Do you believe in writer's block?

[songright]

I don't believe in writer's block. I find inspiration in literature, art, performance, people, and the world around us. I always carry a pen and a Moleskine Cahier notebook bound with a little Gaffer's Tape to protect it from the rigors of my back pocket. Balances out the wallet on the other side nicely, too! Just to see the world or an aspect of the world through my own eyes, and interpret it artistically is a wonderful thing. I just reminded myself of that Tenacious D episode, "The Search for Inspirado!" Sweet.

[rayc]

I do, but I much prefer that version of British pop called Blighter's Rock.

[songright]

I do see what people consider writer's block, but I think that we all deviate emotionally at times, and it's a matter of knowing your own rhythmn. I just allow the down time, and recognize the artistic merit in all...good and bad. Documentation is key.

[mikeh]

I do not believe in "writer's block". I do believe that any writer can have periods where they may produce less, are less articulate or simply create something that is not as good as it could be or should be - but I don't perceive that to be writer's block.

I have spent a lot of time trying to study the works of the Brill building writers, and the Tin Pan Alley era as well as people like Lennon/McCartney, etc. As importantly, I have read whatever books/articles about those writers I can find - and there is a common theme I find over and over.

They kept writing!!! They did not allow "writer's block" to occur. They continued to look for things to inspire them - often the works of other writers.

Like any other task, be it a job, a sporting activity, whatever- there are times we may not feel like completing the task, or we know we are not playing "our A game" - but we get it done. Writing can be looked at the same way. Maybe the writing that occurs at these times is not our best work - but it can at least keep the creative juices flowing.

[Whatmysay]

I don’t believe in writers block – I believe in ‘quality writing block’.

The frustration and other negative emotions are only a result of your own perception of quality – let your standards drop a while or suspend your judgement and keep the words and music flowing – you’ll hit a gold seam a lot quicker then if you just sit there and get angry at your self.

Take a walk, practice your chops, listen to old/new material, do a homage song or cover, just stay focused on lyric and/or music generation and stay busy!

[mikeyhasnobones]

i feel like whenever i am working too much at my crap job, running too many errands and just doing generally unimportant junk like that, i am not inspired to write at all. but, then again, you can ALWAYS write about how you don't feel like writing. so, no, i don't.

[songright]

Originally Posted by mikeyhasnobones

i feel like whenever i am working too much at my crap job, running too many errands and just doing generally unimportant junk like that, i am not inspired to write at all. but, then again, you can ALWAYS write about how you don't feel like writing. so, no, i don't.

I hear what you're saying. My family and I lost our business last month...we were the third generation of that business. The past three years have been the worst as far as sleeping at night and the constant stress of HUGE money and cash flow issues. It was retail...business hasn't been the same since my mother passed in 2005...she ran the show, and she was my best friend. I'd only been back for three months before she passed. It felt like my brothers, our father, my sister-in-law, and I had been thrown to the wolves with that place.

That being said, the last month of my life I realized that I am NOT the stressed-out irritable person that I became when dealing with back-end management problems. One huge problem after another. My point is that I still MADE the time to create music or write lyrics. Even though the thought of sitting down to create didn't even appeal to me, but sitting down to vent...that was a great way to unwind and leave work where it belongs.

We have to make the time to write. A lot of lemonade was made from the sour lemons I would have been otherwise sucking on for the past three years. Thanks for posting everyone. Great Site!

[bilco]

Originally Posted by Whatmysay

I don’t believe in writers block – I believe in ‘quality writing block’.

The frustration and other negative emotions are only a result of your own perception of quality – let your standards drop a while or suspend your judgement and keep the words and music flowing – you’ll hit a gold seam a lot quicker then if you just sit there and get angry at your self.

Take a walk, practice your chops, listen to old/new material, do a homage song or cover, just stay focused on lyric and/or music generation and stay busy!

This is great advice. I have had writer's block off and on over a 37 year long span of songwriting and it really is not so much not being able to write at all; it is always a case of "yeah, that's a song, but it's not as good as (fill in the blank, whatever your best song ever written is called.) To an extent it is true; there was a point where Hemingway's writing was in decline, but what he was writing was not bad, just not up to the level of acceptability in his mind.

I was the most prolific and successful in the early 90's and a few songs from that period are the ones that are the tunes that publishers signed and friends pick as their favorites. I don't get too much enthusiasm out of anything I've written in the last 5 years or so. I let that shut me down and I can really get all depressed about it, feel old and washed up, but it is a choice to react that way, not an insurmountable all powerful force that I am helpless to do anything about. It really is just a choice. What I write during a period like this may not be as good as some songs I have written and it may really suck, but I CAN write something.

I resolved to work my way out of this slump in 2008 by co-writing, trying to write something every day, even if just a line or two, turning off the tv and laying off the gear acquisition. Now if I could just wean myself off of surfing these recording forums........

I wrote the lyrics for a new one today and it feels great!

Just pick up the pen and the guitar and do it.

bilco

[songright]

Bilco, I was at my worst as, far as motivation for writing is concerned, when I was acquiring equipment about 7 years ago. I got back into the music (writing more, performing out, etc) around 2004. I envisioned EXACTLY what I wanted to do...something raw, stripped-down, organic, and acoustic. I am now doing exactly that. The songs do come back if you open up to them...better now than ever. I, too, have let life get in the way of my music. I said things to myself like, "What does it matter, I'm no good, my songs aren't what they used to be, etc." That's just the negative self that needs to be kept in check. I call it reality, but that's not exactly what we're going for here is it?

[Bondo]

I think my brain has been in neutral for like a whole year. I am finally coming out of it I think, as I wrote two new songs in December, but yeah it sucks.

[bilco]

Originally Posted by songright

I envisioned EXACTLY what I wanted to do...something raw, stripped-down, organic, and acoustic.

That sounds great, similar to what I want to do. I want to write in a style and record songs produced in a way that is repeatable in a house concert environment. That is the market I am looking toward. I got to be the opening act at one and it was the most incredible gig I have ever played.

Do you have any examples of your new sound that you would be willing to share?

Thanks,
bilco

[eljero]

Whatmysay
I am impressed with whatyousay...
First don't pay attention at my way of typing in other than my language.

I thought i had what's called writer's block for the last four years. I got a job, a wife and a daughter in that time. I thought i would never be able to write something good, but now, after reading your post I realized that I have to stop trying to write something good and just start writing. That's what i did back then when i used to write songs, just wrote without worrying about the results.
I believe in your wise words and I feel like starting a new song right now

[Ben Logan]

Originally Posted by Whatmysay

I don’t believe in writers block – I believe in ‘quality writing block’.

Yes - been there.

[Whatmysay]

I challenge any one who is serious about their art or design, visual or performing to say they ever stop creating. We hear snippets – a riff, melody or lyric, we see events and situations that all could possible are the start of something great.

But what we do is a craft so those snippets those images must get worked on and synthesised into the greatness they deserve. Unfortunately life and ourselves get in the way.

But if you just have a little daily practice, working words on the train to work, playing a ukulele in the traffic jam then you keep that ‘door open’ all the time – then you do not have to get over some great inertia to start it again.

You’ve got to play like a kid without judgement trying stuff out – then as it coalesces into something we work on it and shape it – I think what happens with writers block is that we start working on an idea before it has had a chance to breath.

The idea has to live on its own before we intervene and sometimes were just jump on something that could never sustain itself, build a whole structure around it only to have it collapse and this adds to our frustration.

I guess writers block is about you and your expectations external to the actual process of song writing – song writing is at first organic playing with ideas and music to see if they are fertile and then it is about crafting them into shape once they have established themselves – that doesn’t always fit into a deadline or between baby feeding times.

I’m pleased that my thoughts have been of use to some of you

[mikeyhasnobones]

Originally Posted by Whatmysay

But if you just have a little daily practice, working words on the train to work, playing a ukulele in the traffic jam then you keep that ‘door open’ all the time – then you do not have to get over some great inertia to start it again.

word. i think it was lennon that said "it's a lot easier to write on a pillow than a stone bench." but they ALWAYS wrote. excellent thread guys!

[songright]

Wow, lots of posts! Thanks everyone. Haven't been on in a couple of days, I'm still recovering from a kick@ss gig on Thursday followed by a flat tire in the freezing rain!

I checked into the house concert environment that you were speaking of and that looks like a cool collective! Good luck! I'm going for venues that traditionally feature acoustic acts. The fact that we sound like a full band @ 1/3 the volume is a miracle for those venues. I have been playing a biweekly gig for over 2 1/2 years because of the strippped-down approach. Besides, it's eery, in a good way, when we're torn down in under 15 minutes at the end of each show! THAT is a miracle in my eyes, and for my back!

Take a listen to a live tune from one of our shows on the purevolume link below.

My "sound" is and always has been pretty straightforward, and I value performance.

http://www.purevolume.com/chrisvandthestanleystreetband

Bilco wrote," That sounds great, similar to what I want to do. I want to write in a style and record songs produced in a way that is repeatable in a house concert environment. That is the market I am looking toward. I got to be the opening act at one and it was the most incredible gig I have ever played.

Do you have any examples of your new sound that you would be willing to share?"

[IloveJesus]

Okay, this is a bad recommendation, but sometimes if you drink a little or take some kind of legal sedative you get a bit creative.

Eat some cactus from the desert and you'll really get some ideas.


A lot of really good music came out of substance abuse. I'm not recommending it, just stating a fact. Look at Led Zep and Hendrix and more.

I'm not accusing those guys of anything, but I do think they experimented with more than music.


Sometimes you have to modify the functioning of the brain in order to get some abnormal music. And abnormal music is original.


Just a thought.


Personally, nothing I write works. I suck at songwriting, and have learned to live with it. I make music for a very limited audience: me. But he loves it and listens to it over and over.

[Whatmysay]

Originally Posted by IloveJesus

A lot of really good music came out of substance abuse. I'm not recommending it, just stating a fact.

A lot of really good drug addicts who ruined theirs and lives of others came out of substance abuse.

I lot of really good music also came out of being dumped, lied to, betrayed by your best friend, being tortured by oppressive regimes, having good friends die (obviously not the one that betrayed you), spending time in prison. I'm not recommending it, just stating a fact.

There are a lot of healthier ways to alter your perspective on the world. While there is a clear connection between drug abuse and creative people - I think you are pushing it to say that it is a 'fact' that substance abuse actually makes us more creative.

I think this whole drugs and creativity thing is an over–romantisation with the 60s and I would question whether it was the drugs or the artists inate creativity that produced the songs?

In fact a lot of artist who have had trouble with substance abuse and have recovered often talk about how they rediscovered the writing abilities of their youth, that had been clouded for so many years by drugs and alcohol.

Writers block is just another of life's frustrations if you resort to drink or drugs to relieve it then it is no different than drinking because you hate your boss! If you use chemicals for that reason then you need help.

I’m no saint and probale should be in ‘recovery’ myself but, I think it is a dangerous point of view to be posted unchallenged - you may be right, but it is a hell of a risk to take just because the old song writing isn't flowing for a couple of weeks or even months.

[mikeh]

Whatmysay.

Thank you for a very accurate and pointed response. Do some artists create interesting, valid art while their lives are being consumed by alcohol and/or drugs.....maybe, but at what price??

There are many great artists who left a short but creative body of work when they died from drug abuse - but imagine what an impressive body of work they may and likely would have had if they had lived.

As indicated, it is likely that (pick an artist) was simply at a very creative artistic point in life and that internal motivation....more than drugs and alcohol....allowed them to create art. Sadly, as often as not, once a person gets to the point of abuse/addiction the steady decline has more negative impact on their art (and their lives) than any brief creative stimuli.

I've been through the process with drugs and alcohol and briefly thought the stimuli was good for my music.........I was wrong. Eventually my playing suffered, my writing suffered, my relationships suffered and my health suffered. I made it through (been sober for a long time) and I spent a lot of time getting my chops back and trying to convince people that I could be trusted as a musician and a friend.

I've seem too many gifted musicians lose their chops and their desire - and too many lose their lives........to drugs and alcohol.

Anyone who suggests that drugs/alcohol are good for an artist is uniformed or simply has not been up close and personal enough to really see the potential end result.

[TerraMortim]

Originally Posted by IloveJesus

Okay, this is a bad recommendation, but sometimes if you drink a little or take some kind of legal sedative you get a bit creative.

Eat some cactus from the desert and you'll really get some ideas.


A lot of really good music came out of substance abuse. I'm not recommending it, just stating a fact. Look at Led Zep and Hendrix and more.

I'm not accusing those guys of anything, but I do think they experimented with more than music.


Sometimes you have to modify the functioning of the brain in order to get some abnormal music. And abnormal music is original.


Just a thought.


Personally, nothing I write works. I suck at songwriting, and have learned to live with it. I make music for a very limited audience: me. But he loves it and listens to it over and over.

to be perfectly honest, I can't disagree. Creation under substances isn't for everyone, but I've actually written some stuff I really liked while drunk as fuck or tripping off of Absinthe (or something similar). (recorded the best drum tracks of my life in the studio once with the help of a 1 litre bottle of vodka) and I always have drinks around during vocal sessions in my industrial stuff...wine...maybe if it's a hard edged vocal part some whiskey to chug between takes-really gets the throat ready for some angry sounding mayhem. (it works very well for that project) Then again, as far as drunks go, I'm very coherent.

I'd never rely on something like that solely for being creative, but I can definitely say from time to time, it can be nice.

It's at least a must when doing really monotonous editing for hours..it makes the hours of pointing and clicking fly on by, but...I'm really anal when it comes to editing, so my editing sessions would probably drive most people to the brink of madness ( like Chinese water torture mabye?)..hehehehe.

As far as ruining your life and career with substance abuse...there's a huge difference between a mentally and emotionally healthy viewpoint of mind altering substances, in which pros vs. cons are weighed and an informed decision on whether to consume, and if so how much and in what manner, than some stupid ass "rock stars" who just do whatever they can, because they think it makes them cool. Abusing drugs will destroy you, but enjoying them in their proper usages might just make you cope with the world a bit more gracefully. Then again, my life is and has always been ridiculously tough.

[songright]

Maybe we're not talking about substance abuse, rather we are talking about lowering inhibitions. I've always been rather mellow on the outside, but burning up with thought constantly on the inside so puffing the magic dragon or sipping some Gentleman Jack quiets the inner voice, if only long enough to gather some of those racing thoughts, or even stir them up. I only do distilled, or naturally occuring substances these days although I have used LSD on quite a few occasions in the past. I repect other musicians' choices not to partake in these things, but kindly ask that they not shove their own moral beliefs down my throat. I like drugs, and there is a time a place for everything...just not all the time everyplace.

[Whatmysay]

I’m sorry that it came across as ‘shoving moral beliefs’ – thought we were involved in a dialogue in which we are all entitled to an opinion.

I saw it more as a warning on a cigarette packet.

I conceded that ‘Ilovejesus’ might be right about substance abuse being a way to liberate neural pathways and create some novel combination of words and music – I just added that the stats on the wall – like the correlation between smoking and cancer- suggest that there is a risk involved in such activity.

Yours, TerraMortim’s, andor Ilovejesus’s use of substances without ruining your lives, is not proof that there are no risks involved; and that should be pointed out to provide balance - so people can make an informed choice.

If the thread had gone the other way and someone was saying the only good songwriter and musician is chemical free I would have opposed that as well.

On the moral front - my only fundamentalism is a hatred of fundamentalists and absolutes – I might have the rhetoric of a preacher on occasions; but that is about as moral as I get.

It is happy hour Hong Kong time so I’m off to the pub. I hope this thread gets back to writers block again

Cheers

Burt

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by Whatmysay

A lot of really good drug addicts who ruined theirs and lives of others came out of substance abuse.

I lot of really good music also came out of being dumped, lied to, betrayed by your best friend, being tortured by oppressive regimes, having good friends die (obviously not the one that betrayed you), spending time in prison. I'm not recommending it, just stating a fact.

There are a lot of healthier ways to alter your perspective on the world. While there is a clear connection between drug abuse and creative people - I think you are pushing it to say that it is a 'fact' that substance abuse actually makes us more creative.

I think this whole drugs and creativity thing is an over–romantisation with the 60s and I would question whether it was the drugs or the artists inate creativity that produced the songs?

In fact a lot of artist who have had trouble with substance abuse and have recovered often talk about how they rediscovered the writing abilities of their youth, that had been clouded for so many years by drugs and alcohol.

Writers block is just another of life's frustrations if you resort to drink or drugs to relieve it then it is no different than drinking because you hate your boss! If you use chemicals for that reason then you need help.

I’m no saint and probale should be in ‘recovery’ myself but, I think it is a dangerous point of view to be posted unchallenged - you may be right, but it is a hell of a risk to take just because the old song writing isn't flowing for a couple of weeks or even months.

Excellent points.

[IloveJesus]

Lately I've been using downloaded acoustic drum loops. I love them! A real drummer makes money (yeah, I pay for them), and I get incredible beats, fills, etc. that are easy to copy and paste into my songs.

My drum programming days on Fruity Loops might be at an end. I suck at drums, and they are so important in a song.


Anyway, I make a drum track, and since they sound so good, I grab my guitar and bass and start jamming. A lot of good ideas are creeping up.

I'm more jazzed as a home recording musician than ever. Drums have always been a thorn in my side, because I have no ability to play, my creativity with percussion is nil, and the programs I use sound fake.

Not anymore. Now I'm in great shape with drums. And it's improving my creativity dramatically.

And the occasional glass of wine.

[songright]

What? Does this thread have writer's block!?

Whatmysay, I wasn't attacking you! Sorry that I made you write so much! lol We're all just giving advice here, good bad, and sometimes ugly. You remind me of college. In the way that when I was "attending" courses online, I really had to back up the information that I posted, otherwise it was merely an opinion. We're LOOKING for opinions here, and you made me feel like I was in college again! That's a compliment.. I loved college! Great job with that!

ILoveJesus, I used drum loops for years. I used to program parts. Time consuming. This "acoustic drum beats for hire" thing is great! Do they you offer choices on the style, set, etc? If I'm paying for drums then...pa rum pum pum pum, little drummer boy! I want a jazz trap set played with brushes, and give me some more dry thump on the bass drum...and MORE COWBELL! Dude, that ride cymbal has a horrible ring to it..can you fix that?! Can you do that, Mr. Virtual Drummer? Thanks. lol Do they offer choices like this? That's a great idea. Session man in a box beamed over cyberspace into your inbox. I sometimes wish some drummers would give me beats in this way. I'm sure the real beats open up a lot of creative ideas. It's definitely much more respectable, from a recording and mixing perspective. How do the beats sound anyway?

I love using the cajon for drum beats. I also play acoustic guitar so the cajon naturally compliments it. I even get some separation between the bass drum-like sound and the snare sound by double miking it or plugging the B Band in on the Meinl Cajon. I pan the bass slightly off to the left just in front of the bass guitar, and the snare to the right just as slight. Turn it up. Add a touch of reverb. Some drum compression. Fiddle with the EQ. Drums.