Helping your creativity flow
Waveformless share some nice tips on overcoming writer’s block. I can personally vouch for one:
1.) Restrict Yourself
Back when my studio set-up consisted of nothing but a single sampler, I dreamt of the days when I would be able to afford more gear. Surely that would solve all my creative blocks! What I found out was just the opposite…. So impose some restrictions on yourself. Try making an entire song with nothing but a single synth. Make the drums and everything from scratch. Not only will you improve your sound programming abilities, but you’ll likely end up with a track that sounds utterly unlike anything else you’ve done.
Replace “single sampler” with “Impulse Tracker” and that story is eerily familiar. Imposing limitations on yourself is a great way to prime your pump: puzzling over how to get around your restrictions gives your brain a starting point.
But another tip from Waveformless seemed to be directed at me personally:
5.) Be Productive
My motto in the studio is ‘always be working on something’.
Definitely an attitude I need to acquire.
I’ll throw in an extra tip of my own:
6.) Remove all barriers to productivity.
Keep your instruments out in the open, plugged in, tuned up, or what have you. Make sure you can reach them easily. If you use a computer, leave it on. Even if it takes just ten seconds to get ready to play, try to knock that down to one. It’s amazing how even the tiniest barriers to picking up your instruments can completely stymie your creativity.