What to do when you're stuck creatively
During last week's private mentorship call, my student Daniel echoed a pain point I hear from composers all the time:
"I tend to be hypercritical with my music and focus in on tiny little things that I probably don't need to be focused on. Then I end up doing way more work, or I stress myself out to the point where I'm not enjoying it as much."
Sound familiar?
When problems show up in our art, the first instinct is to lean in and exercise intellect.
We hope that if we stay persistent and keep tweaking things, the answer will reveal itself.
But...
What usually happens is that we get frustrated, start doubting our abilities, lose the enjoyment of the process...
... or burn out completely.
So, what's the alternative?
It may sound strange, but there's a paradox that comes with creative problem-solving.
Even though your instinct is to lean in to find solutions, I find the answers come quickest when I step back.
Here's why.
"Leaning in" uses your intellectual brain to solve problems.
Sometimes that's useful, but sometimes doing so shuts off some of the deeper, more intuitive parts of our creative mind that give us those strokes of inspiration and clarity we seek.
But stepping away forces us to pause and hit the "reset" button.
(In that space, I find it's best to do something mildly active, like taking a walk outdoors or cleaning. These kinds of activities can be meditative in quality, which is the sweet spot for your subconscious to start solving those nagging creative problems you've been stuck on.)
During that time, don't think about your work - that'll just reactivate your intellect.
Put some faith in your subconscious mind to work through those creative knots without you needing to be involved, then come back to it after you feel like your head's cleared.
Learn how to slow down in order to speed up.
Trying to "fix" your art as quickly as possible usually just winds up creating more problems than solutions.
Be patient.
Allow yourself the time to de-clutter your head, and you won't just have better art for it - you'll enjoy the creative process way more.
👋 Ready for More?
When you're ready, here's 4 ways I can help:
- 🎥 My YouTube. Watch 350+ free videos to help you in your creative journey.
- 🎻 Orchestral Mockup Fundamentals. Learn the basics to create realistic mockups and produce cinematic music.
- 🎬 Composing Career Bootcamp. Learn how to start landing paid composing work from anywhere in the world. (100+ students, 5/5 stars)
- 🚀 Work Directly with Me. I run a coaching program for composers interested in working directly with me to achieve their goals. (Limited spots)
That's all for now!
Leave a reply to share your thoughts, questions, or just to say hi.
(I love hearing from my readers. 🙂)
Otherwise, happy music-making and I'll see you next time!
- Zach
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