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Overcoming Writer's Block - Options Paralysis
Okay, so unlike my last writer's block where I was stuck in my own head while my own thoughts and doubts tortured me, this time my writer's block is very simple - options paralysis. Even though I downloaded less apps and plugins on my iPhone 14 Pro Max (only that which I needed) and I'm staying within Koala Sampler for the time being, for whatever reason the past 5 days I've been having a bad case of "options paralysis".
I will say that I am getting outside of the flat, walking and doing other things on most days lately. I take at least a couple showers per day to reset my mood rather than simply one shower. I'm doing the activities that authors with writer's block and artists with creative burnout do, and it isn't working.
Anyways, when I sit down at my scheduled time to create, take a few deep and measured breaths, take a couple puffs of my e-cig and settle in, I open a new Koala project and stare at my phone's screen for at least 30 minutes before I give up and play a videogame. Same thing in NS2, in Cubasis 3, in Gadget, in FLSM, etc. Thing is, even with a more limited range of apps on the iPhone, I'm able to create anything I want, and this massive load of power is the issue. Too much freedom. Maybe with a touch of imposter syndrome added in for good measure.
So what I'm looking for are ways, mindsets, methods and advice to narrow things down a few notches, to stop procrastinating, and to create something new! Any help is appreciated as always. ❤️ Cheers.
Comments
Yeah writer’s block is depressing. I guess the only advice I can give is to keep it simple, less is more and have fun. The other thing I will mention isn’t about music but has helped me greatly is meditation. I just sit in silence for 20 minutes a day and pay attention to my stomach rising and falling. When you realize your mind has wandered just gently notice it and go back to following your breath.
Indeed, if only my brain can slow down enough to keep it simple and such. Thanks friend.
Meditation! The one thing I didn't think to do, lol. I haven't meditated in so long. Honestly, that should do the trick. I'll follow up if it doesn't work, but Linda Hall's Youtube channel full of guided meditation has helped me in the past.
OK, no guarantees this will work for you, so ignore if it turns out to be useless for you.
Building on the meditation idea, take a very simple instrument and just interact with it, maybe patch it in some way you haven’t thought of before. Don’t try to write, don’t try to control it, just interact with it and follow the sound. Play with it, don’t try to make something from it. Engage with the process, not a goal.
I’ve found Hilda to be great for this - just randomise the patch and start tweaking, maybe see if you can make it playable by tweaking so you can develop a sound and transform it over time. Ripplemaker is another one that is great for this kind of exploration.
Basically, this is an exercise in restricting options and letting go, while exploring with attention. And removing the pressure caused by having too many options and feeling like you have to start but don’t know where.
I agree with @bygjohn as far as just interacting with a simple instrument, the one I like for this is Animoog, the original and Z. Another great one is Audanika, just very relaxing to glide your hands over the screen with eyes closed on both of these and just be with the sound, like a musical meditation if you will. Also you mentioned showers, have you tried cold showers? And finally, breaking a good sweat, ie working out, in whatever way you like will always set the mind straight I’ve found. Obviously it’s good for the body, but people, myself included, often forget how great it is for the mind as well.
Your block is ironic because I've lately had at least two new ideas from you that are simmering on the back burner right now.
I am always superstitious about talking about what I'm working on or planning. I fear that it dissipates the energy.
The meditation worked! This one in particular actually.
It's always the simplest, most obvious solutions that evade me until someone points it out to me. 😅 Huge thank you to @jdp000 for pointing it out! ❤️ All I had to do was look up my favourite guided meditation YT creator, and boom. There's the meditation right there.
And I come to realise I wanted to make more Noise music, but that's not where my muse was leading me. Instead, my muse wanted me to create some sort of Lofi House in Koala. And boom, I have a 16-bar loop (actually, two 8-bar loops, but with a fill at the end on bar 16) crafted in Koala that sounds pretty serviceable. Sounds a bit of a mix of Synthwave and Lofi House, but I'm happy with it so far.
@bygjohn Fantastic advice. I actually did try that, and nothing sparked for me. Believe me, I tried that "letting go" method, and my brain wanted tight control over everything to the point of megalomaniacal narcissism. 😳 No wonder I got mentally constipated, sheesh! The above meditation loosened everything up, lol.
@db909
Cold showers are definitely a no-go for me mate. I tried that once, and it prickled my skin really bad. (I have sensitive skin, lol.) Strangely enough, I can take very scalding hot showers and be perfectly fine afterwards.
I think I need to try out the mini gym in my flat again. I do fancy my long leisurely strolls around the downtown area here, and I do break a sweat even when taking my time in moderate temperatures, lol. But I haven't done any lifting in a while. The mini gym is definitely worth another look.
@Stochastically Actually that sounds pretty awesome mate that I inspired some ideas for you. 😳 Best of luck with that. (I admit it feels oddly strange (in a good way) to me whenever people say I inspired them. 🫣 I'm definitely not egotistical, so it tends to humble me.)
@bygjohn had a great idea.
Some other things that help me is to set a specific set of parameters to create, and not deviate from for that project. For example: this track can only be under 2 minutes and only use 1 synth and 1 drum machine. Or another: this track will be made with only 1 synth and 1 synth only, and under 3 minutes, etc etc. sometimes setting limitations on myself makes things easier.
Also, it could help to - just for a little while - break from the scheduled creating time. Step back for a few days and only create when you genuinely feel compelled to, even if that means taking a couple days off. That almost always helps me.
Lastly, listening to music. Specifically either A) experimental music so I can try to dissect how they made it (which in inspires me) or
local and smaller artists. Hearing what my peers are doing also helps to inspire me to create more.
Not sure if that helps but I hope it does ❤️
Glad you got over the hump, well done. I’m late to the party, but maybe, for next time…
You mention playing video games. I do too.
Sometimes I feel intensively creative, all I want to do is make noises, make art for it, post tracks… At other times, I think I’ll make a hash of my spotty piano practice for an hour or two, or mess, unproductively but entertainingly, with the modular and other hardware, with no plan to make anything from it. And sometimes, you know what?: I just play computer games. And that is absolutely fine. I am retired, so how to structure my remaining time on earth is my only job these days, and if it’s not a big one, at least I know it’ll be my last one. Six years retired at this point. I haven’t got bored yet.
I think it is important to be in tune with what moves you, do the instinctive thing. There is a virtue in discipline, sure, a writer writes and all that, but also… not doing that, sometimes.
The worst state to be in is trying to force something, and feeling only inertia, so: change it up, play games without guilt (or read a book, of do DIY, or whatever), and when it feels right, again (and it will), make some music. You’re not on the clock, there is no deadline. Well, except the one we are all on, of course.
Have you ever read The war of art by Steven Pressfield ?
5 days isn’t writers block!!!
I went about 5 years without making any music.
iOS got me back into it. And blocswave played a huge part. I would start to put all the little bits and bobs I could make on my phone into blocswave and start to build tracks using my own samples.
Before too long I was back in the groove.
One thing I do if I have a bit of time but don’t have any creative mojo is to go through some synths I have either never used or haven’t used in a while and find some patches I like and start to put together a sound palette in a DAW which I can then just get stuck into when I’m in the mood with a load of sounds ready to go.
It gets over the option paralysis by pre selecting a bunch of stuff.
Once I get going I tend to find it very easy to add stuff. Adding too much is my usual problem which is why most of my music tends to have the kitchen sink thrown at it.
I never did, but I found it on Amazon and ordered the paperback for eleven quid. Can't wait to dig through it mate.
@klownshed Felt like a creative block to me mate, lol. Then again, this minor block is utterly miniscule compared to the "Infamous Creative Block of 2012-2019". Believe me, that was bollocks. It's a long story, and I won't bore you with too many of the details regarding that.
I've mucked with Gadget quite a bit over the years during my "Infamous Creative Block", but there was only one thing of substance I managed to crank out - a remix of Netta's "Toy".
https://www.dropbox.com/s/itc1bo6jvhdb8gv/Netta - Toy (JWM 'We Love the 90s' Remix).mp4?dl=0
NS2 is actually what got me back into the full swing of music production back in early 2019, and since then, I've opened my mind to exploring genres I've never bothered to explore producing, from Ambient and Experimental to Lofi and HipHop.
Anyways, I like that idea of preselecting synths I haven't used in a while. And come to think of it, I can simply open AUM, record some random one shots from said unused synths, dump them into a project folder under "Koala Projects" in Files, and have a go at it in Koala Sampler.
(Being on the Autism spectrum, my brain processes things rather differently, and I'm often prone to overthinking. This is why jdp's suggestion to "meditate", whilst an utterly simple and obvious suggestion, worked a treat to settle down all that overthinking.)
I Hope you enjoy it.
That’s when I like to explore different methods of creating, ie generative, samples, etc… or go to apps like Piano Motifs, Riffler, Songen, Beatly Pro, etc…
Or I’ll do something music related like, sample management, sampling, patch creation, drum kit making, etc… until I feel some inspiration again.
Maybe I can help a bit? Being a fellow neurodivergent.
I find it really easy to expect too much from myself and end up drowning when too many options are presented.
iOS is really bad for this, it’s so fast, easy and the sky is the limit with where you can take an idea.
So I just simplify things and work on the building blocks one at a time as if I was using a tape machine. I use a whiteboard to keep me on track and maintain professional discipline. Wearing all the hats, you have to slow down considerably to really make something good.
The cool thing is I feel like I have a better sense of my tracks as a whole without any of the pressure to make a whole track.
Just throw some paint on the canvas….
And see where it goes…
It might not be an immediate help, but practicing to improvise can really get you to places you might not normally go to. Just play for the fun of it, and don’t worry if it doesn’t get you somewhere.
@ecou Thank you mate.
It will come quite in handy as I'm often prone to creative blocks, not just in music but in digital art and writing as well.
@Poppadocrock Excellent ideas for me to do when stuck.
Cheers and thanks mate.
@BroCoast I may not have a whiteboard, but I do have a ReMarkable 2 tablet! That'd be perfect for one of those brainstorming sessions! And I agree, on iOS the sky isn't the limit. The limit reaches far beyond that to the edges of the universe! Oh, and maybe device storage, RAM, and processing power. 😂
I'm also so happy to meet many people who are neurodivergent here who understand my struggles as well as the struggles we all face as musicians, composers, and producers in general.
@MrSmileZ
Ah, kind of like a musical splatter art in a way!
A fun mindset and way to explore making sound.
@michael_m I do like to improvise, but the last part spoke to me. "Don't worry if it doesn't get you somewhere." That there is the key (pun intended)!
Nice to see another fellow ND person here!
💯!
Hey, even more ND musicians! It would be fun to get a deeper conversation going about the challenges we face. Not really sure what to say.
Personally, once I hyper focus, I keep going pretty strong until I stop. And then when I go back, I lost whatever direction I had in mind.
Writing things down seems helpful, but I’m so disorganized.
Anyway, glad to see y’all around.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/obliquus/id1624634997
Ever try a form of Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies? It’s a card deck, but searching the App Store shows several free and paid translations.
I think this is a conversation worth having right here in this thread mate! ☺️
I know about the Oblique strategies but have never really used them myself. Maybe I need to start.
I suffer from that as well. A big part of why I don’t release as much music as I’d like is because I get tracks mostly finish and then lose focus which makes it impossible for me to go back and finish the project. I really have to see something all the way through right then or I just never will. Still trying to work on that.
Agreed. It would be cool to have a ND talking space for these things on here
Delete many things. I even get READER’s block because of too many options on my ebook reader. I just deleted hundreds of books and now feel much more focused. If I’m that bad with consumption, imagine how crap I am with hundreds of iOS apps to choose from for creation!
Just saw this edit now! I've been meaning to try that deck, but isn't it expensive?
(checking Google)
Jesus! £50!? 😨 Yeah I will definitely download the app instead! (I've always wanted to try the physical copy, but I'd rather invest in a crock pot instead. 😂 )
@jebni I've did quite the opposite...when I got my iPhone 14 Pro Max, I only downloaded what I needed rather than load it with a ton of crap I've purchased over the years I've barely touched. Only the synths and effects I always use.
Koala Sampler is such a versatile tool that the sky's the limit. Like an MPC in my pocket. And with it being able to sample anything on my iPhone via AUM AND irl from my iPhone's mic, it's like too many options already despite my downloading limited apps.
Anyways, the way my ND works is as you see above, I fall into patterns of overthinking and imposter syndrome. I know I'm pretty good at what I do, but sometimes it doesn't feel that way, and my subjective feelings tend to overcrowd my objective thoughts.
Then when I do start a project, I must see it through to the end before starting another project. Otherwise I tend to get lost in the shuffle. Either that or I must mark down what I'm doing if I'm creating an EP so I can keep focused on the task.
Then again I rarely ever watch movies and television at home anymore. Way too distracting. My main form of entertainment is creating. Whether music, actual art (I save AI art for creating album covers), writing lyrics, etc.
Actually my main distraction is videogaming. If I even dare pick up a game and then notice the time, 2-3 hours have passed, and then I'm too mentally exhausted to do anything else. Videogaming is a very bad addiction worse than nicotine! 😨
@ecou The book is now in my hands! I will read it either now or after I attempt to start a new production. Thinking I'm going to try a Jersey Club beat since that seems to be rather popular these days. Cheers and thanks again for the help!
Hmmm, I’m also willing to invest in the most silly things in order to achieve the lowest barrier to entry.
I’ve got those ridiculous low latency wireless AIAIAI headphones and a wireless guitar setup and a very expensive pedal board (with THREE Vongon pedals) that I know I could replace with auv3 plugins — all so I don’t have to futz around with cables or reverb plugins when I want to make some noise. There’s a tactile immediacy to it.
Of course, that just means I usually end up shoegaze noodling as I cradle my Jazzmaster in bed, but it makes me feel good, and that’s what matters to me right now!
@jwmmakerofmusic On the Oblique Strategies front, I’ve never forgotten the crazy prompts that Eno used for the band on Bowie’s Outside album. Perhaps their pretentiousness led to what I think is the rather self-conscious atmosphere on that album, but my god, it's so entertaining to read! Basically, he gave each of the band an elaborate "contradictory" role, which was never revealed to the others:
@jebni Those descriptions are absolutely brilliant bordering on batshit insane! I absolutely love it! I'll definitely refer to these prompts for future inspo. Maybe I can make up my own and use those as prompts to myself for future music productions!
I think that constraints can be helpful if you’re spending too much time on one thing. Giving yourself a time limit or deadline, and maybe starting by choosing a limited set of instruments and effects.
And then sticking with what you decided lol. An accountability partner can be helpful. Someone to hold you accountable for what you say you’re going to do. It can easily be virtual…and can be as deep a relationship as you’d like.
That’s a reason it can be fun to enter music contest competitions. The constraints and deadlines push you to keep moving…of course, that requires that you commit and finish (and if you are happy then submit). But it doesn’t require submission. Just following constraints can help you create something.
My philosophy is if I fancy making some music but don’t find myself in the mood for working on anything I particular and don’t feel creative is to just spend time jamming about and playing with the hundreds of instruments and fx I can’t stop myself buying but have never really used yet.
I’m sure many of us have folders full of stuff we’ve squirrelled away when on sale ‘just in case’ then completely forgotten about.
It doesn’t usually take too long before something interesting comes out of the headphones, and I try and then make a quick export of little bits and pieces and dump them into blocswave on my phone.
Then one day they’ll resurface when I keep jabbing that random button and before I know it I have the start of an idea.
Most of those ideas come to nothing but the most important thing for me is not to worry and just enjoy spending time making noises regardless of whether a N°1 international smash comes out of it or nothing worth expanding upon. It’s
I learnt not to worry about the end product a long time ago and treat playing about with synths and drum machines in the same way as I would picking up a guitar and just playing away with no ulterior motive.
Making noises is fun. The end product will come when I’m ready as long as I don’t try and force it.
Just allowing myself to enjoy farting about is key for me.
But that’s just me. We’re all different and whatever works for you is cool
My only real advice would be try not to put pressure on yourself to make finished music and just enjoy making any old noise.
In my case even if I finish a track it’s not like anybody will ever listen to it anyway!
Damn @klownshed I have never related so hard to a post on this forum haha. But, yeah, I aimlessly play around a lot. Here’s the many GarageBand projects I have on mobile
845, not including ones that were deleted. And that’s just the one app.
I’d love to become more focused, though, and come with a cohesive finished set of songs. But who’s gonna even hear it hahaha