How I beat a creative block #30DayChallenge

I feel like I need to place a disclaimer at the start of this post as some of my methods are a little weird so please don't crucify me.

Creative blocks come in all forms. Beat block, writers block, editors block etc. Creatives get to a point where they feel like they can't create anymore. We feel spent and we just want a non-creative break where we can chill out without needing to think about our craft for some time. This is usually when we watch a couple episodes of something, head out the house for a drink or go for a run.

I have two very distinct ways that I've dealt with this issue. The first way was the old way and involved me behaving like a typical creative. I would sit back and tell myself that creativity cannot be rushed. If something came, it came and if it didn't then tough luck. I found that this worked for me until my music production became quite serious and I couldn't mess around. I started having more and more deadlines so putting things off because "I didn't feel like it" became tough.

I follow soccer and I like to think of a long creative session the same way I think of a soccer player playing a full 90 minutes. By the end of the game the player is spent and they have given their all.

When I started getting more deadlines I realised I had to start behaving like a soccer player in that I needed to train each day to develop my creative endurance so that when I was called upon to work on a project, I didn't have to sit and wait for the wave of creativity to hit. This is the way I do things currently. I (try to) create something every day so that I get a chance to flex my creative muscles. Some days I go all out with training while on some days I take it easy and come up with a melody or two and I would liken that to a soccer player taking a light jog.

What I've realised through doing this is that one really can create everyday. Sure, we can argue that at some point the music starts to sound average and that there's no use putting music out for the sake of putting music out, but I now a major change is that I always feel ready to churn something out because I've conditioned my mind to think that way.

If you're skeptical about this second method i want you to take on a 30 day challenge. Challenge yourself to finish something 30 times and see how that changes or affirms your belief about creative blocks. I made a beat a day for 30 days and I learnt so much about my creative process and my priorities. There were days I made great sounding music while I struggled with the melody for a few hours on other days. I documented it and it made for a nice story for my followers. They were able to see how my sound changed over those 30 days and it helped me to increase my engagement quite a bit.

Post your 30 day challenge, hashtag it #30DayChallenge if you're interested and tag me. I'm keen to follow and engage with your craft whatever it is.

Regards,
SB