Tips for Overcoming a Creative Block
Writer's block—or composer’s block—is a common challenge that can strike anyone in the creative arts. Whether you’re a seasoned arranger with hundreds of charts to your name, or a budding composer hoping to start your next big project, writer’s block can pose a hurdle that is hard to overcome. Rather than feel shame in the setback, you can use writer’s block as an opportunity to try new creative strategies when your usual methods aren’t quite doing the trick.
We put together the following practical tips to break free from writer's block and reignite your musical inspiration. Be sure to bookmark this blog post to come back to when you need it!
Step away from your project
Ask the internet for advice, and you will find that many creators recommend stepping away from your work in a variety of ways. If you have the luxury of time, this can mean putting away your work for a month to focus on other forms of musical enjoyment and personal connection, leaving you refreshed when you come back to your project. However, a quick break can be just as beneficial.
Consider these activities:
Cook yourself a meal. Listen to music in the background!
Take a long walk. Listen to music or focus on your senses. What do you smell? Hear? See?
Play with a pet. It’s proven to have calming benefits!
Watch or listen to a concert live stream. Or avoid the decision fatigue and turn on the radio!
Read a book. Can you pull inspiration from a line of text or plot events?
Create physical art: doodle, paint, sculpt, etc.
To make the best use of your short break, avoid picking up your phone. Scrolling can lead to an unhelpful feeling of wasted time and leave you feeling more creatively drained.
Listen to music
Classical music, heavy metal, indie folk, pop—whatever you’re into, turn it on! Of course, you can use your favorite music as an escape from your writer’s block, but you can also use it as a chance to study the music you love. Try transcribing a song by ear, re-harmonizing your favorite melody, or digging into the chords that make a certain bridge feel so powerful. Don’t be afraid to pull inspiration from the music you listen to. The greatest composers stole ideas from each other constantly!
Play your instrument
Sit down at the piano, sing, or pick up your horn and just play! Improvise, build a familiar melody by memory, or practice your fundamentals. Use your phone to take an audio recording of your session. You can use this to remember your improvisations and use them in your composition or arrangement! Plus, playing your instrument puts you in the space of the performer, which can provide a new perspective for how to go about writing your piece.
Challenge yourself with a goal
Give yourself a brief period of time (a weekend is perfect) and challenge yourself to write anything that comes to mind. Maybe you arrange a totally different title than the one you intended, or perhaps you end up with multiple versions of an opening to your piece. Challenge yourself to write everything down without worrying about its quality. This can free up your mind, put you back into the writing habit, and yield music that you can use!
