Never Get Creative Block Again

Summary

The video shares a four-tiered system to overcome creative blocks in music production. The process begins with creating 'bricks'—small, unpolished ideas—without the pressure of perfection. These are then developed into 'walls,' structured musical ideas, before evolving into 'houses,' nearly finished tracks. Finally, the ideas are polished into 'homes,' ready for release. By organizing work this way, creators can break free from the blank canvas syndrome and maintain consistent productivity, all while fostering creativity and collaboration.

Takeaways

• 😀 Creative block is common and can happen to anyone, no matter their skill level or experience.
• 😀 To overcome creative block, it's helpful to get out of 'editing mode' and focus on exploration instead of perfection.
• 😀 The 'bricks folder' is a place to store small, fun, and experimental ideas that are not meant to be perfect or finished.
• 😀 The goal of the bricks folder is to free up creative space by making short, playful sessions where anything goes.
• 😀 The 'walls folder' is for organizing ideas from the bricks folder that resonate with you and could become part of a larger project.
• 😀 Moving from bricks to walls means expanding on ideas to see what they could become in a song structure.
• 😀 'Houses' are more developed versions of ideas, where the focus is on completing a demo song or instrumental track.
• 😀 The 'homes folder' is for nearly finished songs that are ready for final production, mixing, and mastering.
• 😀 Organizing the creative process into these four categories (bricks, walls, houses, homes) helps maintain progress and structure.
• 😀 The process allows for steady creation and development, where each step supports the next without running out of ideas.
• 😀 This method promotes efficiency by allocating different tasks to different times (daily for bricks, weekends for walls, etc.).

Q & A

What is the main problem the speaker addresses in the beginning of the transcript?

The speaker is struggling with creative block, feeling that they aren't good enough and unable to create anything valuable.

How does the speaker describe the impact of their creative block?

The creative block prevents the speaker from being able to create, leading to frustration and a sense of losing their ability to make music, despite having been successful in the past.

What steps did the speaker take to overcome their creative block?

The speaker studied various creative processes, watched interviews, read books, and experimented with different strategies, ultimately finding a method that worked for them.

What is the 'bricks folder' and how does it help with creativity?

The 'bricks folder' is a tool to help avoid the blank canvas syndrome. It's used to store small, experimental musical ideas or elements without the pressure of making a full song, allowing for creativity and exploration without expectations.

How does the 'walls folder' differ from the 'bricks folder'?

The 'walls folder' is where the speaker stores ideas from the 'bricks folder' that have potential. These ideas are expanded upon to form simple song structures and explore their growth into more complete compositions.

What role does the 'houses folder' play in the creative process?

The 'houses folder' is where the speaker stores ideas that are nearly finished, such as full acoustic songs or instrumentals needing vocals. These are considered '90% finished demos' ready for further development.

What does the 'homes folder' contain and how is it different from the other folders?

The 'homes folder' contains finalized, fully completed songs that are ready for release, with all elements like songwriting, recording, and production finalized.

How does the speaker structure their creative work when collaborating with an artist?

The speaker creates a range of 'bricks' that match the desired sound. After collaborating with the artist and selecting the best 'walls,' they work together to develop those into 'houses' and finally produce the finished tracks.

What is the purpose of the four-folder system (bricks, walls, houses, homes)?

The purpose of the system is to organize the creative process, allowing for a steady flow of ideas and development from initial experimentation (bricks) to fully finished songs (homes), ensuring that creative ideas are not lost and can be developed at a sustainable pace.

How does the speaker recommend managing time while working on music using this system?

The speaker suggests working on 'bricks' daily when possible, dedicating weekends to developing 'walls,' and working on 'houses' every one or two weeks. 'Homes' are worked on when a 'house' is close to being finished and ready for release.