Time Pressure & Creativity
When it comes to writing music I have always found that time is a huge restriction on my creative workflow. Feeling the pressure of not having enough time to satisfactorily complete a project is a massive distraction to the creative ebb and flow of the writing process. Finding the time to write doesn’t necessarily correlate to the amount of time physically in front of a computer or manuscript writing away, there is a certain degree of preparation involved with setting up, creating a workspace and most importantly getting your brain to think creatively,
For me personally, this pressure can sometimes encourage me to work faster and better, other times however it is more of a crux. Either way, I thought it would be worthwhile listing some of the main points I try to practice when I come to the writing process. Generally speaking, when I start a new project I really want to squeeze as much creative juice out of the project as possible, as I feel like once everything is out of your head and written down or recorded, it is time to begin refining your ideas and this is where the fun really begins.
I’ve compiled a list of my five steps that I will try to take when beginning a new project or trying to revive a previous failed attempt. These are no groundbreaking suggestions. Probably something that anyone with common sense would practice but maybe one or two of them will give you some inspiration and point you in the right direction. It might just be the right thing!
Clean space. For me this is one of the most important thing you can start with and has the longest lasting impact. Clean. Organise your computer files, your work station, your self, create a clean and tidy environment. Not only is this a beneficial practice in the first place, but it’s also proven that you are more likely to continue the pattern of productivity, thus starting you off in the best way possible. I wanted to avoid the cliches but a tidy desk really is a tidy mind, so I may as well just get it out of the way first thing. This is also future proofing your practice and when the time comes and you are stressed or on the verge of throwing your computer out of the window, having things organised and filed correctly can make a huge difference - and can even make a difference on computer program performance, a very exciting added plus!
Start with an idea. If you are struggling to find something to begin with, say a short melody, a chord progression, whatever it might be. I find myself producing sounds or music, none of which I am particularly interested in using however I might come across one tiny noise, or a beat that I like that will end up becoming the seed that sprouts the rest of the piece. If I’m not feeling particularly harmonious though I will force myself to select anything. And work towards a melody, or a theme. even a single note can lead you to the piece you are looking for, but it’s about trusting your ears and your head and if you don’t like it or if it doesn’t feel right - don’t use it, figure something else out. Because you will just end up stressing too much and causing more work for yourself. In my opinion you are better cutting your losses and coming up with something else. But the key is to find that idea by coaxing it out, then run with it. David Lynch I think put’s it beautifully in his book, ‘ Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Conscienceness and Creativity’, where he compares the conception an idea to the catching of a fish. and the abstractness and fruity that comes with diving deeper for a richer fish, or a better idea. You can read more about this here: https://www.inc.com/erik-sherman/david-lynch-on-how-to-go-fishing-for-great-ideas.html
Visual Inspiration. For me this is the most important element of my creative process. I think of myself as more of a creative than just a composer and I find visual aids help when it comes to extracting themes or narrative. It’s obviously important to dip your toes into many regions of your profession because they collaborate with each other in so many ways. I almost always use mind maps, paintings, literature, characters or even an inanimate object. If you can find a story to tell then use it. Worst case scenario you decide to use something else and the process begins again.
Deadline. A problem I frequently struggle with is actually finishing a project. It’s a fairly common occurrence in creative work to constantly feel like what you are working on needs improving and if you are working without deadlines it can be really difficult to decide when you are actually finished, or when a piece needs to be left alone. I found that meeting my own dealings and making an effort to always meet those deadlines that I was finishing projects much quicker than I was previously. Now I spend much less time faffing about with a project until I am completely happy with it (because lets face it, who is ever happy with their finished product!
Listen back. I always listen back to my own recordings. Why wouldn’t I, I write my favourite music! It’s cool to hear it back and you will hopefully be nicely surprised at how good your own work is - when you are working on it you aren’t focussing as much on the other elements that you might pick up if you were just listening to it out of enjoyment. I will sit for an hour or so and just listen to the tracks over and over - taking notes of any thing I can hear that doesn’t sound right. A beat out of place, needs more dynamics, realising this section is boring and repetitive etc. I think it’s a crucial part of the process and helps form critical opinion and critical assessment of your own work. A discipline necessary for the development of your own work.
I hope that you can find this of some use, obviously these all wont work for everyone, but let me know if it makes a difference, or if you have any suggestions yourself!
Until next time.
S