Structured
Ever feel like there’s too much to do and not enough time? Slipping into procrastination way too often? Employing this simple practice into your day could change your life.
Take a larger break from creation to avoid writers block
by Will Jackson
I wrote an article recently that discussed the power of taking short breaks from the creative process, and how it can reap big rewards on your productivity.
Taking a little break can give you a great amount of perspective on mainly the minutia of the project you’re working on, and help you stay on track with regards to your vision for the project and ability to execute it.
If you haven’t already seen this article, you can check it out here.
Small breaks are great and essential, however sometimes larger breaks can really help to get a more accurate overall perspective on things.
Sometimes you can become stuck or unsure of the best route to take on a project when you’re immersed in it on a daily basis. The larger questions of the project such as, ‘should I have that extra verse’ or ‘is my song dynamic enough’ become difficult to answer.
More time away
Taking an extended break – if you can, before committing to the final mix and master or even just the songwriting, and getting on with other projects in the meantime can be really helpful.
By this I’m talking a day or two at least. I find that the longer I have away from a project, the better I truly know what sounds right and what doesn’t.
I notice this mainly with production decisions myself. If a project has to be halted for some reason, then recommenced later, I often find that I will have a different perspective on one or two elements of my production.
These days it’s usually small tweaks to the shape of the sound like cutting a bit of low end on a guitar solo or adding a bit more compression to the keys sound to suit the vibe of the production more.
In the past however, I would find myself changing large elements of my productions. I could hear that for whatever reason, those sounds just didn’t fit the production, and would have to be re-recorded or re-inputted.
To arrive at these decisions, I’d typically need a fortnight or more away from the music.
This gives the brain a chance to get the music completely out of the short-term memory, so it’s as if you’re hearing the music fresh for the first time almost. Bias removed.
At this point, you’re no longer listening and potentially obsessing to the finer details of the production, such as whether the main vox should be 0.5 a db louder or quieter, or whether the reverb on the snare should be a plate or a chamber verb. Instead you’re listening to the bigger picture, or a better way of putting it, the stuff that really matters.
It's powerful stuff!
Unfortunately we don’t often get the luxury of being able to take extended breaks from our work/art. I often don’t.
However if you do, I would urge you to give it a try!
You may find that nothing needs changing, which basically means you did an awesome job in the first place. If there’s anything in your production that you even slightly question though, this could really help solve the situation.
A great time to take an extended break is after you’ve finished the mix, pre-master.
Once you’ve done a master, you’ve more or less committed yourself to the production or mix, so it can be harder to go back a stage and change things. Especially where clients are involved!
The practice has certainly improved my productions to date though, and I’m sure it could help you too!
Related posts
Mixing in mono
Ever find that a mix sounds overly cluttered but you can’t find the reason(s) why?
This technique could be a game changer for you.
Avoid writers block – take breaks!
Writers block is never fun. But it can be so easily avoided by implementing a bit of structure into your process. Find out how…
