In the winter of 1999, I walked into the ageing studio, looked at my reflection in the ageing monitor and wondered just how much worse things could get.
I hadn’t finished a single track of my own for 2 whole years. I was down to my last pennies, and I was working part time in dead end coffee shop job just to make ends meet.
So why wasn’t I finishing anything?
What was I doing differently NOW that had me stuck?
How could I’ve started off so well & ended up here?
No confidence, no excitement, no music?
And then it hit me.
I’d been killing my music before it had a chance to live.
You see, to make anything – you have to use 2 approaches…
One where you become “the dreamer” here you have all kinds of wild ideas – you increase your options, throw stuff at a wall to see what sticks – basically let it all hang out. And the other where you become “the editor” – here you choose between your options, refine them and correct mistakes.
Now what’s crucial to understand is they’re both necessary to create anything. But they’re also in opposition.
You can’t be dreamer and editor in the same moment.
I’d been attempting to do both at exactly the same time. I’d have an idea – and reject it immediately. I was killing my music before it had a chance to live & breathe.
So if you’re currently stuck or slow – you might be doing the same. This was my solution – and what I suggest you try:
When you’re at the sharp end creating – do everything you can to simply let it happen. Be the dreamer and avoid editing yourself. let it flow as it does without worrying too much if it’s good enough.
Then at the end of each session – make sure you’ve recorded what you’ve done and at another time & another place – listen back with a pen and paper and become the “editor”. Make a list of things to change and try…
You see – when I did this – used the dreamer during my sessions & editor out of them a number of wonderful things happened:
1. I had more fun
2. I made fast progress
3. I actually finished music –
4. and so practised enough to become a better producer
5. So my music was better
So just for the next 7 days – try separating your creative process like this to see how it works for you.
And this principle of separating the dreamer from the editor is one of the reasons my Magic Track Re-Animator cheat sheet works so well – because it’s baked in to the 9 step process.
If you’ve got any music you’re stuck on or bored of – and would like to make more quality music fast then this process is a simple way to do it.