As a musician who likely makes some or all of your income off your music, it can be very scary to have a block that stops you in your tracks. Losing your inspiration or the right words can be challenging, and the more strain you put on yourself to try and create, the harder it can get. Sometimes, you just need to change your strategy to overcome creative blocks. Here are several non-musical tactics you can try to get back on track.
Is It A Block Or Burnout?
The first thing you need to ask yourself is if you’re simply struggling to come up with the right notes or lyrics, or is it something deeper? Sometimes, your lack of inspiration may be tied to burnout. Signs of burnout can include a loss of passion, difficulty focusing, and fatigue. If you’re burned out, you may be working too hard and not giving yourself the necessary breaks.
You need to add some self-care to your routine. Start by changing your schedule. Set working hours and stick to them. You’ll likely find yourself in a deeper block if you stay sitting at your desk for hours on end while trying to force ideas. Instead, set a time limit, and if you don’t come up with an idea, try the other items on this list.
Find Inspiration In Other Art Forms
Don’t forget that your music is an art form, and if you’re having a musical block, you can try other creative outlets to get back on track. Consider poetry, which is the closest thing to writing music. Writing poetry can help you get your thoughts down on paper, even if they’re not written to a melody. You never know what you might come up with. Painting and drawing is another idea because the act helps you to get out of your mind as you create a different kind of masterpiece. You can come up with some really great lyrics when you’re not thinking about music at all.
Modify Your Process
Another way to overcome your frustration is to look at your process and determine if it needs an adjustment. One of many ways to eliminate that block is to set clear goals. Instead of trying to think of anything and everything, set pointed goals like completing a particular composition or learning one new song so you have a sense of purpose.
If you don’t have goals, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, so you may need to look at your project and make necessary tweaks to get your creativity back. Consider process mapping to do that. Your issue may be that you’re thinking too hard, and you instead need to visualize your process to organize your creative ideas and simplify your songwriting. Start by identifying the theme of the song or what you want to say. Then, map out how you can create a verse, a chorus, and a bridge to get you to that point. You likely have more steps in between, so organize by shapes and colors and then follow your plan step by step until you get your mojo back.
Get Away
A strategy that many people try when they have a creative block is to walk away and do something else. Then, suddenly, an idea will usually pop up out of nowhere. If you’re stuck on a song, you might leave the studio and walk outside or leave the city and take a vacation for a few days. During your time away, you can enjoy yourself and stay focused on your goals by planning a workcation.
To make this workcation successful, you’ll need to set ground rules. That may include setting aside certain hours during the day to focus on songwriting. You might schedule some time later in the day so you can spend the morning exploring the city or nature to try to get inspiration. Stick to whatever schedule you set.
You’ll also want to be prepared for when that inspiration strikes. If you’re the type who likes to write lyrics with pen and paper, then make sure you have it with you at all times. If you’re a digital worker, ensure that you can turn your phone into a mobile hotspot or that you’ll otherwise have a stable connection at a moment’s notice. Use a VPN so thieves don’t steal your musical gold.
Exercise
Finally, if you’re not getting inspiration while sitting in a studio or in front of a computer, get up, go outside, and exercise. Experts find that there’s a link between exercise and creative thinking. When you take a walk or lift weights, your brain becomes flooded with oxygen-rich blood, which can help with productivity. Also, when you’re stressed and putting a lot of pressure on yourself to come up with the perfect lyrics, exercise can improve your mood, so you’re less anxious and less focused on your writer’s block. When you exercise, you’re often focused more on the workout and less on your work, and that’s when the best ideas come about.
It can be very frustrating to deal with creative blocks, but you don’t need to fret for long with the right strategies. Know that this is a process and that it can take time for ideas to flow, and you will prevail in writing your next musical masterpiece.
By Indiana Lee.