just start. Open up the template and put your hands on the keys. Promise yourself you'll do 10 minutes only before stopping for coffee/toilet/VIC. As it happens, you'll probably want to continue after 10 minutes and chase the idea. Works for me anyway.


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## Thomastomaat (Jan 30, 2020)

chillbot said:


> Coffee. Get up early and drink coffee. It's magic.


Without coffee I'd be absolutely nowhere...



InLight-Tone said:


> Read "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. That'll get your butt moving...


This is actually the latest book i've read (Except for part three, it was a bit too spiritual for me). I really like the idea of creating a sort of "evil mastermind" that is responsible for all your procrastination. And while the book gave tips on how to "beat resistance" I have not yet figured out how to beat mine...

I'll check out the other suggestions!


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## Mike Marino (Jan 30, 2020)

Alex Fraser said:


> I read this post once a year:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That blog post was amazing! Literally laughing out loud with tears between part 1 and 2...


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## Soundlex (Jan 30, 2020)

chillbot said:


> Coffee. Get up early and drink coffee. It's magic.


This. Dropping the kid at 8am, then dark coffee, then hours of work feel like a bliss.
Before I started drinking strong coffee early, I was procrastinating way more...


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## nolotrippen (Jan 30, 2020)

I remember what Rossini said: "I wanted to procrastinate, but I kept putting it off." Kingsley Amis (Not a composer, but still…) revealed that the moment he got out of bed, before doing anything else (including coffee) he would write one page of text. Even if he did no more writing that day, if he followed this habit, at the end of a year, he'd have a book!


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## Thomastomaat (Jan 30, 2020)

Alex Fraser said:


> I read this post once a year:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wow, amazing blog post! It's quite similar with The War of Art, but for some reason portraying resistance as a monkey already makes it feel a lot easier to overcome it. Currently reading the second part, this is a game changer!


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## StevenMcDonald (Jan 30, 2020)

I think my productivity tends to be very anxiety-driven. I'm constantly worried my career bubble is going to pop and I'll be left without income, so when I do get working hours (less common than I'd like with a toddler in the house) I work _very_ hard and efficiently, because I'm scared that I'll fail if I don't.

I do sometimes get so far ahead of my work needs that I end up with free time, do nothing, then feel guilty later. I'm trying to work on becoming a better relaxer.

The recommendation I read earlier to always do _something_ productive, including cleaning, backups, exploring sounds, etc, is great. My own recommendation is to set yourself goals that involve an amount of productivity vs an amount of time. For example, I always set my goals based on things like "Get 2 tracks out the door today" or "stem out this whole album and upload it". That works better for me than "work for 3 hours" because I might slack off and work slowly for 3 hours just to reach the time goal, just like I used to do in all my office jobs that required me to be present for 8 hours


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## nolotrippen (Jan 30, 2020)

Oh, and one more comment, this from Duke Ellington: Don't give me inspiration. Give me deadlines.


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## tabulius (Jan 30, 2020)

I hear you. When I have a deadline, then working is easy. I do long days and just compose, work, sleep, work and work. As a one man company there is no one to tell what to do when there’s downtime. I’m also have been paying attention to productivity and what has helped me a bit is bullet journaling. I plan my next week and add few important todo points each day. I found I really enjoy working with organic pen and paper. The challenge what I found is how to have specific todo lists. Meaning if I have a todo of general ”make new music” or ”do marketing” every week, then I lose the drive. I need to think more precise tasks and every time think the WHY too and not only WHAT.


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## MinorMajor7 (Jan 31, 2020)

I have a desktop timer I got off Amazon you can turn to different time amounts (5min, 15min, 30min, etc). When I'm dreading a cue or some other task I pick a time and just push through for that amount of time. It helps compartmentalize the task, and usually I feel better because it wasn't as bad as I expected. 

Also, making a to-do list of simple things you need to do for the day can help you get some mental momentum. Sometimes you are getting more done than you realize.


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## MartinH. (Jan 31, 2020)

I haven't had a chance for extensive testing yet because I just started with this, but so far what seems to work well for me is making a schedule with time blocks dedicated for work, and scheduled breaks between them, and using a timer to remind me when I should start or stop working. I really can't concentrate for a long time without a break and I think everyone needs to find out for themselves what work/break intervals work the best for them. I've heard in several videos though, that no one really can truely focus for longer than 45 minutes at a time. So maybe consider taking breaks sooner rather than later. 

I tried all kinds of planning and to do lists and they all feel counterproductive for me personally. I seem to fare better with just having a time schedule where I mark when I _plan _to work, and mark when I _actually_ worked. That creates some accountability. And you need to trust yourself that as long as work is happening, you're making progress in some way. If to do lists help you in some way, use them! I feel like I just get anxious from seeing a multi-month spanning mountain of work on a long list.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jan 31, 2020)

Why do you feel the need to write music between deadlines? If the spark isn't there, it isn't there. Although I'm not a full-time composer (if you you mean 40+ hours per week as a primary career), but I do it as a part-time "second career". Like @jcrosby mentioned, just spending time for a certain amount of time each day in your studio is cool, it's a great time to learn your plugins, organize files, audition the thousands of patches you've never heard before, etc. I rarely write music between projects, I thrive on looming deadlines. You're making a big deal over nothing. Get out and pursue other hobbies when you aren't feeling creative, it might ignite some inspiration. I spend a lot of time skiing, wine tasing, and sailing.


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## Alex Fraser (Jan 31, 2020)

Quite possibly an unpopular option, but..

I think if you want to make music a full time thing, you can't really wait for "the muse" or creativity to hit. You just have to get working. Consider it a job: A plumber fits pipes on a Monday morning. You write music.

From personal experience, I think the key to productivity is (1) Stop thinking about the tech and libraries. What you have now is fine and if you need anything else, you know where to find it. (2) Remember that you'll be writing for someone else, not for yourself. If this is a job, your personal identity and journey isn't going to be tied to the music. Or in otherwords, try to get out of your own head. 

I find a quick flick through iTunes/YouTube listening to other music is usually enough to get me motivated and writing. V I Control remains a thorny distraction though. Like, right now.


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## reddognoyz (Jan 31, 2020)

InLight-Tone said:


> Read "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. That'll get your butt moving...



Agreed it is more about working like a professional, but geared towards someone trying to break in.

I have the opposite problem in that after a couple of decades of working as a media composer I have often told my wife after coming home (late) after a long day of scoring the same old stuff, it's like "trying to choke down tablespoons of sawdust."
I was a monster when I started out, I mean I could really crank! but as the work that paid the best got more and more repetitive I got less and less interested in it. I found an episode I did recently on demand and watched about four minutes... all I could stomach. Same ole Same ole. I think I have pushed my skill level as far as the medium (11 minute cartoons) will allow, and have been at the same plateau for waaaay too long.
I can look for work in other, similar, fields. Even an older age demo would be nice, but I am a known entity in preschool tv and competing with the rest of you young lions in others.
I did a couple of History channel series and specials but the pay was so shitty I couldn't really justify passing up the work that paid and had real back end. 
If you are starting to feel some burnout coming on I would highly suggest finding some different type of scoring. Something that scares you a little going in : ) Don't wait until you're so far down the rabbit's hole you can't afford to seek new horizon's.


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## MartinH. (Jan 31, 2020)

reddognoyz said:


> Agreed it is more about working like a professional, but geared towards someone trying to break in.
> 
> I have the opposite problem in that after a couple of decades of working as a media composer I have often told my wife after coming home (late) after a long day of scoring the same old stuff, it's like "trying to choke down tablespoons of sawdust."
> I was a monster when I started out, I mean I could really crank! but as the work that paid the best got more and more repetitive I got less and less interested in it. I found an episode I did recently on demand and watched about four minutes... all I could stomach. Same ole Same ole. I think I have pushed my skill level as far as the medium (11 minute cartoons) will allow, and have been at the same plateau for waaaay too long.
> ...



Would it be an option for you to just cut your hours in half and use the newfound free time to explore other genres or even other hobbies entirely without the restrictions and framework of "work" and "clients"?
I can relate very well to how you feel, even though I am not a composer. And for many people I wonder "Do they really _need _to work those 40+ hours weeks in the job that bores them?".


I don't know anything about you, so I'm only speaking in general terms here. I think the "traditions" of what a working life should look like are very much worth questioning and many people might find they are better off with cutting down on unnesseccary spending, embracing minimalism a little and using more time to lead a creatively fullfilling life instead of grinding away at their job to then make frustrated impulse purchases that they never really make use of. I think it might be very applicable to the VI-Consumer crowd, but I've also seen this in other non-composer creatives that I know - working too many hours of jobs they hate to buy shit they don't need, like that old Fightclub quote...


P.S.:


reddognoyz said:


> I would highly suggest finding some different type of scoring. Something that scares you a little going in : ) Don't wait until you're so far down the rabbit's hole you can't afford to seek new horizon's.



I wanted to stress that I think this is really good advice for most freelancers, not just composers!


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## reddognoyz (Jan 31, 2020)

MartinH. said:


> Would it be an option for you to just cut your hours in half and use the newfound free time to explore other genres or even other hobbies entirely without the restrictions and framework of "work" and "clients"?
> I can relate very well to how you feel, even though I am not a composer. And for many people I wonder "Do they really _need _to work those 40+ hours weeks in the job that bores them?".
> 
> 
> ...




Well I have hired a couple of writers that are working with me now and it's worked out, although it took a long time to find guys who understand this kind of scoring. I'd like to do some film work and not necessarily for money. I was a guitar player and comp major in school and I'm learning to play like Bill Evan's on piano(absolutley not : ), but I'm trying and I love it. I still am obsessed with music and scoring, I'm just wondering if I let the window pass for doing anything in film.

I know when JunkieXL decided to change careers and become a film composer it took him about 17 years to break through, and he was already a big deal...


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## jcrosby (Jan 31, 2020)

reddognoyz said:


> Agreed it is more about working like a professional, but geared towards someone trying to break in.
> 
> I have the opposite problem in that after a couple of decades of working as a media composer I have often told my wife after coming home (late) after a long day of scoring the same old stuff, it's like "trying to choke down tablespoons of sawdust."
> I was a monster when I started out, I mean I could really crank! but as the work that paid the best got more and more repetitive I got less and less interested in it. I found an episode I did recently on demand and watched about four minutes... all I could stomach. Same ole Same ole. I think I have pushed my skill level as far as the medium (11 minute cartoons) will allow, and have been at the same plateau for waaaay too long.
> ...



Definitely. I take on projects that push me way out of my comfort zone once in while or I get stale. Not only has this made me a better overall musician, I've actually gotten some of my best work out of it. (Which I was convinced was total rubbish at the time, only to revisit a year or so later and realize it was a lot better than I thought.) Sometimes it's hard to see the forest through the trees..

That said, I got stuck working on the same old production music for a few years and for sure, it burned me out pretty fast... Once I started taking on something completely different it I shook it off. It didn't come easy, but there is some real truth to this...

Going through the same process now where I'm going after a few very high profile trailer music companies. Was I scared going in? More than any single other gig so far, by a mile... I've been briefed a few times, my first piece was critiqued pretty hard, if not somewhat shredded. After I shook off the bruised ego I realized this makes you a better musician; no matter how good you are there's always more to learn, room to grow, etc. (I aint no young buck either btw...) Anyway even if it takes a few rounds of getting my ego bruised I'm more determined than ever to land a few briefs.
Basically forcing yourself way out of your comfort zone is a good practice.


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