What do you do during a creative block?

It's normal that we are not always inspired, but sometimes we go through a long period of time in which it is difficult to compose anything at all. What do you do in those situations? I think this post will help many novice composers and make these creative blocks more bearable. There's more than one way to skin a cat!

In my case, I start walking or I go to the botanical garden and try to clear my mind. Also, it is important to notice that during stressful times it's very difficult to get inspired.

That's an interesting topic! I remember Peter has raised the similar issue before:

For me the writer's block has both the long term and a short term one. I always experience a short term writer's block during composing. I find it very hard to make each small steps and finding new paths in the progression of my works. The only exception of my recent work is probably the Wind Quintet movement when I had to stop myself to be inspired to write. I don't compose chronologically from the start to finish, but have all the passages independently developed. The most frequent block will be how to link those passages. If I face one, I will just add details to the score first. Having a block for me is a good thing, since more energy exhausted to the block for me will help me write more magical moments haha! Also I know that I always write with difficulties, so those difficulties now aren't obstacles to me anymore given that I write the blocks but still result in some beautiful music. It's just that I write slower than others lol which is fine, since I don't write for a living.

For the long term one: I face a long term writer's block of 1 to 2 months after the completion of my Clarinet Quintet no. 1 in C minor (yup I'm going to advertise it lol) since that is quite a long work and I felt like all my creative energy is exhausted. I just slowly picked up my inspiration to finish the sextet movement. But now I know how difficult it would be to compose big work (for me) after big work. So for this year after finishing the sextet movement, I took inspiration from Vince (again! from his preludes) and wrote something smaller in scale, which resulted in the first movement of my Third Piano Sonata! It's better to write something less gigantic and original than not writing at all for me haha!

Thx for your sharing Samuel!

Henry

Anytime I'm writing something, I am always imagining what the theme is. What it represents. A place, a time period, some sort of character, or whatever.

There are two main ways to avoid "writer's block" IMO

• Know music theory and all about composition front to back and you will always know what to do to achieve your desired effect

• Don't even think about writing music. Just go out and do stuff. Look at pictures, go places, read books, daydream, whatever.

All the guys I've met IRL who wrote interesting music did so because they had interesting lives. But so many musicians, myself included, tend to get tunnel vision and only focus on music.

I listen to other music, I go outside to the beach to the forest, hiking, I go downhill karting, I read on mythology, etc.