Getting Out of a Creative Rut
It can range from “writers block” on a specific project to a general funk / slow down to a total creative burn out. And no matter how energized you may be one day, there will come a time where you feel it, whether it’s on a project or overall. Don’t panic! I’ve been there. Often after I’ve run myself ragged or I get stuck in a boring routine otherwise. Here are, in no particular order, some of the ways I deal with that inevitable creative rut.
Switch gears: By this I mean work on a different project. For me, I can work on another song or start a collaboration. This is most useful, of course, when a particular project is giving me grief. That song may just need more time or a different frame of mind and will be all the better for what you learn while working on a different song.
Pick up a brush! Or a pencil, a crochet hook, some clay, a camera, etc. Many musicians have other artistic talents and hobbies that keep their creative wheels greased. And sometimes I have to remind myself that maybe my music feels stale because I haven’t picked up a brush in several days. A series of paintings may breathe new life into my music, sparking new ideas for lyrics or melodies as I study color and movement. If you have another creatively charged hobby, lean on it when you feel your music slow down.
Improvise a piece or practice: Utlizing my muscle memory to play up and down scales or familiar chord structures often results in me experimenting with existing music. It’s great practice but also takes some of the pressure off of creating. Practice in itself is a great goal. I like flexing my improvisational muscles without expecting a new song to pop out, but often it will give rise to a small ornament, melody, or new chord progression. If anything, I get a break while still feeling productive.
Get a new vst plugin, pedal, instrument, etc or break out something you haven’t used in a while. Or go read an article about using your existing gear in a new way. You’ll discover new sounds that may enhance a piece you’re working on or inspire an entirely new one.
Reorganize your studio! 5S time for musicians! Maybe you’ve been putting off recording that guitar solo because your gear isn’t fully accessible. Roll up your sleeves and get that space under control.
Give yourself a deadline. This is one of the most useful tools for me. A deadline in any facet of my life results in prioritization, project planning, schedules, and action. If your rut is that you don’t feel a need to work or you have that urge to procrastinate, then a deadline is going to be your best route to getting on track. And don’t just give yourself the due date; announce it! Tell Twitter, Facebook, etc that you will release X on such-and-such date or within a certain window. You will be motivated and less likely to let it sit.
Just take a break. It’s okay to set it all down for an evening, a week, maybe even a month. Go travel, do some shopping, redecorate a room, go out with friends. When you come back to your work you will have gained some experiences from which to draw on for inspiration.
And always remember that your health and well being come first. Don’t force yourself to practice or create if you’re ill or your family needs you.
Feel free to share your own advice in the comments. There are so many other ways to recharge or redirect your mind and these may all seem obvious when you aren’t in that slump. But that rut can be downright depressing when it hits, and I find it’s good to have a list to remind me of my options.
Much love!
Sarah (The Lyrical Physicist)
Switch gears: By this I mean work on a different project. For me, I can work on another song or start a collaboration. This is most useful, of course, when a particular project is giving me grief. That song may just need more time or a different frame of mind and will be all the better for what you learn while working on a different song.
Pick up a brush! Or a pencil, a crochet hook, some clay, a camera, etc. Many musicians have other artistic talents and hobbies that keep their creative wheels greased. And sometimes I have to remind myself that maybe my music feels stale because I haven’t picked up a brush in several days. A series of paintings may breathe new life into my music, sparking new ideas for lyrics or melodies as I study color and movement. If you have another creatively charged hobby, lean on it when you feel your music slow down.
Improvise a piece or practice: Utlizing my muscle memory to play up and down scales or familiar chord structures often results in me experimenting with existing music. It’s great practice but also takes some of the pressure off of creating. Practice in itself is a great goal. I like flexing my improvisational muscles without expecting a new song to pop out, but often it will give rise to a small ornament, melody, or new chord progression. If anything, I get a break while still feeling productive.
Get a new vst plugin, pedal, instrument, etc or break out something you haven’t used in a while. Or go read an article about using your existing gear in a new way. You’ll discover new sounds that may enhance a piece you’re working on or inspire an entirely new one.
Reorganize your studio! 5S time for musicians! Maybe you’ve been putting off recording that guitar solo because your gear isn’t fully accessible. Roll up your sleeves and get that space under control.
Give yourself a deadline. This is one of the most useful tools for me. A deadline in any facet of my life results in prioritization, project planning, schedules, and action. If your rut is that you don’t feel a need to work or you have that urge to procrastinate, then a deadline is going to be your best route to getting on track. And don’t just give yourself the due date; announce it! Tell Twitter, Facebook, etc that you will release X on such-and-such date or within a certain window. You will be motivated and less likely to let it sit.
Just take a break. It’s okay to set it all down for an evening, a week, maybe even a month. Go travel, do some shopping, redecorate a room, go out with friends. When you come back to your work you will have gained some experiences from which to draw on for inspiration.
And always remember that your health and well being come first. Don’t force yourself to practice or create if you’re ill or your family needs you.
Feel free to share your own advice in the comments. There are so many other ways to recharge or redirect your mind and these may all seem obvious when you aren’t in that slump. But that rut can be downright depressing when it hits, and I find it’s good to have a list to remind me of my options.
Much love!
Sarah (The Lyrical Physicist)
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