im really lost production wise maybe you can help?

[AstralExistence]

about me, in the past 6 years i just lost my appreciation of music production. im not an expert on music production i just know how to do it by sitting down and doing it. i write tons of demos, but never finish anything in 6 years. just lost my drive man. and lost my interest in music production. i try so hard to get that drive back but its seems to be a fruitless quest.

i would never call myself a bad producer quite the opposite i have submitted my music here in the past under two different users names and got many compliments like wow man! your're good! i just lost my drive.

so what do i do? i keep buying gear looking for the synth that will give my back my drive. i just can't find it man i just can't i don't know what im looking for.

and another thing, im an excellent sound designer, years ago i released a synth 1 bank that to this day, that creates more derivatives then any synth1 bank. but i don't see why i need to mention which one, ill just let people continue to enjoy it for what it is.

i also released a few sounds for bitwig natives on kvr which people really liked. and i submitted my private patches which i have not shared here with bitwig beats.com and got an offer to join the company as a sound designer. i turned it down.

im so lost man, i don't know how to escape this.

i feel like a piece of driftwood as the water, slowly makes it rot...

ae

[Sendy]

Reconnect with your sense of joy in creating music and sound. Failing that, try something else.

I'm really not getting much of a glimmer of hope in what you've said here. Maybe it's just a passing mood, but it sounds to me like your talent has been more of a burden than anything else. Perhaps you are good, but if you're not enjoying it, what's the point?

Strip back your options, try making music in a setup that's obviously limited. I find that helps. Good luck!

[AstralExistence]

its hard man. it hard for me to remain focused. i didn't create this thread for sympathy as i don't believe i have the right to invoke the feelings of others because of how i feel. i was just looking for advice from other viewpoints besides my own.

[KBSoundSmith]

Hmm, that's rough.

Here are my thoughts.

Music is just a part of my life. It's as automatic to me as brushing my teeth after a meal--and I mean that very literally. It's a habit. It was established deliberately as a habit, and now it's on autopilot--not my thoughts on and depth of music making, but the act of making music itself.

Making music is not the goal. It is not an end for its own sake, not some kind of thing to be achieved or accomplished, not some ultimate act of worth. It's just a habit. I get up in the morning, exercise, shower and shave, drink several glasses of water, then write for a fixed period of time. There's a fixed sequence of activities that I just do, everyday.

As a result, my relationship with music has changed. Before interacting with art in that way, I was really fixated on more egotistic considerations about my music--plus, with professional aspirations, expectations from other people, wanting to look/appear a certain way, etc etc, I lost all joy in music making, it was something that had to get done and be amazing, incredible, earth-shattering.

But it's just music. To quote Tom Brady "This isn't ISIS. No one's dying here."

Now that doesn't mean you should be less demanding of yourself, not have professional aspirations, not feel the pressure of a deadline and whatnot. But it does mean that your sense of self-worth and quality of life shouldn't be tied to your artwork. Ultimately, it's just music--a fun, silly thing humans do to pass the time and make other people smile.

Take a little time off, then come back to it, and just try to make it part of your daily routine. Don't place expectations on yourself, don't place expectations on what the music should mean to your life or to other people. It's just a thing you do during the day, like changing your socks and folding your blankets, brushing your teeth and combing your hair.

I hope that helps.

[AstralExistence]

Hmm, that's rough.

Here are my thoughts.

Music is just a part of my life. It's as automatic to me as brushing my teeth after a meal--and I mean that very literally. It's a habit. It was established deliberately as a habit, and now it's on autopilot--not my thoughts on and depth of music making, but the act of making music itself.

Making music is not the goal. It is not an end for its own sake, not some kind of thing to be achieved or accomplished, not some ultimate act of worth. It's just a habit. I get up in the morning, exercise, shower and shave, drink several glasses of water, then write for a fixed period of time. There's a fixed sequence of activities that I just do, everyday.

As a result, my relationship with music has changed. Before interacting with art in that way, I was really fixated on more egotistic considerations about my music--plus, with professional aspirations, expectations from other people, wanting to look/appear a certain way, etc etc, I lost all joy in music making, it was something that had to get done and be amazing, incredible, earth-shattering.

But it's just music. To quote Tom Brady "This isn't ISIS. No one's dying here."

Now that doesn't mean you should be less demanding of yourself, not have professional aspirations, not feel the pressure of a deadline and whatnot. But it does mean that your sense of self-worth and quality of life shouldn't be tied to your artwork. Ultimately, it's just music--a fun, silly thing humans do to pass the time and make other people smile.

Take a little time off, then come back to it, and just try to make it part of your daily routine. Don't place expectations on yourself, don't place expectations on what the music should mean to your life or to other people. It's just a thing you do during the day, like changing your socks and folding your blankets, brushing your teeth and combing your hair.

I hope that helps.

so its not the synth thats holding me back, its my expectation that what i do must have value. and because i place this value very high on the totempole, im losing all value as soon as its created because every thing i do that has high value suddenly loses all value, because it was given high value?

and the answer to my problem is to maintain purpose, without giving it value and in doing do, i would be giving myself purpose that would i would see as value, when its actually purpose. and the end result would be both creative and purposeful?

i never really considered this might be what could be holding me back.

[AstralExistence]

so now what i need to figure out is how to maintain purpose in creativity without giving it value because in removing the value, you remove the 'value' and create a purposeful value. and that seems to be the key in maintaining a creative mind.

maybe that's the secret to continued creativity. as i read your first post, what i see that you said was to make creativity 'thoughtless' and 'like brushing my teeth' i don't care about brushing my teeth, i just brush my teeth because they need to be brushed.

i understand

[KBSoundSmith]

Hmm, that's rough.

Here are my thoughts.

Music is just a part of my life. It's as automatic to me as brushing my teeth after a meal--and I mean that very literally. It's a habit. It was established deliberately as a habit, and now it's on autopilot--not my thoughts on and depth of music making, but the act of making music itself.

Making music is not the goal. It is not an end for its own sake, not some kind of thing to be achieved or accomplished, not some ultimate act of worth. It's just a habit. I get up in the morning, exercise, shower and shave, drink several glasses of water, then write for a fixed period of time. There's a fixed sequence of activities that I just do, everyday.

As a result, my relationship with music has changed. Before interacting with art in that way, I was really fixated on more egotistic considerations about my music--plus, with professional aspirations, expectations from other people, wanting to look/appear a certain way, etc etc, I lost all joy in music making, it was something that had to get done and be amazing, incredible, earth-shattering.

But it's just music. To quote Tom Brady "This isn't ISIS. No one's dying here."

Now that doesn't mean you should be less demanding of yourself, not have professional aspirations, not feel the pressure of a deadline and whatnot. But it does mean that your sense of self-worth and quality of life shouldn't be tied to your artwork. Ultimately, it's just music--a fun, silly thing humans do to pass the time and make other people smile.

Take a little time off, then come back to it, and just try to make it part of your daily routine. Don't place expectations on yourself, don't place expectations on what the music should mean to your life or to other people. It's just a thing you do during the day, like changing your socks and folding your blankets, brushing your teeth and combing your hair.

I hope that helps.

so its not the synth thats holding me back, its my expectation that what i do must have value. and because i place this value very high on the totempole, im losing all value as soon as its created because every thing i do that has high value suddenly loses all value, because it was given high value?

and the answer to my problem is to maintain purpose, without giving it value and in doing do, i would be giving myself purpose that would in turn create value?

Hmm, that's a bit of a convoluted way of saying it, but in essence, yes.

I'm not saying you shouldn't value your work--quite the opposite. Value it highly. I am saying that making it a habit, just a part of your life, is going to simplify things for you. Make habits of things you value.

There are two important words: Stress and Pressure. They are not the same thing--at least not how I differentiate them, so perhaps adopting a similar mindset will help. Stress is a negative emotion that is generated when we place expectations on things, and it detracts from our quality of work. Pressure is an emotion that pushes us toward accomplishment. For example, stress is generated when we say to ourselves "this composition needs to win a contest." Pressure is generated when we say "I have one hour to compose 16 measures, and I must now begin composing."

Do you see the difference? Stress is a negative emotion that doesn't help us because it is generated by concerns that are outside of our control. Pressure is an emotion that is generated by placing ourselves in conditions we can control and act upon. Pressure is uncomfortable too, but it is not a negative emotion that prevents us from good work--scientists who study peak performance clearly can point to pressure as something that can raise the quality of performance.

Good Habits create good pressure. Expectations, desires, worrying about what others think of you, worrying about the latest synth--things like that create stress. Let go of expectations and set up habits instead.

Additionally, human willpower is limited. Imagine your willpower as being a gas tank. When you sleep, it gets filled back up. But you only have a limited amount, and once it's used up, you have none and get no more until the next day. **Habits do not use willpower, so your tank remains full!** But stressful thoughts and activities and non-habits DO use willpower, and once you run out of willpower, stress goes up.

So by setting up habits, you increase good pressure and decrease negative stress.

Hope that helps

[Aiynzahev]

Try new methods (sampling is one example) try new genres!

I recently got a lot more into techno than ever before and experimental electronic music, and I've explored granular synthesis and sampling more than ever before. I found that I really love manipulating vocals. I always knew I liked it, but now I realize it's really a big driving factor for me. I didn't really know that about myself until I stopped tweaking synths for a while and explored other methods.

[xamido]

Go outside your safety zone.

The music on my soundcloud is not limited to just one genre. I've always like to try to make songs in genre that i'm not familiar with. That way i can keep the boredom of doing the same thing away.

[AstralExistence]

Hmm, that's rough.

Here are my thoughts.

Music is just a part of my life. It's as automatic to me as brushing my teeth after a meal--and I mean that very literally. It's a habit. It was established deliberately as a habit, and now it's on autopilot--not my thoughts on and depth of music making, but the act of making music itself.

Making music is not the goal. It is not an end for its own sake, not some kind of thing to be achieved or accomplished, not some ultimate act of worth. It's just a habit. I get up in the morning, exercise, shower and shave, drink several glasses of water, then write for a fixed period of time. There's a fixed sequence of activities that I just do, everyday.

As a result, my relationship with music has changed. Before interacting with art in that way, I was really fixated on more egotistic considerations about my music--plus, with professional aspirations, expectations from other people, wanting to look/appear a certain way, etc etc, I lost all joy in music making, it was something that had to get done and be amazing, incredible, earth-shattering.

But it's just music. To quote Tom Brady "This isn't ISIS. No one's dying here."

Now that doesn't mean you should be less demanding of yourself, not have professional aspirations, not feel the pressure of a deadline and whatnot. But it does mean that your sense of self-worth and quality of life shouldn't be tied to your artwork. Ultimately, it's just music--a fun, silly thing humans do to pass the time and make other people smile.

Take a little time off, then come back to it, and just try to make it part of your daily routine. Don't place expectations on yourself, don't place expectations on what the music should mean to your life or to other people. It's just a thing you do during the day, like changing your socks and folding your blankets, brushing your teeth and combing your hair.

I hope that helps.

so its not the synth thats holding me back, its my expectation that what i do must have value. and because i place this value very high on the totempole, im losing all value as soon as its created because every thing i do that has high value suddenly loses all value, because it was given high value?

and the answer to my problem is to maintain purpose, without giving it value and in doing do, i would be giving myself purpose that would in turn create value?

Hmm, that's a bit of a convoluted way of saying it, but in essence, yes.

I'm not saying you shouldn't value your work--quite the opposite. Value it highly. I am saying that making it a habit, just a part of your life, is going to simplify things for you. Make habits of things you value.

There are two important words: Stress and Pressure. They are not the same thing--at least not how I differentiate them, so perhaps adopting a similar mindset will help. Stress is a negative emotion that is generated when we place expectations on things, and it detracts from our quality of work. Pressure is an emotion that pushes us toward accomplishment. For example, stress is generated when we say to ourselves "this composition needs to win a contest." Pressure is generated when we say "I have one hour to compose 16 measures, and I must now begin composing."

Do you see the difference? Stress is a negative emotion that doesn't help us because it is generated by concerns that are outside of our control. Pressure is an emotion that is generated by placing ourselves in conditions we can control and act upon. Pressure is uncomfortable too, but it is not a negative emotion that prevents us from good work--scientists who study peak performance clearly can point to pressure as something that can raise the quality of performance.

Good Habits create good pressure. Expectations, desires, worrying about what others think of you, worrying about the latest synth--things like that create stress. Let go of expectations and set up habits instead.

Additionally, human willpower is limited. Imagine your willpower as being a gas tank. When you sleep, it gets filled back up. But you only have a limited amount, and once it's used up, you have none and get no more until the next day. **Habits do not use willpower, so your tank remains full!** But stressful thoughts and activities and non-habits DO use willpower, and once you run out of willpower, stress goes up.

So by setting up habits, you increase good pressure and decrease negative stress.

Hope that helps

time will tell how much it helped. but as a person that has read many other similar threads from other kvr members with this same issue, i can say that this is beyond the most best advice i ever read from anybody.

you did not simply give me an answer that might lead to the solution. rather, you explained to me what created my problem, how the problem was originally created, and the problem that needs to be solved in order to fix it.

i very much appreciate your advice.

[Aleatoriac]

Meditation really has helped me reunite with my creative self.
And the refusal to see music as "work" but instead just to play with it, like I did when I was a kid.

"Be productive"
"It's got to hurt"
"No pain no gain"

Bah.

Play. Enjoy. Make mistakes. Roll around in them. Exaggerate them. Laugh at and with oneself.

In the middle of learning a piece of music (or practicing, or whatever one's method is) suddenly explode into a frenzied attempt to play as many notes as possible in the shortest amount of time you can.

Record yourself so much you forget the record button is on (hasn't worked for me yet, who knows).

[Aleatoriac]

To quote Tom Brady "This isn't ISIS. No one's dying here."

I tried that quote at work and you should have seen everyone's faces. It was as if I'd crossed some secret line and totally mutilated a sacred cow.

[robotmonkey]

Like the ancient wisdom says: start adding more cowbell to your music and everything else follows.

[deastman]

My philosophy has always been to not focus on the end product. A finished song or other piece of art is not the goal. It is a by-product of the creative process. We are artists, not factory assembly lines. We make music because we enjoy the process of creation. I suggest you try to reconnect with the joy in simply playing with sound, and don't worry about the end result or the approval of others Try playing an instrument without recording anything, just for the fun of playing it. Lose yourself in the bliss of a wall of massive delay and reverb. Try to make something that sounds like a marching band. Then sample it into a hiphop beat. Feed that into a granular effect. Use the result as a pad.

Whenever you are lost, I also recommend consulting Oblique Strategies. Here is an online version:
http://stoney.sb.org/eno/oblique.html

[robotmonkey]

Joking aside, I'd say that what you need to do is to stop buying more plugins. Actually you need to strip down everything to absolute minimum. Do a clean reinstall and then put back only the minimal stuff you like the most. Keep only 3 to 5 synths maximum, the same goes for effects processors. You can even limit it down by sound characteristic, for example, keep only digital sounding synths, and try to do everything with those.

And of course, if you are stuck, try to find someone to collaborate with. If you have thousands of unfinished bits and pieces then give them to someone else to work upon.