There's Always Time To Write - How To Overcome Writer’s Block

overcoming writer's block

If you've ever felt a burning insecurity in yourself as you listen to another composer's brilliant new work, a work that belongs to a body of work so good and consistent that you could literally cry with envy, whilst you, on the other hand, haven't written anything for months, then this blog is for you.

I'll start with a little story, so if you're sitting comfortably, let's begin.

For those who know me, you may also know that I've been working with my lifelong friend Matt Baber for almost my entire life. Well, at least since we were at playschool. Today, however, our work is a little more ambitious than moving silver sand from one end of the dry sandpit to the other. But, as three-year-olds, that did seem pretty damn important!

A few years ago now, Matt announced his idea to run a writing experiment. The aim was to prove that writing music can happen at any time, not just in a heightened state of inspiration or when there's a month or two without interruption to dedicate to the endeavour. Matt decided he would write a piece of music daily for one month, no matter what. The composition could be any length and of any complexity, but what was not up for debate was that music composition must happen every day! 

After one month of writing, Matt had thirty or so compositions of varying length and complexity and a wealth of ideas for future development. The experiment was actually a resounding success! 

When you stop to think about that for a moment, perhaps the music seems less important than the sheer audacity to engage in this experiment in the first place.

Writing this way seems to fly in the face of the priorities of a modern world where the arts have become 'leisure activities' only to be engaged in when time permits. It flips the bird at a world obsessed with economic growth and a society that loves to sell our young people the "only science, maths, and literacy are important" national curriculum bullshit. In contrast, this experiment connects directly to the essential, life-affirming qualities of music and the importance of the arts by placing the practice of composing at the heart of day-to-day life. 

Were the arts not as essential to life as food and shelter, Olivier Messiaen would not have written Quartet for the End of Time, finished in a German prisoner of war camp during WW2. And Shostakovich would have been unable to continue to write against the backdrop of fear, intimidation and disappearances (murders) that were going on around him in Stalin's post-war Russia. In fact, it seems in even the most primitive of cultures, the moment the basic necessities of life are taken care of, the next thing humans want to engage in is making art of one kind or another. 

I'm writing this blog because I believe there's always time to engage in creative activities, and I want to encourage you to write, no matter how busy life is. No matter how crazy things get, there is always time for making music. In fact, it's when life is at its hardest that creativity is most important.

Frank Zappa famously said: "There are two things you have to do to make it as a musician: keep going and don't stop". Following his own advice, Zappa seems to have proven the point, releasing 62 studio albums in his lifetime.

So here's some advice and encouragement for the ailing composer.

• All you have to do is start! Craft and intuition will take care of the rest.

• Begin with a list of creative restrictions: They really help to focus the mind by removing some of the limitless potentials of a blank page.

• Any amount of time can be productive. Five minutes is enough time to get some ideas down.

• Small regular sessions are as productive as longer sessions. 

• Try to compose something every day. As the saying goes, we are creatures of habit, and habits form quickly. 

Ultimately writing or not writing is a choice you can start right now! 

Stay creative

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