Simple suggestions on beating the block (Part 1)

For some, writing songs is the most natural thing to do. Penning poetry and setting them on top of a bed of hooks and melodies is as easy as breathing. For some, it could be painting. These visual artists just grab a brush and start to paint masterpieces that weren’t even on the canvas five minutes ago.

However, “even the best fall down sometimes” (Thanks, Howie Day). Or struggle. Or face a blank wall.

Yes, the artist’s block is real. This is usually a condition, or a lame excuse (unfortunately, it’s usually the latter), when an artist loses the ability to produce any new or inspired work.

Beating artist’s block takes some real work. Here are some tips to overcome that phase when the lull seems louder than life itself. Bury the block with quantity. I don’t like hearing people giving the advice that to come up with your best material, you have to go through a hundred drafts before settling with two good pieces of work. I remember reading about how a rock band once went on record about writing 30 songs for a single album, and then at the end, only having to choose 10. (Now thinking about it, several bands go through this trial and error route). I hated the fact that this process seemed to be inefficient. But the more I moved on, the more I appreciated the idea of taking all the shots you need to hit that championship-clinching, buzzer-beating basket for the win. It’s a basketball reference. The point is, whether you like it or not, there will be some days you come up with mediocre work (and this is normally fine and good in the sense that you still remain your own harshest critic). This can be remedied with excellence; going at something relentlessly so you come out of the pile of demos and drafts knowing you gave it your best. Don’t mind the critics but listen to learn as well.

Be ready with some support, accountability.

Have complete faith in yourself, but never trust yourself. It’s rare when one just goes on with work without having some hint of inspiration from friends, random people around him or from pop culture’s influence itself. The stuff artists label as original will just most likely be an impressive reinvention. Therefore, it’s nice if somebody else knows what you’re going through. This same “someone” can also figure out if you’ve been wasting a lot of time revising work rather than publishing it. If you’re your own safeguard, you’re bound to compromise one empty minute after the other. Also, you need the kindest but most honest critic within your little “circle of trust” (thanks, Robert de Niro). If you leave it to yourself to judge yourself, you’ll either be too soft or too hard on yourself. Inherently—unless we’re masochists—we like to protect ourselves, thus playing good cops. So look for that bad cop in your life for your quest for excellent art. (To be continued...)