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What do you do when you are discouraged?


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When I totally drop the ball while mixing I usually get pretty discouraged. I don't feel like continuing, but I know that if I don't I will never progress.... I try to recognize my mistakes and avoid them in the future, but still; I am usually only able to mix for thirty minutes to an hour before I am unhappy with something (or until I run out of "mixable" music), so how am I going to push myself for longer amounts of time if needed?

 

Anyways, I usually just stop for the day (or for a few hours) and go read a book, play some Final Fantasy XII, eat a little.... I probably should work on producing or find another hobby to keep me occupied and productive, but oh well. Does anyone have anything special or interesting that they do?

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I dont think you can force yourself to continue being creative.. if I dont feel like creating i cant.. I just take a break and continue when i feel that i want to. So i dont think there is some special "cure" for it. Just take a break. :lol:

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I'm never discouraged. Making music is a momentum that builds, as an artist (and engineer I suppose) you always have ideas going on in your head. The only thing that stops me is perhaps fatigue. A year or two ago I would experience occasions where I'd be in the studio for hours and not accomplish anything at all and get upset, but I've learned by now to avoid the things that cause that. Its when you sit down and don't actually have a purpose or motivation, you just click around and click around and play here and there but nothing happens. I've learned that the best times to produce is when you least expect it, when you don't plan it. Theres many times when I'll get home exausted and think of just relaxing, maybe watching a film or screwing around with a video game, then 5 minutes later I put on some music, get a massive dose of inspiration, feel like dancing, and then i open the studio and let my mind dance for the next 3-5 hours, until I cannot go any longer. If its durring the day and I have time, I'll take little breaks every 3 hours, let something render - when I come back I listen to it and contrast what I'm hearing with what my mind desires and I get a new wave of direction for the next couple of hours.

 

If you find yourself regularly being discouraged after a short time, you are not in the mindset, you don't have a message, perhaps you have no motivation. You won't like hearing this but perhaps making music is not for you, and it'll remain just a toy. What got me to change a lot of my attitude towards producing is when I found out that most of the big name producers, they wake up each day and easily spend 10 hours in the studio, and they want to do nothing else.

 

Take your time.

 

Dance :) Try making music when you feel like dancing, you will never be discouraged. If you are not dancing to your music (whether mentally or physically) how do you expect others to?

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What has worked for me is to take a break, as in days, and get as far away from it as possible. A lot of times the best stuff comes when I'm not forcing myself to think about it. I think that way you're not as constrained and your ideas are allowed to flow more freely. And if you're far enough away, and you've come up with good ideas, then it's like a friendly reunion to get back to it, with momentum behind it.

 

But even short breaks are totally necessary. I find it's best to find a way to distract the laserlike focus and allow the thoughts to flow unmolested. And when you're ready you dive back in.

 

Most times what inspires me is to just make something, no matter what. That something will lead to more somethings, and those to more somethings, until a larger something starts to take form. But you have to like your equipment.

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Generally I also just stop working on it and do something else, something not music related usually. Drinking works, though, if you get that wild hair and decide to try and work on it further you can drunkenly mess the whole thing up :lol:. Whenever Ive tried to keep working when discouraged my heart's just not in it, and htat will reflect in the track.

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