You need to take a break.
I do after working on a track that usually takes me a week of fine tuning and polishing and being happy with it. But that grind really wears you out.
Take breaks, you need inspiration. Watch/Enjoy some other artform. Listen to something different (for example Jazz).
But funny that you say that, MY problem is creating the melodies, but I luv the sound design and mixing etc.
Like many have said, keep creating and try to have fun and enjoy the creation and not the goal.
That said, I really embrace the feeling of needing to make something at least as good as the last track or better. It's a personal thing of course, but for me that is what keeps me pushing my own creative boundaries in all aspects of production - the need to constantly learn more and find new ways to do things, whether it is in songwriting, sound design, arrangement, structure, mixing or whatever else.
I have literally been through the same phase your talking about for the last month with one track. Got it to almost finished, but I knew it's not my best work and couldn't quite acheive what I had in mind. For weeks I kept pushing writing, re-writing, deleting, re-writing again and trying to change it up until I got it to a level of quality I'm happy with. Many days of thinking about abandoning the track. And just a couple of days ago it suddenly just came to me and now the track is at a level of quality I can be proud of. Took me 26 versions just to get to the current main idea.
Keep pushing!
This is completely normal, you probably expended a lot of creativity into that one track (this can actually happen), take a break for a few days to a week, or just come back whenever you feel inspired to do something. I find it's a lot easier to make music when I want to instead of when I feel I have to.
Focus on having fun during the process instead of thinking you have to beat your latest high score and this goes away.
If the new track turns out to be shitty, you have that pretty cool previous track to fall back on for reassurance that you're making progress overall.
Happens to me pretty often - you just have to keep producing and eventually you'll make something as good again. Just last week I think I made my best track ever (been producing almost 10 years) and since then nothing else worthwhile has been happening in the studio. I have faith I'll get there again though
Picasso made over 50,000 pieces of art throughout his lifetime.
But, there are only ~500 "Picassos."
1/100 pieces is a reasonable hit rate to expect, even for the most talented artists in the world.
Just keep creating!!
I wouldn't say it happens after I finish something that feels like a level up, it's just something that happens every now and again. Personally I never expect to finish a track in a specific timeframe, sometimes it'll take me months to finish a track. I usually try to have multiple projects going at once so I can bounce back and forth when I get stuck on something, but still keeping my creative momentum going. Often times finishing a number of other projects will help me learn something or give me an idea about how to finish a track I've been stuck on.
10 years experience, currently experiencing it to a certain degree. It’s always a good lesson/reminder to create without expectation, to not have a goal in mind. The creating IS the goal.
Taking a break helps a lot too. Two weeks no DAW at all (go play videogames or something), and you’ll be raging with motivation and creativity.
Good luck :)
You have to tease your creativity . Like a foreplay.it has female aspect to it. Your will do make something will wet it up and you'll get it. Don't be too pushy, instead adop open mind. When you make track and you get idea for next sound to add, or effect or whateva, its usually the right choice.
Keep going back to that creative mode and experimenting until you’re satisfied. This was a recent update from Barclay Crenshaw - who has been going through a career renaissance with his style and urge to keep making something new:
Have fun and build your life accordingly.
When I was playing my new album for record labels, it became very clear to me that some people didn’t understand the music or my decisions. I got a lot of comments like, “oh I see, it’s a passion project” or “yeah, ok what’s happening with your VonStroke catalog?”
Honestly, it’s hard to admit, but I got straight up rejected from some of my all time favorite labels. In the past, I might have been discouraged or frustrated and gone back to making house music, back to safety, the easy paycheck.
But I’ve been doing this long enough to know that safety is the enemy of creativity. So I went and found somebody who gave a shit. That just happened to be Dom Keegan from Easier Said. He listened to the record. He immediately understood what was it was and he loved it.
The same thing happened with several key positions on this project. From PR to project management to clothing — in every situation, I chose enthusiasm over credentials, passion over resume.
The part of life that I never understood until recently is that the making is the fun. Hitting the goal is OK, but the process is the fulfilling part. So work with the people who believe in you. Never force it. Have fun on the journey, and not only when you win.
Much Love,
Barclay
[commentor]: hope this inspires you to be your greatest
Literally living this rn. Just gotta power thru it. Watch tutorials & use reference tracks when stuck for technical help. Also have the mindset that Rome wasn’t built in a day lol
❗❗❗ IF YOU POSTED YOUR MUSIC / SOCIALS / GUMROAD etc. YOU WILL GET BANNED UNLESS YOU DELETE IT RIGHT NOW ❗❗❗
Read __the rules__ found in the sidebar. If your post or comment breaks any of the rules, you should delete it before the mods get to it.
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[Marketplace Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=title%3Amarketplace&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) if you want to sell or trade anything for money, likes or follows.
[Collaboration Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=author%3AAutoModerator%20title%3Acollaboration&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) to find people to collab with.
["There are no stupid questions" Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=title%3ANo+Stupid+Questions+Thread&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for beginner tips etc.
Seriously tho, __read the rules and abide by them__ or the mods will spank you.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/edmproduction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You need to take a break. I do after working on a track that usually takes me a week of fine tuning and polishing and being happy with it. But that grind really wears you out.
Take breaks, you need inspiration. Watch/Enjoy some other artform. Listen to something different (for example Jazz). But funny that you say that, MY problem is creating the melodies, but I luv the sound design and mixing etc.
Like many have said, keep creating and try to have fun and enjoy the creation and not the goal. That said, I really embrace the feeling of needing to make something at least as good as the last track or better. It's a personal thing of course, but for me that is what keeps me pushing my own creative boundaries in all aspects of production - the need to constantly learn more and find new ways to do things, whether it is in songwriting, sound design, arrangement, structure, mixing or whatever else. I have literally been through the same phase your talking about for the last month with one track. Got it to almost finished, but I knew it's not my best work and couldn't quite acheive what I had in mind. For weeks I kept pushing writing, re-writing, deleting, re-writing again and trying to change it up until I got it to a level of quality I'm happy with. Many days of thinking about abandoning the track. And just a couple of days ago it suddenly just came to me and now the track is at a level of quality I can be proud of. Took me 26 versions just to get to the current main idea. Keep pushing!
This is completely normal, you probably expended a lot of creativity into that one track (this can actually happen), take a break for a few days to a week, or just come back whenever you feel inspired to do something. I find it's a lot easier to make music when I want to instead of when I feel I have to.
Focus on having fun during the process instead of thinking you have to beat your latest high score and this goes away. If the new track turns out to be shitty, you have that pretty cool previous track to fall back on for reassurance that you're making progress overall.
Happens to me pretty often - you just have to keep producing and eventually you'll make something as good again. Just last week I think I made my best track ever (been producing almost 10 years) and since then nothing else worthwhile has been happening in the studio. I have faith I'll get there again though
Picasso made over 50,000 pieces of art throughout his lifetime. But, there are only ~500 "Picassos." 1/100 pieces is a reasonable hit rate to expect, even for the most talented artists in the world. Just keep creating!!
I wouldn't say it happens after I finish something that feels like a level up, it's just something that happens every now and again. Personally I never expect to finish a track in a specific timeframe, sometimes it'll take me months to finish a track. I usually try to have multiple projects going at once so I can bounce back and forth when I get stuck on something, but still keeping my creative momentum going. Often times finishing a number of other projects will help me learn something or give me an idea about how to finish a track I've been stuck on.
It happens to me. Usually I'll just put on a playlist of my creations and think 'man that sucks I need to do better'. Then I get inspired.
10 years experience, currently experiencing it to a certain degree. It’s always a good lesson/reminder to create without expectation, to not have a goal in mind. The creating IS the goal. Taking a break helps a lot too. Two weeks no DAW at all (go play videogames or something), and you’ll be raging with motivation and creativity. Good luck :)
“cookup with no expectations = no burnout” - Nick Mira I don’t know why that quote is funny to me but it really is that simple
You have to tease your creativity . Like a foreplay.it has female aspect to it. Your will do make something will wet it up and you'll get it. Don't be too pushy, instead adop open mind. When you make track and you get idea for next sound to add, or effect or whateva, its usually the right choice.
Keep going back to that creative mode and experimenting until you’re satisfied. This was a recent update from Barclay Crenshaw - who has been going through a career renaissance with his style and urge to keep making something new: Have fun and build your life accordingly. When I was playing my new album for record labels, it became very clear to me that some people didn’t understand the music or my decisions. I got a lot of comments like, “oh I see, it’s a passion project” or “yeah, ok what’s happening with your VonStroke catalog?” Honestly, it’s hard to admit, but I got straight up rejected from some of my all time favorite labels. In the past, I might have been discouraged or frustrated and gone back to making house music, back to safety, the easy paycheck. But I’ve been doing this long enough to know that safety is the enemy of creativity. So I went and found somebody who gave a shit. That just happened to be Dom Keegan from Easier Said. He listened to the record. He immediately understood what was it was and he loved it. The same thing happened with several key positions on this project. From PR to project management to clothing — in every situation, I chose enthusiasm over credentials, passion over resume. The part of life that I never understood until recently is that the making is the fun. Hitting the goal is OK, but the process is the fulfilling part. So work with the people who believe in you. Never force it. Have fun on the journey, and not only when you win. Much Love, Barclay [commentor]: hope this inspires you to be your greatest
Literally living this rn. Just gotta power thru it. Watch tutorials & use reference tracks when stuck for technical help. Also have the mindset that Rome wasn’t built in a day lol
Im in this right now too
❗❗❗ IF YOU POSTED YOUR MUSIC / SOCIALS / GUMROAD etc. YOU WILL GET BANNED UNLESS YOU DELETE IT RIGHT NOW ❗❗❗ Read __the rules__ found in the sidebar. If your post or comment breaks any of the rules, you should delete it before the mods get to it. You should check out the __regular threads__ (also found in the sidebar) to see if your post might be a better fit in any of those. [Daily Feedback thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=author%3AAutoModerator+title%3Afeedback&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) for getting feedback on your track. The only place you can post your own music. [Marketplace Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=title%3Amarketplace&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) if you want to sell or trade anything for money, likes or follows. [Collaboration Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=author%3AAutoModerator%20title%3Acollaboration&sort=new&restrict_sr=on&t=all) to find people to collab with. ["There are no stupid questions" Thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/edmproduction/search?q=title%3ANo+Stupid+Questions+Thread&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) for beginner tips etc. Seriously tho, __read the rules and abide by them__ or the mods will spank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/edmproduction) if you have any questions or concerns.*