Since we are discussing “Going Pro” this month I wanted to touch on something that I believe is critical to being a professional: you need to be able to write no matter how you feel. A professional does not wait for inspiration — if inspiration is not at the starting line when the gun fires, a professional starts running and lets inspiration catch up.
I remember a specific moment during my college years when I was paralyzed with fear. Fear that I would wake up the next morning without inspiration. Fear that the melodies bouncing around in my head would be silent. Fear that my creativity would run dry. That was a defining point for me because, in that moment, I decided to learn how to write no matter if I felt inspired or not. It can be scary to sit down in front of the empty computer screen, or sheet of paper, and feel nothing. Yet this is something a professional must be able to do. When working with deadlines you can’t afford to wait until inspiration strikes — you have to just buckle down and get it done (and if you feel inspired while writing that is a bonus). ;)
I am happy to say that I no longer live in fear of “running out of music”. I know that I can sit down and write at any time, anywhere. How did I get there? I started writing every day. I set a goal that I was going to write one piece a day and it had to be at least 8 measures long. That was where I started. Now I write for several hours every day. It is like weight training. You need to work on your muscles so that you can lift more and more. Music energizes me. I have learned that even on days when I start writing feeling no inspiration whatsoever, I usually go to bed in the early wee hours with so much music dancing in my head I wish I never had to waste time sleeping again but could just keep on writing.
If you are used to waiting for inspiration every time you compose there is no way to say how long it will take to finish a project. When someone approaches you about scoring something you need to know how long it will take you to do what they are asking for. I can guess pretty accurately how many hours it will take me to write a score based on “minutes of music needed” + “genre”. With those factors in mind, I’ll know if have time to complete the work within the time that is available. If you can’t deliver a good product in the time frame given, you need to consider whether you should say “yes” and hire help, or if you should say “no”. (But that’s a topic for another time.)
Thomas Edison said, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” I believe that to be true. I am quite sure that if John Williams only wrote when feeling inspired, he would not be the composer he is today. So, don’t worry if you don’t feel inspired. Start running and let inspiration catch up with you.
Now, let’s get practical. There are several ways that I get started writing on days when I feel no inspiration. Often I get started by improvising. Most of the time I record it to capture any ideas worth refining later. I also have a collection of favorite pieces that I like to listen to; good music inspires me to write. Sometimes I start writing based on music theory knowing that certain chord progressions and instrument doublings will create a certain sound.
I would love to hear from you about this. What are some of your favorite ways to get started writing on days when inspiration is on holiday?
LYDIA ASHTON is a Tennessee-based composer for film and television. She originally studied music in her homeland of Sweden with a focus on violin, viola, and piano. Ashton later moved to the USA, where she graduated with a Bachelors degree in Music Composition Technology.
Lydia scored her first film in 2006 and fell in love with writing for picture. Since then, her focus has turned from writing concert music to film scoring, even though she still does both. She has worked as an orchestrator, transcriber and engraver, and she currently writes music for several music libraries. You can find out more about Lydia at LydiaLAshton.tv.
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I'm going to start writing at least 8 measures a day! I usually write a couple pieces per week, each a minute or two in length. But the daily dose is a great idea. Thanks for posting a link at Taxi.
Excellent comment – this gave me some good things to think about. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I was going to mention walking. There's something about walking that inspires music, probably because you are initiating several cycles of rhythm – footfall, heart, breathing, and brain waves change in accordance. If you become rhythm, music seems to follow. A change of scene can help too, even if it's not an 'inspiration' – just to get you out of one mode of thinking. A great coffee shop can be a wonder – the vibe, the smells, the activity, and of course the caffeine.
There is also the idea that our brain works in cycles of attention and inattention – and that we have to latch on to these to be most productive. The brain can sustain a certain amount of creative thinking, and then it needs a break. Maybe the ratio was 1.5 hrs to 1/2 hrs. break. I notice this – I'm up in the morning, drinking a coffee and reading – nice and relaxing. Suddenly, I get this rush – now it's time to work! If I listen to that signal, I can go and be terrifically productive. If I ignore it, it's like walking through sludge, until I break and reset. Work with your natural cycles.
Finally, I think a block for inspiration is the feeling that you have to be brilliant and original each time out. It's a myth. As you say, Lydia, do the work, practice, get the muscles primed for work – brilliance will come out of that – but you can't “try” to be brilliant.
Hej Jon!
Kul att få en kommentar på svenska – det förväntade jag mig inte.
Ja, detta brukade också vara ett område som jag brottades med dagligen så jag tycker det är viktigt att prata om – och också att dela med sig till andra hur man själv tar itu med det. Att ge en möjlig lösning.
Thank you!
Mvh
Lydia
Thank you Gabriel.
Hej Lydia!
Bra tips och verkligen ett ämne som jag gillar att läsa om då jag brottas med det dagligen. Har läst någonstans att John Williams rekommenderar att skriva något varje dag också, även om det bara är några takter. Hajade verkligen till när jag läste att du är från Sverige ursprungligen:)
Mvh
Jon
Excellent post. Very convicting. Good stuff.
Pure random melodies are a great start.
The skills to refine your ideas will come from doing and studying. Make sure you keep all of your ideas. You never know when they will be useful. 
That is a very good point. A while back I was approached about scoring a project which at first intimidated me, but then I thought “I write for Harpo – I can do this!” and looking at what I have done, and what I am doing, gave me the confidence to boldly move forward on the project. I look forward to the day when I have 50 posters of films I have worked on in my studio!
When I lived in Sweden one of my favorite things to do to get inspired was to take a walk in the forest or to sit at a window and watch the world go by. Right now my studio is in a basement with no windows – next time I build one it will have large windows!
Lydia, I think you pretty much hit it. I also think that faith in one's ability is an important key used by people who have gone pro. The idea 'Hey, I've done this before, I can do it again. I am a professional.'
Naturally this comes with having paid one's dues. A friend of mine who is hugely successful has about 50 posters of the films he's worked on in his studio. I know he uses them as motivation when he's not feeling particularly motivated.
Lydia, I think you pretty much hit it. I also think that faith in one's ability is an important key used by people who have gone pro. The idea 'Hey, I've done this before, I can do it again. I am a professional.'
Naturally this comes with having paid one's dues. A friend of mine who is hugely successful has about 50 posters of the films he's worked on in his studio. I know he uses them as motivation when he's not feeling particularly motivated.
That's a very interesting article. I've tried a couple of times to produce my own music, and they've all started with pure random melodies. Then I've found out myself trying to refine them, but of course I don't have the skills for it, and I must have abandoned them at some time later. But I'll keep this on my mind and next time I try.
A very nice article and I do fully agree. I haven't had a creative block for years, the source is endless it seems. When there's no immediate ideas I just look out the window and there's always something to catch on to, cars, bicycles, animals, people, a little lake, the light, etc.
Great article, Lydia.
When I’m not feeling inspired to write, or if I feel stuck on a certain piece, I try to move. I go jogging, or if I don’t have time, I do a few jumping-jacks, or some yoga poses — anything to get my blood moving, which usually helps the creative juices.
Another trick is to just journal a bit. Sometimes, just writing down my feelings about why I’m resisting writing the music can help me to get clear about what is holding me back, and then I can change it. Or, if I’m scoring a particular scene, I may write about what the character(s) is/are feeling, just to get clear about what I’m trying to do, musically and dramatically. Sometimes, if they are feeling fear or uncertainty, I find that I tend to overly empathize with them and that often blocks my writing process. Once, I realize that that’s happening, then I can usually manage to channel the drama into my music, rather than getting caught up in it. And, sometimes, just doing any form of writing can build up enough momentum to write music.
Finally, a change of scenery or working approach often helps to get me unstuck. If I’m at my midi workstation, I’ll move to the piano. If I’m writing on my DAW, I’ll switch to Sibelius. Or from Sibelius, I’ll switch to pencil and paper. Or, I’ll take 20 minutes to study the score of a master and see how they solved a particular problem I’m facing.
But, when it comes right down to it, the only thing that helps is what you said… doing it every day, no matter if you feel inspired to, or not. If you’re in so much fear and resistance, that you feel like you can’t force yourself to write, then try to write for just 10 minutes… then another 10… then another.