The Motivation/Creativity/Inspiration/Writers Block Thread™

[Augment]

I've been producing for about 2,5 years now. Didn't become REALLY happy with my music before about 8 months ago, so I'd say you have lots of time to go on. And really, make music for yourself man.
Read up on as much production related info and techniques you can, start experimenting lots and stuff. You'll be better at making synths if you experiment within 1 or 2 synths and really get a grasp at how to make different sounds.
I'd say you are good for how long youve produced, but you've got waaaay too much lowend in your mix for my taste. Do you have a pair of monitors? I'd recommend getting one, if not

[Sure_Fire]

I've been producing for coming upto 1.75 years, and I'm still grabbing new samples, new techniques and making new stuff all the time. Honestly it's just about making tunes - the more you make, the more you learn.

Also if you're serious about producing, you should maybe start putting some money into it e.g. I found buying monitors really helped my mixes and overall quality of my tracks.

This man speaks the truth.

Getting monitors, a midi keboard, a decent audio interface and whatever software you need is probably one of the best things you can do for your producing. I've been producing for about 9 months and I can hear my tracks getting better and better. The more you make, the more problems you run into that you then solve and learn something new from.

On the musical side, getting new ideas by listening to a shitload of music is pretty useful. I mainly listen to a combination of brostep (Skrillex/KTN/Feed Me/Knife Party/Zomboy)and metal (Periphery/BTBAM/Dream Theater/Protest the Hero) but I've been listening to a lot of new music lately like Deadmau5, Noisia, Animals as Leaders etc

[ljk32]

Due to a tendency to not finish tracks because of boredom, demotivation, or getting stuck, I'm trying a new approach(thanks to someone on this forum). This new approach is basically where I screw all the little details and mixdown stuff, and just get the basic track layed out. However, it still is pretty difficult to do so, but I think I'm finding it a little easier. So this track has some horrible stuff in it, particularly the mixdown, and crappy sounds that I put together in 2 seconds just to fill it. The intro is horribly empty so any ideas would be great(of course I'll probably add a pad in the intro). Umm, I'm finding it hard to get the transitions right to sound like 1 coherent, flowing track, rather than multiple tracks stuck next to each other. So I'm probably gonna like fade in future sections to make it known that a change is occuring and hopefully make it flow better.

I still to this day have not finished one track because of this. It's because of my mind, for some reason I can't picture literally anything ahead, so I can never imagine what would work and stuff, not even something small. I've never been able to think of ideas, I just get stuff by mucking around and getting lucky, but that can't always help, like now trying to get a full intro that fits with the break nicely. So, as usual, I'm stuck again, with this thing that sounds like 4 separate tracks or something. How do you guys do it? I know there is no rush, but I want to finish a track for once so I can get into that habit, atm I'm in a habit of doing sections and never being able to get a track as a whole working. How can I get this thing sounding as one? Sorry for this big post, thanks in advanced.

Soundcloud

EDIT: I did work on it a little and made the second drop double time, so the snare plays on the 2nd and 4th beat rather than every 3rd.

[Elektronikz]

That song is the oldest I have on my soundcloud. That's before I got my new speakers, before I got FL 10, and before my Skullcandy headphones. So here is a newer one: Soundcloud

[mascha52]

Creative blocks are just a part of the deal man. If you have been producing for a while, say three or more years, then it might be time to see if you can start working with someone else. Preferably someone who might not be good at formulating, but is a great sound designer and really can make a track flow, putting less pressure on you to finish, and only making you do the part your good at. The other option is try piecing together an idea for a bass line and intro and buildup. Just mess around and get everything in the same key. Last thing is make sure your drums are strong, a song might sound horrible until you take the time to make your drums stand out, I find if I have a good set of drums I can get a better feelfor where a track is going. Just my suggestions.

[mthrfnk]

I like the intro and leads if it's any consolation.

[Toolman4]

You need to read/search. There are PLENTY of threads created that deal with writers/creative blocks, lack of motivation/inspiration. This is a personal issue you need to deal with and work on. It manifests in EVERYONE in some way, shape, or form so I'm sorry to say, only you are the one that's going to figure this out and get past it.

Maybe you're not passionate enough to break through these moments and get rapidly discouraged/overwhelmed/daunted thinking about making music? Oh but that scares you, you say...and so it must not be the truth because of how BADLY you want this, right?...

again, personal issue that will only solve itself from within. The reading and searching of similar topics will show you that it happens to all, and that everyone's solution/help/advice runs the gamut. Cheers bud.

[ljk32]

Thanks for the replies guys, I really appreciate, and @Toolman, I understand that there is most likely nothing you can do to help, but this isn't a temporary writer's block, I've just never been able to imagine ahead. So, because of messing about and luck, I've got all different sections, but not any matching sections, basically what I mentioned.

[NinjaEdit]

So you're a explorer rather than an planner? Try planning your arrangement out (writing it down), then fill in the parts.

[ljk32]

That's the thing, I'm not able to picture how I want it to go and write it down, because my mind has never been able to do that, I've got no ideas to get that intro working. I know there are sound design and mix issues, and stuff is lacking, but I was gonna fix that later, like I said. Thanks a lot for the reply though.

[NinjaEdit]

Well you've got to practice. It's like building your biceps, nobody's expecting you to curl 20 kilos in one arm right now.

[ljk32]

Haha, if only it worked the same way as building muscle. How do I practice being able to picture how I can get a smooth flowing track and get out of a habit of just making sections?

This is coming from a guy who, like I've mentioned a lot, has 0 thoughts/ideas/pictures in mind, all the time.

[wub]

Haha, if only it worked the same way as building muscle. How do I practice being able to picture how I can get a smooth flowing track and get out of a habit of just making sections?

Take a track you like and listen to it intently with a pen and paper. Identify all the elements that occur within the tune, and then make a note at which point during the track that the elements arrive. Sketch out the arrangement as you perceive it.

[ljk32]

Thanks a lot for the reply wub. I'm honestly not trying to make excuses or sound like a pain, but I've tried this and I can identify the way a producer gets his track flowing as one coherent track, but when translating it into my own works, it just doesn't happen. Again, sorry if I'm making this really difficult. And it's probably something only I can fix, but I've been trying to work out for so long how to do it, but just no luck. I know there isn't a rush, but I'm sick of not finishing tracks, it's a horrible habit. The general idea is to have some melodies/riffs carry through to the next sections, and sounds filtering in and stuff. And yeah, this helps, but there's more than that to get it sounding as one.

[ljk32]

Double posted for some reason. Sorry about all this man, just desperate for a way around it.

[NinjaEdit]

It is very similar to building a muscle. Creating and strengthening connections in the brain is literally physical conditioning.

Maybe a closer analogy is reading. You've got to keep doing it to get better.

Being a little more personal, nobody accused you of making excuses, and somebody who says they are being honest is lying, which makes me conclude that you are actually making excuses.

[ljk32]

Haha, the only reason I mentioned the excuses is because, it seemed as though I was disregarding any of the advice, but I do take it into consideration and try it out. But, I guess I'll just keep producing and see what happens. Surely I'm bound to finish at least one track.

[NinjaEdit]

I'm glad you're taking it on board, because I've seen users ask for advice and ignore it; a classic error.

[ljk32]

Maybe it could even be as simple as starting a track from the intro rather than the breakdown.

[Monowan]

When I get the writer's block I listen to a lot of field recordings, weird glitchy noises, ambient sounds...sometimes I listen to two or more sounds at the same time and ART happens.