what to do when inspiration dwindles?

[rounser]

Frank Herberts books got progressively worse, and the fact he forced himself is exceedingly obvious.

Well, his point was that the "being inspired or not inspired" bit didn't change the quality of the resultant material; he couldn't tell the difference. Perhaps he was always destined to be a Pearl Jam and get progressively worse with each release. There's a lot of artists like that, but I think they're more respected than those who don't release anything, which walking away might cause. If he walked away, would we ever have even seen Dune? Even one novel is quite a feat of application.

You see if you invest time in shit, you lose objectivity, and give value to shit, purely down to the effort you invest. In shit.

That's true to an extent...although you could argue that it's just as easy to discard something worthwhile as it is to push something not worthwhile. You lose objectivity about your work in the positive as well as in the negative.

I think it`s terrible to look at every piece of music you make as a release. Experimentation can sometimes be just that.

Sometimes, not all the time, sometimes it is better, to walk away.

But if you walk away, you won't be experimenting.

Anyway, swings and roundabouts...there's two competing underlying principles we're discussing here, both to do with the subconcious mind, and both of us are correct IMO:

1) The subconcious can create a game plan better than that of the concious mind, and needs time out to do it.

2) The subconcious only begins to work once you've begun to act, because by acting you get it focused on the problem.

Depending on who you are, both of these might apply to a varying degree. I tend towards (2) because it doesn't risk procrastination and the forming of bad habits such as not ever finishing things (which walking away encourages so far as I can see), which is much worse than finishing many crap things and the odd good thing.

[TechMouse]

I think it`s terrible to look at every piece of music you make as a release. Experimentation can sometimes be just that.

There's no such thing as time wasted in a studio.

(Unless you are actually wasted, in a studio).

[ERROR404]

I like to work on 4-5 projects at once and only spend an hour or so at a time on each one... your ears are always fresh, and ideas flow more creatively between and across tracks etc...

[dirty_bass]

There's no such thing as time wasted in a studio.

(Unless you are actually wasted, in a studio).

sure there is.

you wanna work in a professional studio some time.

You`ll see
PLEEEEENTYYYYYYY
of time wasted.
Turds going under the buffer for hours.

[Jay Pace]

sure there is.

you wanna work in a professional studio some time.

You`ll see
PLEEEEENTYYYYYYY
of time wasted.
Turds going under the buffer for hours.

If its your own studio, you are learning polishing skills.
Getting your buffing arm toned and muscular.
You're learning, basically.

Then when the day comes, when you lay a solid gold egg instead of a steaming cable, you can polish its brilliance to a fine sparkle.

Otherwise your brilliant idea is hidden by 2nd rate production, and nobody will appreciate it.

[TechMouse]

sure there is.

you wanna work in a professional studio some time.

You`ll see
PLEEEEENTYYYYYYY
of time wasted.
Turds going under the buffer for hours.

Ah, I'm sure there are valuable lessons being learned even then.

[dirty_bass]

Ah, I'm sure there are valuable lessons being learned even then.

well, normally, what`s being learned is, when to go and get a coffee/smoke a fag, while the dirge is being minced.

I mean, sure you can look at it as learning.

But I know plenty of people, who hammer away, who have been sending me stuff for critique for ages. I`ll name no names, but the same problems come up again and again, so nothing is being learned.

I`m not saying just leave your studio until you are bursting with maximum inspiration, but I am saying, you have to know when to walk away.

[TechMouse]

I`m not saying just leave your studio until you are bursting with maximum inspiration, but I am saying, you have to know when to walk away.

This is also true.

There is such a thing as flogging a dead horse.

[Basil Rush]

Yeah - I had last year off. Did about three records all year, which is down from between about six and ten a year the year before. Decided to do an awful lot more day job work and just make noises for fun, for about six months I couldn't even bring myself to make fun noises.

Anyway the fun noises are back and I've got one serious project on the way, we'll see how that goes.

In the meantime I've learnt csound and and few other wizzy sound toys.

Right then, chocolate, then noises!

ps. hello again everyone :)

[clodhoppa]

brian eno's oblique strategies can help... just pick out a card, then do what it says. sounds stupid but if it works for eno...

http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/b...e/oblique.html