Hello audiosex.

From some time now I lack of motivation. I started a few projects and even though I have ideas for them to finish. I feel so lazy, maybe not lazy but tired (would be a better term). Sometimes I prefer start something new than go back to the old ones. Does any of you have had similar problem ? What do you do to fight it ?

 

Car battery + Nipple clamps

 

Like you lost that excitement and spark you had when the project was in the beginning, happens all the time, but to be honest I'm picky with my ideas and I re evaluate them all the time, but when I don't feel "it" anymore, it's time to drop them, I can't expect someone will connect with something I lost interest in, better feel excited and inspired with your own music, than getting bored out of it and than finishing just because there is some cosmic rule you must put out whenever shit you come up with no matter if it's worth even leaving your DAW.

When fun stops, you stop, work until it's fun, hard work can be fun if you love what you do, if you feel your music and you are inspired all the time, that's the spirit, if it's another day in studio making something not even remotely exciting, life goes on, better do something that you feel like doing, than getting stuck with something you think you must do, you are free, music is reflection of your emotions, if you don't feel it, leave it, if you are going to make 365 projects in one year that is never going to be finished, let it be, you had a blast making every element in all of them and felt deeply happy, maybe in eyes of majority you are failure, but what you feel is important, they don't feel your heart,soul and your world is milles away from theirs, do whatever feels right, forget about norms, expectations and deadlines, life is short to be bothered with nonsense, music should set you free, not lock you up

 

I threaten myself

 

masturbate :dancing:

 

I had similar feelings/experiences from time to time. It all goes away once you've completed a quality track/project. For me to get that one quality track done, I had to collab with someone. Working with others is much more fun and engaging. Preferably, if you can work with someone in the same location, do it. Working over the internet is a decent alternative.

You should also try branching out in the type of work you do, try new things - different genres, different fields (film scoring, jingle writing), etc. I mixed and mastered projects for friends, did the scoring for a video short, made a few jingles for several Youtube channels, and made ringtones. It was all fun, I learned new things to advance my production skills and techniques, got motivated to keep making music, and made a little bit of money out of it.

And if you still need motivation, go to a concert, party, or some music event. Have fun, let all the tiredness/laziness go, and relax. Drink, wine, dine, dance, and bring that energy back to the studio.

 

Isn't it crazy that me and frito had the same exact thought? However I would have kept it general and just said drugs (why discriminate?).

No but really learn when to put things on hold and get out into the world to have the experiences that will inspire you. Also listen and deconstruct your favorite music and see what are the elements that you really admire in your favorite songs. This can sometimes be a springboard to quality work. Don't imitate it completely but there's nothing wrong with getting ideas and a deeper understanding of what was it that worked and why. I also have heard that it's good to work through those moments because inspiration is such a small fraction of being a producer. It may be a great song but since you've been listening to it over and over and over in every stage of composition and production you may not be seeing things clearly. Most importantly have a vision.

 

I sometimes find that going through a tutorial can get me off on a nice tangent, either tech related or for me guitar theory stuff, or even just learning someone elses song can get you going off in a totally great direction or at least break a mental block. And of course the alternative to drugs, getting in shape lol. Can do wonders for your brain. But drugs are definitely easier

 

I believe it's called procrastination. I feel the same way at times.
Try "The Now Habit" by Neil Fiore, excellent audio program on overcoming procrastination with many valuable insights.

I know this thing very well. I would have done 40 projects if not for "lack of motivation". For me it's hard to start and hard to finish, since the work needs a lot of polishing over and over again. To finish a project is perhaps more demanding than to start it, but for burn out in the middle of a project, I don't have any cure yet

 

As a pure amateur, I started producing just for my own ears, finished a project now and then, never listened to it again, buried it on my HD and moved on to the next. Of course I only finished one percent of my ideas, the rest lays there waiting to be worked on (or not).

Now I pretend to have a fixed delivery date for a client - so no matter what, I finish my current project before moving on (normally I finish my project on Saturday morning ). I don't care if it's no master piece, it's pure practice for me to getting better day by day.

May I ask if you have a job/are working regularily? Because if you have a job and your boss is giving you an assignment due to a date, normally you cannot really say "I'm too tired to finish it by then", if you know what I mean. You just do it (if it is possible in the first place) to satisfy your customer and your boss.

On the other hand it's no shame not to finish a project, you can enjoy building it to a certain extend and then move on to the next ideas. I played the piano a couple of years, and around 90 percent of my playing was pure practicing scales and other elements, I rarely played complete pieces, but it was fun nevertheless. *yes* So it was no waste of time. *no*

 

Thank you guys for answers.

Great speech Xsze *yes*

I'll go with pimpdrop advice. Thx a lot mate.

@Andrew I'll check this book, even if my English is not good, but at least I don't have lack of motivation to polish my English *yes*

@hfeuhfz7342hf724 Yes I have a job. But there is no pressure on me, my job doesn't make me tired at all. And my job doesn't affect on my free time.

I understand but somewhere in the back I feel this sorrow that I started something and is waiting for finish

Some of you recommend drugs. I must say naaaaaaah, drugs are good (sometimes). But in my opinion they are good when you party, not when you trying to focus and do things right. But it is just my opinion. Anyway my fav. drug is LSD so it could be very difficult to do something in studio

 

Xsze, you rock! So true. One of the best comments ever. Framing!

Waves. Day follows night, rain followed by sun.....
Accept. Make something completely different. Enjoy life. Everything changes.
I think, there's no musician in the world who doesn't know phases of creative drought....

Creativeness and love - the greatest miracles of life - are closely linked.
Both can not be forced. Sometimes we just have to wait... for the next wave....

Lots of creative love waves for all of you!

 

You misunderstood me I guess. What I wanted to say was: Perhaps try to see your music as a kind of job where things have to be finished with a deadline.

 

Nothing. Don't fight it. It's not about power and mastery. If you fight it, it might last longer. It's about letting go
of conditionings. Let it happen, save your energy, otherwise you might feel even more tired than you already are.

The problem is mostly not the state of creative drought or the "lack of discipline" itself, but our assessment towards it.
We have a certain image of ourselves, as we should be and what should happen. If we can't match this picture, we feel uncomfortable.
We don't want to feel bad, that's the point.

Fell your sorrow, very conscious, as deep as you can. It shortens the process of going through the valley.

I wrote three years on a book. Suddenly, from one day to the other, i have lost motivation and energy to bring it to an end.
Any attempt to resume the thread with willpower and discipline, failed. Hundreds of hours of work.....
It took me another year to realize, that it was not important to "finish" my work and publish the book, in contrary to my original intention.
It was important only for myself, to integrate the tough experiences of my professional work.
Just accepted, i realized that i have neglected my family and friends in the time of writing,
and i felt guilty for that.....

However, it was a good lesson, before i started making music....
Creativity to schedule - doesn't work for me.

"Life is what happens while we are about making other plans"
John Lennon

You know, what's best? As long as we don't get paid for our creativity, we do not have to bring everything to an end. The path is the goal....

P.S. We should not forget, how demanding it is to make computer music. *yes*
I mean, we don't take only the guitar in our hand and strum three chords...
Sometimes i am tired as well. Then it is time to recharge the batteries otherwise. There is also a life beyond the music...

 

It was very nice to read this thread...........it brought me closer to myself and understanding that I'm not alone!

 

Alraun

 

Oh, and by the way.........as the song goes, when I feel this way "I touch myself!"

 

Oh you mean the Divinyls. RIP Christina (breast cancer) you were so beautiful and talented...though I actually hate this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv-34w8kGPM

Xsze
Awesome brother, when I read it I felt like I had wrote it. It's weird how some people on these forums live in a different country than me, with different customs and different experiences yet somehow we're on the same page down to the last detail. That's really something that fills me with wonder. Frito and I always connect like that too, forget about SAiNT who is so similar that it was eerie when we started talking.

Alraun
I use that quote all the time.

 

I start new stuff all the time, and barely finish the stuff... But sometimes, I have one of these days, and then I can finish it.

Or I use the time where Im not in a creative mood, when I want to start something new but it just dont work... Then I just open up projects randomly and loow what I could do.

YOu could also set deadlines for your projects, I heard that somewhere and people stated it would help them when they force themselves to finish something till a determed date. I dont know if it helps you, I know that I personaly hate deadlines but it can help (for example remix contests have a dead line. If theres enough time for you to work on it, its great. But if its not enough time or even to much time, it just sucks and dont work out for me)

I also recently watched an interesting video about motivation, It was in german, so dont know if it would help you... properly not
But it dealed with why we want to do something but dont do it. Something with the section of your brain coming uo with ideas and the section thats for actually starting stuff, and these two sections are in different parts of your brain, or something like that lol... Dont think I can really translate that stuff...