This week, I was thinking of things I wanted to do in my spare time from looking for a job. It was pretty clear what I wanted to do. I wanted to share knowledge I had found in the hours of looking on the Internet, trying to answer questions about recording I just didn't know. In taking this simple step, I realized the importance of applying this idea to my creative endeavors.
I'm the one on the left.
I have had a bad case of writers block in the last year. I was writing songs every week in 2005 during a tumultuous part of my life, and actually finding a lot of satisfaction in the creative process. But for the last year I have just felt frustration about not creating the way I "should" be. I just felt like it wasn't the right time. But when is the right time? I can't wait for everything to fall into place to be able to do what I want to do.
Sometimes we need to let go of our inhibitions when it comes to the creative process and let subconscious reasoning take over. What does this mean?
DON'T THINK TOO HARD.
Thinking too much is perfectly fine. Over thinking, or thinking too hard as most people classify it, is the real enemy of the creative process. Over thinking self-worth, ability, and outside opinion can really kill the creative spirit, and for some of us the process feels more like something that controls us than something we can have control over.
For musicians, this ability to "let go" is practiced during improvisation. I always heard that improv was good for me, I would learn so much from it, and it would make me a better musician. It was easy to do when I was in Jazz Band in high school. I was given a set scale to solo over, and because it was a teacher telling me I needed to do something, I did it. I made mistakes, but over time I gradually got better at it. This blog isn't about my experience, though. This is about how my experience can help you break through whatever issue you're having with creating art. This is about pushing yourself into territory unknown with a healthy dose of geekiness over what happens when you cut 50hz out of your mix.
So back to the reason for blogging. To me its clear that there are a ton of resources out on the net for creating music at home: YouTube demonstration videos of recording and performance techniques, websites dedicated to artists sharing their plug-in presets with the world (sometimes for a fee), and of course thousands of magazines and books in various forms available for download to outline all of the ways to manipulate, create, and destroy your music. What is it thats missing?
I'm still not sure, but I know there is a void and I am going to try to fill it.
And this was the simple key to overcoming another bout of writers block. I know there is something there and I am going to find out what it is. I will bring it out into the light.
Identify.
Embrace.
Release.
