Get Out of Your Funk (No, Not the Genre of Music)

James Brown = good.

A funky riff on a bass guitar = good. 

Being in a musical funk? Not so good. 

No matter how passionate you are about your art, and no matter how talented of a musician you might be, no one is immune to falling into “funks” from time to time. Maybe you just don’t have the motivation to practice. Maybe nothing is inspiring you to write. 

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Lyrical themes, and the many ways we can develop them…

Guest post by Charlotte Yates. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper

What do you want your lyrics to actually do? Show us how desperately you want someone or how angry you are about something? Or do you want to your lyrics to make us behave a certain way, notice the homeless, start a revolution, or dance the night away?

At some stage you have to figure out exactly what you want to express. At first this might not be 100% clear. But you may have a general idea what you want to get across — that’s your theme right there: a basic notion or vision for the song.

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Why you should write multiple songs at once

When I first started writing songs, I wrote one song at a time until it was finished. This process was so delicate for me that I convinced myself that I had to write the entire song in one sitting or it would be forgotten forever. As a result, my writing sessions were sporadic bursts, going on for hours and hours, then never picking up the pen again for weeks.

This worked well for me when I was in high school and bored on summer vacation. It even worked in college because I had to write songs for assignments. Unfortunately, after graduating, this songwriting process led me to many dry months and I ended up writing just two or three songs for an entire year. That continued for the first few years after starting to work full-time.

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How to use past experiences to fuel musical creativity

Some of the greatest songs ever written only exist because of what the artists went through. From classic breakup songs (or every Taylor Swift album) to nights of crazy parties to the feeling of falling in love, past experiences make up so much of the music industry.

Using past experiences to fuel creativity isn’t limited to music. Some of the greatest paintings of our time were inspired by real-life experiences. The same goes for poetry, books, and even movies.

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6 ways to create more consistent content.

As someone who’s been writing both songs and articles since January of this year — and moved halfway across the country, and survived a shooting, and started working twice as many hours — I have discovered the wonders of burnout.

 

Lately, I just haven’t felt inspired. Only a few days since I have been in Boulder have I had an influx of ideas that I vomited onto the computer screen. So much has happened since March, yet my Muse idly sits in the grass, unwilling to budge.

 

Any creative will become intimate with burnout. The creative process reaches a plateau similar to what Seth Godin calls “The Dip,” and everything begins to feel stagnant and tiring. The office cubicle you longed to escape becomes the creative rut you long to escape.

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Ways to rejuvenate and replenish your creative music juice

Writer’s block – not just for authors anymore!

Musicians are often known for being some of the most creative people on the planet, and rightfully so. There have undoubtedly been times when you’ve rattled off a new song in a matter of minutes, or other times when you can’t fill a notebook fast enough with the best lyrics you’ve ever written (hopefully it just wasn’t after a bad breakup, though we all know that sometimes helps). 

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Tuning Into Your Muse

What is the source of inspiration? Creators of all types struggle with this question and yearn to find their muse.

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The ‘Blues Hammer’ Syndrome

Studying musical cultures from around the world (or even from our own backyard) is a voyage of discovery. It activates our curiosity and challenges our notion of what defines music. We become more receptive to new ways of hearing and, in turn, we respond by setting out to learn this new music. Most of the time, we do this by imitating our idols. This could be, for example, learning a guitar solo note-by-note. Unfortunately, this approach can also quickly lead to a very bad and common habit; one that I like to call the “Blues Hammer Syndrome.” The syndrome leads to a lack of authenticity, hinders your musical development, and demonstrates a lack of respect for musical heritage.

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Strategies For Songwriting: The Anti-Artist Way

Are your songs starting to sound the same? Do you find yourself covering similar ground, reinforcing old tactics in your creative process? We’re habitual creatures. It feels safe to tread on familiar ground. I’ve often thought of going to the same vacation spot every year. Although repeat visits could deepen my understanding of this place, I wonder if it would all become too familiar. How long before the sense of adventure and mystery is lost? If you’d like to develop your creative work, it helps to get to a place of excitement and danger again. One way to do this is to oppose, modify, or destroy previous habits or strategies, or as I like to call it, become an anti-artist.

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The Creativity Danger Zone

Creativity can be dangerous. It is fraught with anxiety, peril, isolation, displacement, boredom, dread, pain, and damnation. At the same time, the desire to create things seems to come from a joyful place. It’s the joy we experience when we accomplish the goal of finishing our work. Of course, there is the happiness we experience during the process. Then where’s the danger in undertaking a creative endeavor? Setting out on a creative journey is dangerous in that it’s a lot like exploring the bottom of an ocean.

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Hedging Against Uncertainty In The Music Industry

Let’s face it, the music industry is going through an uncertain period right now. Venues have had to close their doors indefinitely, and artists have been forced into busking online for money. The music industry is resilient though. This isn’t the first time it has been forced to adapt to tremendous change and adversity. No one is immune to the threats of disruption, volatility, and hyper competition that exist in this industry.

Despite the fickle nature of the music industry, there are things artists can do to set themselves up for success in the long run. Here are some thoughts on how to weather the storms and come out on top.

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Accessing Greater Creativity Through Sleep And Dreams

Whether you’re a songwriter, guitarist in a rock band, sound technician, or music educator, there’s a high likelihood that you’re not exactly a morning person. Night owls are rampant within the music industry, especially among touring musicians who typically book gigs at nightclubs, bars, and theatres. Research indicates that this backward sleep-wake schedule can make it difficult to maintain relationships and balance obligations outside of the industry.

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How To Tap Into Creativity When Inspiration Won't Strike

Guest post by Randi Zimmerman. This article originally appeared on the Symphonic Blog.

If you’ve ever sat down to get some work done and been suddenly hit with a mental roadblock, this one’s for you. We all have moments where we feel uninspired no matter how hard we concentrate, and it can be frustrating when we can’t seem to find our way past it.

Luckily, there are many ways to boost creativity in a situation like this.

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Should I Quit Music? (How To Avoid Burnout)

Here’s a question you’ve probably asked yourself: “Should I give up my dream of being a musician?”

Maybe it’s just me who’s asked that. But I doubt it.

It’s tough being a musician with a day job. That’s what I am, so I get it. It’s hard trying to make music in the nooks and crannies of my life. Music often takes a backseat, and the quality of my creativity seems to diminish.

And that’s when I feel like giving up on music. That’s when the Burnout Beast reers its ugly head and threatens to bite.

But there are some tactics I’ve found super helpful in avoiding burnout. Things that help me whip out a fire extinguisher and point it at that fire monster.

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