Creational Slowdown?

[DracWell]

Have any of you (esp. artists) had a long lasting slowdown in your creational process? I have one now, has been so for 6 months. It feels like every new idea I have are useless. I have the feeling that I only can play others stuff and not create anything good. I've come to the idea that when you have a creational slowdown you could do covers on others tunes, but do them your own way.. Like, change instruments, time signature etc...

I REALLY don't like this. I feel useless, I need someone near me to cheer me on, some selfesteem boosting. Although I know that even if they like it I won't be satisfied, but you could need that outer boost anyway. It's helpful I think.

Gah. What to do? So many ideas that I want to make.

 

[YourFuneral]

Originally posted by DracWell
Have any of you (esp. artists) had a long lasting slowdown in your creational process? I have one now, has been so for 6 months. It feels like every new idea I have are useless. I have the feeling that I only can play others stuff and not create anything good. I've come to the idea that when you have a creational slowdown you could do covers on others tunes, but do them your own way.. Like, change instruments, time signature etc...

I REALLY don't like this. I feel useless, I need someone near me to cheer me on, some selfesteem boosting. Although I know that even if they like it I won't be satisfied, but you could need that outer boost anyway. It's helpful I think.

Gah. What to do? So many ideas that I want to make.

Are you a guitarist? I'm going to go ahead and assume that you are (I hate assuming, lol!)... I have this problem ALL the time, it seems... I've been playing (guitar/keyboards) for 11 years now and I have gone through MANY slumps... (Going through one now!) Everybody gets them...

Anyways, I've tried all kinds of things to break through creative slumps... One of my favorite has been to play a classical guitar while watching TV, while reading e-mail/messageboards, anything I'm doing, I just try to have a guitar there... (You can do this with an electric but you have to leave it all turned on or play it unplugged... Not as enjoyable as a nice classical...) I don't think about playing anything in particular, just play stuff subconsciously... You'd be surprised how much cool stuff has come out of these sessions... lol! I don't know, maybe it's nothing ground-breaking but it sure seems to work for me... (I sold mine... *snif*)

YourFuneral

 

[lumen]

I'm in a slump too. It's been a long one. Wish I could get out of it.

 

[DracWell]

Yeah, I'm a guitar-player. Sing some to plus play som e piano. I've been playing guitar since the age of 13. I'm turning 20 in aug. I just play some opethsongs etc now. Or play along with tvmusic or something. try to play the most nastiest tones every. Don't give a shit about keys or scales. just randomly pics notes and see what happens. kinda a fun.

the problem I discovered I had since my last post is that when I''ve written something nice I tend to leave it and never use it. Afraid to ruin it with something bad around it. I have a little clean part with a atonal melody over it. It MUST be in the middle of a song.. plus I have an intro... but the rest is gone. glah.

Maby it'll get better soon.

 

[D Mullholand]

My problem is of a different kind: when I start writing something, my ambitions always reach higher than my abilities, and while I'm improving constantly, I never seem to complete a composition...

D Mullholand

 

[YaYo]

i go through little periods when i think im in a creative slump. But its usually right then that i write my best stuff. My slumps are usually periods where im not giving myself enough creative freedom, where im trying to write songs that im just not in the mood to write, and you should never force songs out or itll be obvious and the end result will be lacking.

My advice. Go out and listen to a thousand new bands, learn to play heaps of songs that you dont normally play on guitar, attempt to write in different styles, etc.

Plus every riff/song you write doesnt have to be perfect, if your struggling with ideas then simply write a song which only uses basic chords, start working it and adding some weird timings or making it build up emotionally or whatever but dont worry about the fact that the riffs suck. Because if the rest of song is good enough it may be enough to get you inspired again and drag you out of your slump. Just experiment with different elements of song writing than you normally focus on. Every goes through many mood changes and feelings and the key is to change how you write songs and what you write to suit these changes. If im depressed i cant write a progressive metal riff. Yet my best progressive acoustic songs tend to originate from my depressive states.

Also write all your riffs down, even if you cant find a place for them, ive got pages and pages of riffs (doing about 2 riffs per day atm!!!), and sometimes i can become reinspired by playing through all my old riffs, seeing how i used to write and redoing things and shit.

 

[Ivo]

Meet with the nature in the nights always heped me...