Last week, my wife and I continued our quasi-annual spring tradition: watching the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy.
This time, we went all in.
We binged through the extended editions over 4 days, clocking our watch time to a whopping 683 minutes of deep fantasy immersion.
Can you imagine creating something of that massive scope and scale?
Many of us struggle just to show up for our art, let alone complete it.
But finishing something like Lord of the Rings? That takes a level of discipline and commitment to imagination that feels increasingly rare in our tech-fueled, dopamine-hungry world.
Which got me wondering...
How did Tolkien manage it?
I pulled my copy of The Fellowship of the Ring off our bookshelf and flipped to the foreword, written by the author himself.
In it Tolkien revealed a messy, non-linear, inconsistent process, written mostly at night over the course of 17 years after long days of teaching at his university.
17 years.
But what really struck me was his why:
"The prime motive was the desire of a tale-teller to try his hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them. As a guide I had only my own feelings for what is appealing or moving, and for many the guide was inevitably often at fault... It is perhaps not possible in a long tale to please everybody at all points, nor to displease everybody at the same points."
See...
Though Tolkien’s work became legendary, he wasn’t driven by fame or accolades.
He simply wanted to challenge himself as a writer.
And that is what art-making is all about.
Great art, or any endeavor that requires discipline over time, is borne out of an experience where the thing one does is the end purpose in and of itself.
Full stop.
So next time you start questioning the point of making art — or doubting if your efforts are "worth it" — take a pause.
Ask yourself:
"Am I doing this simply because I love doing it, or because I think it'll give me something I want/need?"
Getting to the heart of this question is crucial.
I challenge up-and-coming composers with this one nearly every week in my private mentorship program.
Now...
That doesn’t mean you have to love it ALL the time.
But if you lose your original "why", no amount of success, accolades, or money will fix that.
So don’t lose it.
Get inspired.
🎧 Consume art you love.
☀️ Go for a walk.
🧘 Meditate.
✍️ Journal.
📞 Talk to friends who lift you up.
You don’t need a wide-open schedule to reconnect with inspiration.
In fact, you don’t even need 683 minutes.
Just give yourself a few moments to be present with your art — and watch how that simple shift makes you more productive and fulfilled as a byproduct.
👋 Ready to work w/ me?
Here's three ways we can start working together:
- 🎬 Composing Career Bootcamp. Join 100+ composers from around the world who are using my 6-week program to land paid work in film, animation, and games. (Or try my free 4-part masterclass before deciding to enroll.)
- 🚀 The Pro Group. I help composers attract high-quality work, break free from the hustle, and create a career on their terms. If you're interested in working closely with me, click here to apply.
- 🎶 Commission Music. I help media agencies and game devs bring their creative visions to life through cinematic music. If you want to discuss working together, hit reply to this email and let's chat.
That's all for now!
Hit reply to share thoughts or say hi.
Otherwise, happy music-making and see you next time. 🙂
- Zach
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