When you haven’t sat down to make music in a while, it can be tough to get yourself to start—or even to pick up something you began weeks or months ago. And when you finally do sit down, ever notice how long it takes to “settle in” and actually do something? You can easily spend an hour preparing, organizing, or tweaking things without making any real progress. Then, a distraction pulls you away before you even get started, and the cycle repeats. You’re motivated by the idea of working, but for some reason, nothing comes out.
What’s going on here?
I can’t speak for you, but maybe my experience will resonate. There are usually two main obstacles I face when trying to make music but falling short of any real progress.
The first is dealing with technical or organizational issues that keep me from diving in. If it’s been a while, I often find myself needing to update software or plugins, locate lost files, or gather ideas scattered across different computers. It’s easy to get lost in this rabbit hole, and before I know it, my motivation fades. In fact, the frustration of not being able to just start can be enough to stop me from even finishing the prep work.
To avoid this, I’ve learned that when it’s been a while, it helps to plan a day or two just for getting everything ready. Make sure all your sounds, samples, and updates are sorted on your main music computer, and if you’re using hardware or controllers, that can take even more time. It might feel like an annoying extra step, but once your workspace is set up, you’ll be able to jump into creating without the constant distractions of missing files or technical hiccups. It’s a necessary part of the process, especially if you’ve fallen out of rhythm.
The second obstacle, and one that’s often overlooked, is our constant need for comfort. We all have a million excuses: the studio’s too hot, too cold, we’re hungry, we’re full, it’s too loud, too quiet, things aren’t clean enough, or they’re too clean, and you don’t want to mess it up by pulling out gear and cables. Suddenly, the urge to do dishes, check your phone, or make a quick call takes over. You keep convincing yourself there’s “one more thing” you need to do before you’re ready to create.
This is where we’re battling our own discomfort. We’re constantly trying to control our external environment to quiet the internal anxieties about creating. The truth is, that feeling of discomfort won’t go away, no matter how much you adjust. It’ll always feel like there’s something inconvenient about starting. For me, if I haven’t made music in a while, I get this strange sense of FOMO, like I’m missing out on my time-wasting routine. It’s like 10% of me wants to do the work, but 90% would rather do anything else. When I’m in this mode and pushing myself to create, I sometimes feel a tenseness in my gut or even a sense of sadness or loneliness, like I’m missing out on something important.
If you’ve felt this, you’re not alone. I’ve been there countless times. The first step is becoming aware of how you’re feeling when you sit down to make music. As creative people, we’re emotional beings, and those emotions can both drive and derail our efforts. But once you recognize this discomfort, you can start to make peace with it. You can acknowledge it and say, “Yes, I see you, but I’m going to do this anyway.” If you expect some level of discomfort, it won’t feel so wrong or out of place. And the more consistent you are, the more the discomfort will shift. You’ll find the discomfort coming from not creating, rather than from the act of creating itself.
Finishing what you start is important, but it’s the process and the consistent progress that truly make the difference. Reaching the top of the mountain is a fleeting moment. We often struggle to start something new because we’re trying to extend that feeling of accomplishment. But if you learn to treat finishing the same way you treat the rest of the process, it’ll be easier to focus on climbing the next mountain.
Over time, looking back at what you’ve accomplished will help push you through the discomfort, and all your experience will give you confidence when you hit those creative hurdles. You’ve overcome them before, and you’ll do it again.
Happy music making!
If you are benefiting from these posts, you will absolutely love my 2 bestselling books:
The Mental Game of Music Production
The Process for Electronic Music Producers
To level up your Ableton Production Skills: Ableton Courses & Instruments
Take the Free Music Production Mastery Assessment Test. Discover your current strengths, weaknesses with your music making journey. You will get a personalized response directly from me as well as your next best steps to help you reach your goals faster. https://musicsoftwaretraining.com/evaluation
Happy music making!
Jason