How do you get into your creative mind?

[MirrorProfiles]

It’s near impossible to completely silence your brain, it’s more about not entertaining the thoughts that are running through your head at the time,

100% this. It's not about shutting off all your thoughts so much as being aware of them (and your breathing/senses) and controlling your focus. I think there are many ways to meditate and find that focus. I quite like the app called Balance which is guided but I think it's just about trying an approach that works for you. For some people, it's doing something mundane where your mind can drift freely (like doing the dishes or going for a run) and that can be enough.

I find it just clears the distractions from your mind, kind of like filing documents into a filing cabinet rather than being scattered all around your desk.

 

[JasonE]

I can’t do guided meditations, I just want the person to STFU the whole time. I can see how they can assist in getting some people in the zone, but I also think they muddy the waters more often than not. It’s near impossible to completely silence your brain, it’s more about not entertaining the thoughts that are running through your head at the time, like you’re standing in a crowded subway and the thoughts are all the other people moving around you while you stand in one place, you’re not going to engage with any of those people just let them freely move around.

The more you do it the easier it gets, some days I just need 2 minutes in my office to detach my brain and then I can start sorting out my next steps with a bit more clarity, sometimes I’ll do it right in the middle of a meeting. Eventually it’s easier to slow the thoughts down so you don’t feel like you have to jump on them as they come to you. On the tougher days, I’ll just picture the thoughts as words floating by me, that way I’m forcing myself to not think about the thoughts, but the shape of the words as I ‘see’ them moving around me.

And something I noticed when I first started writing my own music, despite being a metalhead at the time, the best I could do was coming up with 4 chords and a vocal melody that were anything but metal. At one point I thought I was destined to write shitty pop tunes, but it was a bit like I had to flush that stuff out before I could move onto riffs or anything else.

While reading this I kind of made the connection to the shower thing. Maybe this is why things come to me first thing in the morning when I am taking my morning shower. That is before my brain takes off for the day. I am not sure I even know how to try to get started with meditation without the guided version.

 

[JasonE]

100% this. It's not about shutting off all your thoughts so much as being aware of them (and your breathing/senses) and controlling your focus. I think there are many ways to meditate and find that focus. I quite like the app called Balance which is guided but I think it's just about trying an approach that works for you. For some people, it's doing something mundane where your mind can drift freely (like doing the dishes or going for a run) and that can be enough.

I find it just clears the distractions from your mind, kind of like filing documents into a filing cabinet rather than being scattered all around your desk.

It is interesting that you mentioned this. My though immediately went to a long ride on my motorcycle. This is one thing I love about taking a long ride on it. I am out in the breeze, listening to music and seeing everything around me. It is a very calming thing for me. A long drive in my vehicle works as well. I like to take a trip or two every year where I am driving for at least 3 or 4 hours in one direction. An all day drive to another state is also something I enjoy. I don't want to do it every day but once or twice a year is good. The 3 to 4 hours trips I like to do more often. There is a group that I will ride with occasionally where we ride a couple of hours to different places then hang out for a bit then ride home. I haven't been on one of those rides for a while but have been thinking I need to go on a couple. They do them every weekend. Maybe I should ride down some weekend and meet Drew in person some week. That is probably a little over an hour ride.

 

[FuzzyAce]

My main source of meditation comes from reading gear comments about which modeler is best, how tone is or isn't in the hands, and why FR cabs are never quite as good.

 

[PLX]

My main source of meditation comes from reading gear comments about which modeler is best, how tone is or isn't in the hands, and why FR cabs are never quite as good.

 

[Mikael Dez]

It is interesting that you mentioned this. My though immediately went to a long ride on my motorcycle. This is one thing I love about taking a long ride on it. I am out in the breeze, listening to music and seeing everything around me. It is a very calming thing for me. A long drive in my vehicle works as well. I like to take a trip or two every year where I am driving for at least 3 or 4 hours in one direction. An all day drive to another state is also something I enjoy. I don't want to do it every day but once or twice a year is good. The 3 to 4 hours trips I like to do more often. There is a group that I will ride with occasionally where we ride a couple of hours to different places then hang out for a bit then ride home. I haven't been on one of those rides for a while but have been thinking I need to go on a couple. They do them every weekend. Maybe I should ride down some weekend and meet Drew in person some week. That is probably a little over an hour ride.

Same thing when I take a long day trip fishing, just me and the water. Lots to think about.

 

[Mooselake]

I started drinking a kava tea or two in the evening before I pick up a guitar. It seems to lower my self awareness which in turn means my inner critic gets lazy and doesn't bother providing a running chronicle of all my faults and mistakes as I play, which in turn lets me just play, which gets me into a creative state much more readily.