EVERY ARTIST STRUGGLES
The most important thing about writers block is to remember that you’re not alone. Even the greatest artists suffer/suffered from creative blocks, as well as the negative mind set that comes with it. For some people it can take them months, even years to get over, but please remember this important fact…YOU WILL GET OVER IT!!!
Whenever i was hit by writers block i always seemed to come back better than ever, with more ideas and a thirst to work!
So i thought i’d give you some ideas to help you get over the bane of every musician
WORK THROUGH IT
For the professional, this can be your only choice. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid! This can be very stressful, but no different from the pressures of any other job out there.
The thing you need to avoid is looking at an empty arrangement, this will only throw you deeper into the rut. Try some of the following ideas to help get you back on track and with ideas flowing!
- Ask a friend to remix one of their tracks – reinterpreting someone else’s track can help get things going again
- Grab some loops or samples and other sounds you would not normally use together and put them into a project and see what happens.
- Remix one of your old tracks
- Quickly record 3 notes with a synth or other instrument, repeat on a new track with a different instrument. Continue doing this, limiting yourself to only 3 notes to keep it simple and to make you work fast. Try looping the results, throw random effects on, switch synth sounds from what you originally recorded.
- Set yourself a goal and stick to it
The main aim of the things above is to get you working faster and get something in front of you. Even if it’s not useable, you’re at least doing something and hopefully little ideas will come from it and spark a creative burst. The main thing to remember here, never give up!
CHANGE THE WAY YOU WORK
Just a slight change in your normal workflow can have great results when suffering with writers block.
- Don’t write the same parts first – If you normally start with the beats, switch it up and start with a melody or pad. Or try writing a track without any drums at all. Throw your normal writing methods out the window and experiment.
- Get crazy with the plugins – try creating new signal chains with your plugins, see what happens. Try different combinations that you would not normally use and don’t use your usual suspects! The aim here is to surprise yourself and see what comes of it.
- Listen to more music – this is something you should be doing plenty of anyway, but at times like this it can really help to absorb as much music as you can. Not for everyone, but always helped me.
- Limit your tools – limit yourself to maybe just one soft synth and try writing a track using only that. Even if you don’t get over your writers block this way, you’ll know that soft synth inside out by the end of it!
DELETE THE LOT
This one is definitely not for everyone, but it can be a very liberating experience to break free of your confines of the last few years and delete all your samples, unfinished songs/ideas, presets etc from you hard drive and start fresh. Can be a gateway to trying new ideas and sounds instead of trawling through already used sounds etc.
BACK OFF
Some people may get more success from backing off from writing, and not pressuring yourself. Spend time just doing some sound design or reorganising your studio space, whatever you feel like, just avoid writing. Relax, take the pressure off and have fun!
COLLABORATE
Splice – your gateway to a world of collabrating
Getting in the studio with somebody else and seeing how they approach writing can help you rethink your methods and help you get the creative juices flowing again. Even if you can’t find someone to get in with, these days with the power of the internet collaborating with someone is easier then ever. Get yourself signed up to Splice, there’s a whole bunch of people out there wanting to work with you.
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