# I ran out of creativity



## ein fisch

I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?


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## N.Caffrey

ein fisch said:


> I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?



I think you need an inspiring project.


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## studiostuff

An impossible deadline always inspires me...


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## BenG

Listening to music (Classical, Film, POP, Etc.) really helps me feel inspired to write! Then trying to transcribe everything


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## Divico

I guess eveyone has his own approach. For me its:
-listening to music
-go to a concert
-watch a movie
-take a shower :D


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## fish_hoof

Go for a walk.. Ironically I find that being in silence and rest often paves the way for something to bubble to the surface. Even if its a chord or a simple melody... then go back and create.


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## Zx81

ein fisch said:


> I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?



I recently read somewhere (maybe on this forum) of a pretty cool ''inspiration hack" : jump on Spotify, pick a track at random that you don't know well. Listen to the beginning and then press stop. Now let your mind try and figure out the rest of the track. Use your guess at '''what comes next" be your inspiration.

Works for me...

Dave.


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## Consona

I always get some idea when I'm listening to somebody else's music. It's like the counterpoint thing in your own music. You just hear something new that isn't there but comes from that music.

Or a lot of time, I hear music when I'm watching something. Like I was watching some gameplay videos from E3 and immediately heard what music I'd put in there.


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## robgb

ein fisch said:


> I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?


Well, this depends. As a novelist, I find inspiration in getting paid. Knowing there's a paycheck at the end is extremely inspiring. Short of that, there's an old writer's trick to break through writer's block: just sit down at the keyboard and start typing. Doesn't matter what you type. Just start putting down ideas that don't even have to make sense. I think you can do the same with music. Many times I just start playing and before I know it, something has emerged that I can work with.


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## muk

Get away from a screen. Take time to do nothing. Be bored and do nothing at all. Read. Regularly go for walks. A deadline certainly helps with getting things done, alas not always in the most inspired way for me.

Robert Schumann wrote a set of musical rules he deemed important to follow:

http://jmm.people.si.umich.edu/blog/schumann's_rules_for_young_musicians.pdf

He makes some very, very good points in there. (As a side note: It's clear where he stands in the 'why bother learning theory?'-discussion that is a classic on this board. And hee has some very convincing arguments in my opinion. I guess everybody can take something away from reading these).


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## Gerbil

This may sound a tad random but I take 10 minutes out and spell difficult words backwards. For some reason the diversion resets me. This could be an entirely personal thing of course and it only applies when I hit a brick wall in the middle of creating or trying to memorize a piece of music, not if I'm completely bereft of ideas.


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## Tice

When I want to make music but at the time it doesn't happen, I accept that now is not that time. If I don't accept it I'll start pressuring myself, which only prolongs the problem. Instead, I go and do seemingly unrelated things. The mind is very good at making connections, but if you do nothing outside of sitting behind your computer to make music, you have nothing to connect with. Add new things into your life and there are new connections to be made, which may connect back to your next piece of music.


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## hawpri

It's too easy to only say "watch this!" as if it'll fix your problem, but this really seems like a good match for you.


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## synergy543

robgb said:


> Short of that, there's an old writer's trick to break through writer's block: just sit down at the keyboard and start typing. Doesn't matter what you type. Just start putting down ideas that don't even have to make sense. I think you can do the same with music.


Reminds me of the Shining. 
Forget what Rob says. . Just watch the Shining and if that doesn't scare the crap out of you, you're in serious trouble.


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## Tice

hawpri said:


> It's too easy to only say "watch this!" as if it'll fix your problem, but this really seems like a good match for you.



His musings really remind me of Yoda's theme.


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## Pablocrespo

I think one of the best cures for this (for me at least) is:

Take a shower, sing in the bathroom, you can put the phone to record...great ideas there
or
Take a brief nap (works wonders)


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## JT

Try to learn some aspect of music you're not good at. Counterpoint, chord substitutions, whatever. Dive into something new, it's always given me a spark to start from.


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## Farkle

ein fisch said:


> I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?



I did a Youtube video on "Generating an Idea". It gets pretty detailed strategically, and may help you out...



I hope this helps,

Mike


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## dtcomposer

ein fisch said:


> I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?



I sometimes like to learn a new bit of theory or study the music of a composer I don't know well. If I don't have access to scores I'll just listen to a bunch of their music, read about their characteristics online or in books, and then find some ideas that might be interesting to explore for me. I would suggest just making this a regular part of continuing education.


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## Manaberry

Divico said:


> I guess eveyone has his own approach. For me its:
> -listening to music
> -go to a concert
> -watch a movie
> -take a shower :D



haha the shower thing. Always happen to me!


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## jhughes

I think one thing is to surround yourself with friends and mentors that are inspired. It has a way of rubbing off on you. Attend live concerts of great music...another thing that can help is a change of scenery.
These days I find inspiration in things not related to music.


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## n9n9n9

Your mileage will vary, but this works very, very well for me.


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## CoffeeLover

i stress my body and mental levels and i do that by either gym or crossfit or simillar activities and hiking for few days 
i can go up to the higlands here and there is absolutly nothing there except rocky deserts,volcanoes and small lakes from the glaciers and rivers from the glaciers. 
it takes about 4 to 5 days to walk across the country and it is very inspiring and breathtaking. way better experience than sitting in a chair at least. and its a guarantee live changing event if youre a virgin in it


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## Manaberry

Before to go full time on music, I was working in the video game industry. I really like artworks and textures, like a lot! I spend some time on Artstation every week to add artworks, that inspire me, in my collection. Here is the *link*. Maybe you will get inspired!


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## MatFluor

I love the @Farkle way.
Just write, and let inspiration take over while you are writing


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## lokotus

inspiration is only for looser, craftsmanship is what counts


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## Mark Stothard

Similar to manaberry above. When I’m stuck for ideas, I look at a painting or picture in great detail to take inspiration.


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## creativeforge

hawpri said:


> It's too easy to only say "watch this!" as if it'll fix your problem, but this really seems like a good match for you.




Listening to Mike ALWAYS inspires me, no matter that I don't feel like making music or not.


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## jiffybox

Two things I find inexplicably kick me into creative gear; I'll take a shower but have music (something I'm relatively familiar with like Pandora or something, etc) on in the other room so that I can barely hear it. As I try to piece together what the song is, my mind will start to wander into weird new chord patterns and melodies. And sometimes I'll just go to Unsplash.com or some similar site and find a cool picture I like and then I try to write music that would explain or convey the picture to someone who couldn't see it. We do what we can, yes?


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## Tice

I wonder what it is about showers that makes it such a common source of inspiration...


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## gregh

ein fisch said:


> I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?


Do something else. Preferably physical in the outdoors. Different modes of stimulation activate different constellations of brain regions. If you maintain the sameenvironment that has you stale you stay stale longer than if you place yourself moving within a different environment.


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## Anami

JT said:


> Try to learn some aspect of music you're not good at. Counterpoint, chord substitutions, whatever. Dive into something new, it's always given me a spark to start from.



This! Always learn something new. No inspiration can happen, but when you practice new things the accomplishment of learning something new get's you in a positive good mood. Your vocabulary will grow and things will flow better.


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## Vik

ein fisch said:


> I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?


Based on what you wrote above, I think the conflict may be between between 'wanna' and 'love'. Love is related to passion, inspiration etc, wanna could possible be related to more boring stuff like the mind, ego, ambitions etc.

Here are the only advice two pieces of advice I can give:

1) Improvise more, as in really improvise.
2) Listen to some piece you like on Pandora, iTunes or some other service which suggests other music you may like based on what you listen to. Check put these suggestions, sometimes they are very useful. After I started spending more time on that, me general inspiration level did clearly increase.


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## lucianogiacomozzi

I will write music in the complete darkness sometimes either by guitar (slightly easier when it comes to complete darkness) or by keyboard with all screens switched off, all curtains drawn, etc. I find that sometimes making mistakes as well also gives me new avenues. I just go with it. Quite cool actually!


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## JEPA

i don't think Iran 's out of creativity...


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## novaburst

jhughes said:


> I think one thing is to surround yourself with friends and mentors that are inspired. It has a way of rubbing off on you. Attend live concerts of great music...another thing that can help is a change of scenery.
> These days I find inspiration in things not related to music.



I think many are stumbled by inspiration and what its meant to do.

When inspiration comes first of all there is a good feel about what your doing, ideas starting flying, you begin to work things out, you get revelations about how it should work, and its yes yes yes yes I can do this.

Then you have a fight with your wife and she decides to walk out on you, or you have a car crash and its your fault, or you just got burgled, now your not feeling so hot and high.

The purpose of inspiration is to get you through a certain stage, or to arm you with the idea and knowledge to complete a given task or project weather huge or small or a project that last for years or just an hour.

You may get inspired in stages or just once, the stumbling block is when your feeling down, or not in the mood, or uninspired, you still must go ahead and do what you first felt when you got that burst of inspiration because inspiration is not based solely on feeling and it still is in play even when your feeling down, or not in the mood you just have to do what you were told when you were first inspired, even if the journey your on is tough.

We get fooled when that feeling of being inspired is no longer there and we often feel a lack of interest in what we are doing, but inspiration is not based on that, inspiration comes tell you what to do or gives you the blue print then it leaves the rest is up to you to believe in what your doing weather you feel up or down.

It still requires very hard work to get through your project or any given task


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## halfwalk

I give up entirely and succumb to a lengthy bout of depression and existential dread. Then I turn to the false comfort of drink, maybe smoke a lot of weed. I don't accomplish anything. I shut myself away from any social activities. Maybe I antagonize some strangers on the internet. I go to my day job that I'm too scared to quit. I ruminate on some pretty dark thoughts. I start selling gear because I'm a total failure. I quit the band I'm in. I tell myself I need to pick a new direction in life.

Then when I absolutely hate myself, when I have no equipment left, all of a sudden I get all these great ideas, and I decide to take up music again, and somehow, I'm even better than I ever was before.


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## jvillalvazojr

I know the feeling, as I'm sure all of us do, and it can be frustrating. Here are a few solid books that helped me out a lot recently. My favorite was "Big Magic." Hopefully, they'll help you out as well. 

It seems that inspiration tends to poke it's head around, more often, to the Artists who are constantly working. Make a habit of creating something (anything) every day. And spend time learning other skills that aren't directly related to composition, like mixing or sound design, to help keep your interest in music production and to better hone your craft. That way, when inspiration pops up again (and it will) you'll be ready for it. And ideally, it will find you in front of your computer already working 

Books: 
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (Great book for creative mindset and attitude)
Steal Like An Artist
War of Art


Best-


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## ein fisch

this thread becomes more and more interesting. thanks for all your inputs


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## MatFluor

Another book that @Farkle recommended to me was "The creative habit" by Twyla Tharp.
Also worth a look - essentially the book is about that creativity is not a magical fairy dust that gets sprinkled, but is the result of habit and training.


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## Leon Willett

ein fisch said:


> I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?



Hello! 

Inspiration is simply your desire for your music to be a certain way. 

Amazingly enough, this desire is completely involuntary and inevitable. It is as inevitable as whether you like chocolate or not. You put it in your mouth, and what follows you either like or don't. And you don't get to chose what you like, it just happens. 

In the same way, you inevitably and unstoppably want your music to be a certain way, and not another. 

What is happening when you think you have no inspiration (or no "desire" for your music to be a certain way), is that THOUGHT is eclipsing your desire. It is still there (because your desires are in fact involuntary and unstoppable), but it is trapped underneath thought. 

Notice that desires for music do not happen in language. They happen in imagined sound, or imagined emotion. 

You desire your music to have this or that pitch/chord, followed by another. Or this or that emotion, followed by another. Again: all these desires are inevitable -- there is no stopping them. 

But they can be eclipsed by thinking (which appears in language). 

So thoughts such as: "I should really use some brass" or "I suck!" or "I need new samples" or "I should use the V chord here" or "the theme should come back here" or "I can't think of anything" or "I have no inspiration today"... 

...are eclipsing your actual inspiration (which does not appear to you in language, but in fact appears to you in imagined sound or imagined emotion). 

If you pay NO attention to the language-type thoughts, and pay attention to the sound/emotion type thoughts, you will discover that you have an unstoppable and completely involuntary inspiration machine with you all the time. 

Look closely. Mistrust language-based thoughts. Be curious about sound or emotion-based inner arisings. Follow those ones. When language-based ones come back, notice and remember to ignore them.


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## Wally Garten

dtcomposer said:


> I sometimes like to learn a new bit of theory or study the music of a composer I don't know well. If I don't have access to scores I'll just listen to a bunch of their music, read about their characteristics online or in books, and then find some ideas that might be interesting to explore for me. I would suggest just making this a regular part of continuing education.



This is so right on -- try to learn something new. I'm working on a piece of bouncy chamber music right now after watching this fun YouTube series on "light" classical of the 50s and 60s:


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## RichiCarter

Loads of really interesting points on here.

My favourite way to get inspired is to search for various pieces of artwork, often of the digital or 3D nature, as they tend to have some pretty epic ones. The last one I came across actually completely inspired me to write my latest single "Resurrection", and now following some tweaks from the artist, has now ended up becoming the actual album artwork.

I also find that listening to as much music as I can really helps, particularly if its the genre you're struggling for inspiration in. It sounds daft, but I used to be tentative about listening to other people's music, in case I started thinking that I would never become as good as them. But it really does help!

What's that old quote.. "the cleverest people are the ones who read the most books..." or something along those lines!


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## storyteller

My suggestion might be seen as going back to what some others are saying... but I thought I would contribute this next part anyway.

Art is the expression of something that has ignited within. Like how a fire needs both oxygen and material to burn, so does that artistic, creative spark. So if you find that your is fire simmering down inside, find a muse. To me, it can be a smile a girl gives me at a coffee shop. It can be something I see in nature. It can be how a mother and daughter walk hand in hand. Every person is unique. Observing all of these unique parts of life can serve as that muse. Personally, I find that an intriguing interaction with a beautiful woman (not to sound sexist... this is just my personal inspiration) can be all of the oxygen and fuel I need for that next creative spark. The more intense and unique that experience is, the more it fuels the flame.

So in short, get out and interact with the world. Do something you've never done. Force yourself to smile and look at your cashier's name before telling her, "Thank you _____." Just the acknowledgement of a person's name is often enough to see a surprise expression return to their face. It reminds them they are more than a cog in the wheel - that they are human... if only for a moment in how they were recognized by you. And, you will likely find the universe will return that effort back to you in kind.


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## GtrString

Experiment with sound. Find a sound that you adore. Instant inspiration to play.

And read Maya Angelou who says "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have."

Trust your instincts.


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## enyawg

My favourite way to get inspired is to pick up your favourite instrument and just play... or do the same and jam with friends. You can jam in any style. Don’t get too structured with it. Ideas flow for me this way.

Another thing I do is sit with my acoustic guitar and watch a movie. Without thinking I play to the moving pictures, or along with the score. I usually can come up with some original (albeit inspired) material by this relaxed method.


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## InLight-Tone

Come on sing it!: "Just put one note in front of the other"....


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## SBK

First of all from what I've experienced, you need to be in a good mental state of mind. Alcohol abuse and such makes you feel empty. You need to find your good self, and then get some inspiration from music, unique chords etc


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## jiffybox

MatFluor said:


> Another book that @Farkle recommended to me was "The creative habit" by Twyla Tharp.
> Also worth a look - essentially the book is about that creativity is not a magical fairy dust that gets sprinkled, but is the result of habit and training.


That book changed my life. I read it and ended up writing and recording an entire album in a matter of weeks.


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## fiestared

ein fisch said:


> I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?


What do I do ? I take some time off, no Music AT ALL, NOTHING, and believe me 2 weeks like that and you'll be inspired for age. I try to do that twice a year, a real BREAK !


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## Loïc D

Some random thoughts :
- Take a break from music, and do something else. For me, nothing more inspiring than long walks in the countryside / seaside. The pace of my footsteps often brings inspiration 
- Buy Woodchester piano (half-joke).
- Pick some random rules (chord progression, rhythm pattern, instrument constraint, etc.), give yourself a deadline to produce something. Even if you quit the project, you'll learn something new.
- Go back to study theory, counterpoint, orchestration,...
- Open yourself to other styles : hip hop, jazz, ukulele, polka, Alps horn, whatever,...
- Go play cajon (half-joke again, fiddling with rhythm is good way to create without overthinking about melody, arrangement, keyboard, etc.). I like to hit any kind of stuff with my hands. 

And eventually, relax, this is normal, not a sickness. Don't be so worried about it (unless it's a matter of life & death for you).


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## Jeremy Spencer

One thing I like to do is load up a random VI and start going through each patch, one by one. You'd be surprised at how this inspires new ideas, especially with libraries like Omnisphere (or even Alchemy if you're using Logic). I have yet to even scratch the surface with the thousands of patches!


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## chimuelo

I’d suggest a 90 minute appointment at a reputable Massage Therapist.
I tried to 2 therapists at once and was denied, so 2 x 90s in a row.
Inspiration is only one of the benefits.


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## thesteelydane

Inspiration is overrated, craft is everything. I recommend taking a look at Alain’s courses on scoreclub.net, especially the motif development course. Get some compositional chops under your belt, start writing and after a while you will enter a state of flow, where ideas come fast and hard. But it starts with craft, and sitting down and working, not the other way around.


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## Henu

jiffybox said:


> I read it and ended up writing and recording an entire album in a matter of weeks.



Ok, where do I get it? I've been composing a certain album for the last two years without really advancing much. :/

On topic, the "craft" part is really important. Just today I've been working with one song for a game which needed certain musical quirkyness often heard in that particular game series. The problem was that as my quick demo was (as usual) completely orchestral and lacked "fun", I knew that I need to "ruin" it with non- orchestral stuff to make it work.

Enter, craft. Ranging from slap bass (!!) to distorted guitar licks, saxophone sections and whatnot, I started to arrange and try out weird stuff on top of some simpler horneresque ideas and suddenly got the ball rolling so fast I forgot to eat my lunch and worked 6 hours non- stop doing it. At the end of the day, I was actually so enthusiastic that I had already orchestrated everything except for the strings and am probably doing it later today when the kids have fallen asleep so I can start mixing already tomorrow.

My point is that sometimes you need to find_ the fun_ to get things going on. Just last week I had to make music I didn't like for a game I didn't like and the result was...uninspiringly mediocre (yet acceptable), because I didn't even try to look for the fun. It doesn't matter what it is- put something completely fucked up on top of your unfun stuff and see where it takes you. Try out weird combinations. Steal something and put it into your song as a countermelody. Steal something completely out of context and hide it behind the brass section.

Actually, the more I think of it, steal a lot. It's fun! And fun is fuel for creativity.


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## jiffybox

Henu said:


> Ok, where do I get it? I've been composing a certain album for the last two years without really advancing much. :/



http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Creative-Habit/Twyla-Tharp/9780743235273

Just look it up online and there are a ton of resources/videos/links to inspire. That book made me look at creativity as a routine. It was a revelation.


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## Henu

Thanks, will check it out!


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## Bill the Lesser

Read "Art and Fear" by Ted Orland.

I sometimes find it energizing to deliberately write a short piece that I know I will hate, for instance anything with a granular instrument. Having hit bottom, the only possible direction from there is up. It just works.


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## blougui

Where is @Rctec when we need him ?


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## Ethos

I think Aaron Copeland said, "Inspiration is for amateurs".

This is why it's really important to study music theory, study scores, know music history, and develop good compositional technique. Being in a deadline-driven career, when my inspiration fails me, I can just rely on my technique to get me through a couple days (or a whole job if need-be).


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## dgburns

One of the best ways to gauge your creativity is to be pitted against your competitors, as in when you are part of a cattle call on a project and only one wins the contract. You can try and get by on craft alone, but that will only get you so far. I imagine that you will eventually write stuff you’ve written before, or with an approach that yields similar results. (haven’t we all been there). The creativity part comes and slaps you right in the face when you hear all the submissions from all these other sources that showcase the wild diversity that can come from even the same starting point, aka a film clip that is given to everyone. I’ve listened to things other people wrote and frankly was astonished at all the things that never occurred to me to write. That alone, is just about the most humbling thing that you can experience. It’s the ‘I don’t know what I don’t know’ part. That’s precisely where the creativity aspect comes in. And our job is to pay some mind to that, and that’s the part that always takes the most time. To get out of your muscle memory, your good and bad habits, your inclination to work in a similar fashion, when the tools we all have can go in so many different directions- almost too much choice frankly.

Creativity is the x factor. Creativity is one wierd animal, it doesn’t play well with time. Actually it defies time and laughs at us. It’s not until you go back and listen to things you wrote much later that you have a better perspective on the creative value of your output. In the moment, it always feels like you are writing the BEST thing you ever did. Even the next day, you might feel really differently about that.

We can try to justify our output by commercial means (as in I made alot of money on THAT track) and therefore it has VALUE. But does creativity care about how much you made? if anything at all. I think no. We can try to justify our relative failure to be creative by stating we had a deadline, but a deadline is nothing other then an arbitrary line in the sand that stops creativity from that point on.

I always felt that time seems to be pliable, my awareness of the passage of time changes based on the time I’m given to be creative. I’ve felt it fold in on itself when I needed to get alot done in a very little amount of time. Other times, with alot of time given, it doesn’t always yield linearly better output.

Time - Creativity - Output - Lasting Value

For some reason they just are not solid objects, they are, for me atleast, very difficult to quantify. It can drive you nuts thinking about it, so I try not to. Especially when you need to jump into a project. At some point I know that I will hit the end, especially with a schedule. You end up having to be a little bit fatalistic in knowing you will have to live with the stuff you eventually produced. And try and be happy with that. Very difficult to do. Close the book, and move on.


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## Jeremy Spencer

Ethos said:


> I think Aaron Copeland said, "Inspiration is for amateurs".
> 
> This is why it's really important to study music theory, study scores, know music history, and develop good compositional technique. Being in a deadline-driven career, when my inspiration fails me, I can just rely on my technique to get me through a couple days (or a whole job if need-be).



Sure, but it still requires creativity. And without inspiration (fore me, anyways), the writing feels forced and stagnant.


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## Ethos

I think that's arguable. Truly prolific composers don't have an unlimited supply of inspiration. Rather, they have a masterful command over technique. Look no further than Beethoven. You don't compose symphonies - deaf - relying upon inspiration. 

Any prolific film composer today could tell you, if you wait until inspiration hits, you've already missed the deadline. 

If your music is forced and stagnant when you're feeling uninspired, figure out why that is. What habits are you falling into that sounds stagnant, and stop doing that.


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## Leon Portelance

I like Mike Verta’s 3 part YouTube series: “Live Composing - When You Don’t Feel Like It.” Basically he shows how you can force yourself to get inspired by making yourself improvise until something clicks.


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## Alex Niedt

Force yourself to make music, take a different approach than usual, try things like restricting yourself to one sound library, listen to music you normally wouldn't listen to, go to an art museum, exercise, etc.


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## Jaap

There are days when I have more ideas then others. On such days (if time allows it) I write down as much ideas as I have, record them and make easy to find project files in Cubase with mood, tempo, instruments etc tagged in the name file and also I create a small rendered preview file so I can easily listen what its about.
When in need for an idea and if I fail to conjure something up that satisfies me, this is an incredibly rich and easy to access resource.
I agree with the Copland quote and no matter what, I always make sure I work on something. If it is not composing, studying/refreshing harmony, counterpoint, DAW thingies, etc. Learning and working on things keeps the flow going. Some days are better for midi tweakings while others are better for putting out ideas.
Also find out what moments of the day work the best for you. For example I compose the best in the very early mornings, but I am horrible in the afternoons, while in the evenings I am often much better in tweaking or adjusting things in an project, these kind of things are good to know about yourself.

In short, start to know yourself, your strong and "weak" moments and build a system for yourself around that.


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## MarcusD

Things that tend to inspire the creativity:

* Making your daily routine fun by completely flipping it on its head. Silly things like, purposely put two different coloured socks on, butter the bottom of your toast and put the jam on top, cut your sandwiches in a different shape.. It sounds crazy but you're actively being creative by alternately finding fun ways to do mundane tasks.

* Don't get stuck at home twiddling your thumbs trying to force something to happen, take a break and go out, see your friends and do something, go a concert, a market, a play, a comedy show, anything that you enjoy. Having great experiences gives you great material to write about.

* If you're not in a composing mood, try doing some sound design. Grab a mic and record yourself making weird noises then turn them into something awesome. Or play around with your synths and create some interesting new patches you can use.

* Pay attention to your mood and create something which reflects how you feel.

My absolute favorite thing to do, when completely stuck in a rut, is to take a melody from something like twinkle-twinkle-little-star, copy the melody rhythm then completely re-arrange the notes to create a new melody. It is possible to force yourself to create something, using set methods, but you don't always get inspired in this way.


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## JonAdamich

ein fisch said:


> I really wanna make music. I actually love doing music when the inspiration kicks in. But what to do when theres no inspiration?


No composer/writer/artist is always inspired when he/she creates something. Get into the habit of writing every day, even if only a few bars. Even if only a few notes.

This daily routine will help you get into the flow of things without the need of inspiration.

I found most of those motivational quotes quite cheesy. But I always loved Mahlers: 'I am hitting my head against the walls, but the walls are giving way.'

Just write.



...oh, and take a nap or lay down for an hour if your a burnt. That usually helps


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## blougui

Of course, try Brian Eno's and Peter Shmidt's *Oblique Strategies.*
Just Google it, you'll find them online, for free.


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## ein fisch

For me this "just do it" can be quite difficult because i have ADHD diagnosis. In my experience when i do something just for the sake of doing it, im burned out after 2 hours, even when taking meds. For the whole day

But on the other side when i get real fascinated / inspired on something, i spend sleepless nights on it, forget to eat and everything. And to be honest, i miss that feeling (i mostly had that when i wrote music when i was younger). Im sure every musican knows it, when youre writing that piece that speaks 100% out of you and you cant leave your pc for hours/days.

Im aware, in the music biz its something else. Deadline is deadline, and you gotta get shit done sometimes even when you have no inspiration. But i was more talking about projects i do for myself.


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## MartinH.

ein fisch said:


> For me this "just do it" can be quite difficult because i have ADHD diagnosis. In my experience when i do something just for the sake of doing it, im burned out after 2 hours, even when taking meds. For the whole day



Maybe try meditation instead? Embrace the emptiness till an idea comes along. And if it doesn't, no harm done, you've just spent some time on an immensely healthy activity, that's a good thing in and of itself.


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## Kyle Preston

I've only tested this once but man was I creative afterward:

​


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## ein fisch

MartinH. said:


> Maybe try meditation instead? Embrace the emptiness till an idea comes along. And if it doesn't, no harm done, you've just spent some time on an immensely healthy activity, that's a good thing in and of itself.



Thank you, you just remembered me to start with it again. I did it earlier, dont know why i stopped. Meditation is awesome



Kyle Preston said:


> I've only tested this once but man was I creative afterward:
> 
> ​




I will definitely try that out tomorrow. Thx


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## Nick Batzdorf

You're only born with 1000 creativities. Once you use them all up, that's it - you're going to be a pedantic bore for the rest of your life.

Sorry.


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## Brian2112

Nick Batzdorf said:


> You're only born with 1000 creativities. Once you use them all up, that's it - you're going to be a pedantic bore for the rest of your life.
> 
> Sorry.


Hope you didn’t burn one of yours off with that post.


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## TimCox

Wolfie2112 said:


> And without inspiration (fore me, anyways), the writing feels forced and stagnant



That's an issue here "for me" telling your self you have to be inspired to write is what creates writer's block. Write every day even if it's "forced and stagnant"


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## ein fisch

TimCox said:


> That's an issue here "for me" telling your self you have to be inspired to write is what creates writer's block. Write every day even if it's "forced and stagnant"



Interesting. So, if i do that for some months, will it still be "forced and stagnant" or will i develop creativity trough just writing everyday even if im not inspired at all?


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## TimCox

I'm of the mindset that anything sounding "forced" is just me getting in my own head about it. And frankly, sometimes I just write crappy music, which is fine too. It's all education no matter what level you're at


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## dzilizzi

Most of my ideas come when I'm driving. The beat of the turn signal starts a lot of songs for me. Some I even manage to catch on my phone's recorder. 

But really, any beat sound usually works for me - though not necessarily drums....


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