How do you get into your creative mind?

[JasonE]

I spent some time at the recording desk both days this past weekend. All I was able to get done is to test out the gear I decided to try to get some tones I wanted to use for recording. The stuff I put on the desk worked just like I thought it would and I had some nice tones going. Then...no creative thoughts. I intended to put some sort of instrumental together. I couldn't really find anything that excited me and nothing really developed. This happened again the second day. I fired it all back up and liked the tones I was getting but nothing catchy at all came out of me. I just couldn't get into a creative space in my head.

Part of the reason I am asking this is because I know that if I had poured some tequila or bourbon and sipped on that I would probably have been able to get myself to at least get started in that direction. I know that I have very active flows for lyrics after drinking enough to get a buzz. I am on a break from alcohol at the moment and haven't really found a way to get myself there without it.

What do you do? What ideas do you have? I can't 420 due to work, just to put that out there. I already had that thought. :)

 

[Dave Lewis]

How do you get into your creative mind?​

LSD normally works for me.

 

[norminal]

I’m 21 days into a no-music break and the ideas have been flooding in.

As someone who has music playing all day long, I find that taking a break sometimes helps jumpstart the ideas.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I get there by not trying so hard. As soon as I'm trying, I lose it. It needs to come out naturally.

Let go, explore, and be ready when it hits.

If it doesn't happen, put it down, don't force it.

The more I do this, the easier I find it to get into my creative zone.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I need a beat. And for the past however long since my interface and by association everything else DAW related went poop; it's been silent on the riffing front.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I drink very rarely these days and it's usually not when I'm playing or recording. Don't smoke weed anymore either. I feel more creative now than when I did those things. I agree, you can't force it, but when the ideas do start flowing you can't hesitate either. It's like working the creative muscle too, there are times when you don't feel totally creative but you can still make music in other ways to keep the juices flowing.

 

[Genghis]

I meditate regularly. I quit drinking years ago, and that is one thing I have done off and on since then. I like the idea of taking a break from music, but not sure I could pull that off. I have found that if I take a break from guitar and mess around on synths or drums it can help me return with new ideas.

 

[JasonE]

I get there by not trying so hard. As soon as I'm trying, I lose it. It needs to come out naturally.

Let go, explore, and be ready when it hits.

If it doesn't happen, put it down, don't force it.

The more I do this, the easier I find it to get into my creative zone.

I forced myself to set down and try to do something, anything. I have been planning on doing it for a while and just haven't been feeling it so I don't do it. I am trying to change that. I expect I will go through this until I can figure out what it is going to take to get in the groove without having to lubricate to get there. I have had so many constant flows of lyrics after I get some alcohol in me. It would be nice to find a way to get there without the alcohol.

I need a beat. And for the past however long since my interface and by association everything else DAW related went poop; it's been silent on the riffing front.

I am pretty driven by certain drum beats. I will probably start with that the next time and see how that goes. I was trying out some different ideas that I found interesting but nothing jumped out to me to develop more. I have had two times where my rig really blew up. The first one caused me to spend over 2k to fix everything. I bought a pretty expensive interface at that time. Then last year, my interface bricked. I was just a little outside of the warrantee on it. I contacted the company and they said they had an issue with some chips when mine was made so they replaced it. As luck would have it, they have a location within an hour drive from me. I took off of work early one day and rode my motorcycle to their site with my interface and was able to ride back with a new one that now has a full warrantee period on it. It sucks when stuff breaks.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I like the idea of taking a break from music, but not sure I could pull that off. I have found that if I take a break from guitar and mess around on synths or drums it can help me return with new ideas.

I forgot where I heard it, but someone told me that Jeff Beck often took time away from playing guitar, so I've always felt some reassurance when I need a mental or physical break from the instrument. I have no idea if it was true about JB, I've been a little hesitant to find out that I'm just a slacker

I find when I play constantly, I end up with repetitive output. Taking a mental break from the instrument really helps me not to feel like I'm plateauing and repeating myself.

I also have hand and wrist issues that crop up when overplaying so I've had to learn to rest physically as well.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Perhaps this is a me thing, but I always seem to come up with great ideas in the shower. By the time I get dry and dressed it's usually gone. Need to get myself a wet rig

 

[Genghis]

I find when I play constantly, I end up with repetitive output. Taking a mental break from the instrument really helps me not to feel like I'm plateauing and repeating myself.

That is exactly why I take little breaks. Although lately I have been playing a lot and studying new things to keep it fresh.

I’m fortunate that I have a drum set miked up in my studio, so studying drums has really opened up new ways of thinking about rhythm. Sometimes I’ll get more into drums and hardly touch the guitar and it somehow feels new again when I go back.

 

[norminal]

Perhaps this is a me thing, but I always seem to come up with great ideas in the shower. By the time I get dry and dressed it's usually gone. Need to get myself a wet rig

My father, rest in peace, who was also a graphic designer, always told me that he got most of his ideas while in the shower. There must be something to that theory. M

Maybe you need a waterproof voice recorder to keep on you.

 

[Blix]

I need a beat. And for the past however long since my interface and by association everything else DAW related went poop; it's been silent on the riffing front.

I'm the same way, got to have something to react to. Was responding to a "do everything yourself on your computer" thread over there the other day and showed the OP what you could do in under 10 minutes in Logic using the built in drums and bass "session players".
Found a cool groove, came up with a little riff, dubbed it and added a two-finger Hammon B3 thing, and I had a decent 15 second riff idea going.

 

[norminal]

I need a beat. And for the past however long since my interface and by association everything else DAW related went poop; it's been silent on the riffing front.

You need a BeatBuddy!

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

I listen to this riff 100 times in a row.

 

[norminal]

I listen to this riff 100 times in a row.

 

[PLX]

I listen to this riff 100 times in a row.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Need to get myself a wet rig

I bet that would have a lot of ambience!

 

[Dave Lewis]

 

[JasonE]

Perhaps this is a me thing, but I always seem to come up with great ideas in the shower. By the time I get dry and dressed it's usually gone. Need to get myself a wet rig

My father, rest in peace, who was also a graphic designer, always told me that he got most of his ideas while in the shower. There must be something to that theory. M

Maybe you need a waterproof voice recorder to keep on you.

It is interesting that you guys bring this up. I can't tell you how many problems I have solved in the shower. I don't know why but that is where some solutions come to me. I have had many issues when coding that had me stumped and then in the shower the next morning the solution comes to me. Sure enough, I get back to work on the code and my new idea fixes the issue. I have had this happen with all sorts of things. I have no explanation for it but it is a thing for sure.