Nashville Music Factory

Harnessing Creativity, Part 3

If you’ve read through Part 1 and Part 2 of our series on harnessing creativity, that’s great! Our Nashville music production experts at Nashville Music Factory are happy to help you get inspired and achieve a positive creative state! But if you’re still struggling to center your creative mind, we’ve got you covered. Here’s part of our series on harnessing creativity, with more essential tips for conditioning your mind and your environment so you can focus on your craft and your passions.

Go somewhere new.

Travelling is beneficial for a variety of reasons: you meet new people, get out of your comfort zone, and have memorable life experiences. These experiences don’t just make for great stores at dinner parties—they can give you creative inspiration, too!

After his 2001 album “Now,” R&B musician Maxwell spent nearly eight years working on his next album while travelling across Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, and the result was spectacular. His 2009 release “BLACKsummers’night” had sounds and musical textures reminiscent of the places he travelled, which helped him score two Grammy® Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B album, as well as a nomination for 2009’s Song of the Year.

Seeing new sights and hearing new sounds could be just what you need for creative inspiration—but you don’t have to travel across the world to do it. Heading to a new town, a nearby nature area, or even just going to a different neighborhood to have dinner or a cup of coffee can nourish your creative mind and stimulate your senses. No matter where you go, it’s the change of pace that can change your creative fortunes.

Try a new hobby.

Sometimes, the writer will burrow himself away in his writer’s nook until he puts words on paper, or the guitarist will strum her guitar until her fingers are sore and calloused. Naturally, practicing your craft is crucial for improvement and mastery—but sometimes, it’s important to step away from the craft and find another form of expression. Many of the most famous creative minds have a secondary craft as a way to find inspiration and take a break from their primary craft; for example, when Stephen King isn’t busy releasing more bestselling novels than anyone in the business, he eases his mind by playing guitar and working on puzzles, which helps him avoid writer’s burnout, and gives him an incentive to step away from the keyboard every once in awhile. King isn’t focused on mastering the guitar—he was quoted as saying “I’m terrible [at guitar] and so I try to bore no one but myself”—he’s focused on enjoying himself and staying out of his comfort zone.

Whether you’re a musician who picks up painting or the other way around, finding a secondary creative outlet might help you release some creative stress and build some creative momentum in the craft you’re most passionate about.

Buy a prompt book.

Sometimes, it can feel like you’re trying to pull creative content out of thin air. Spending a lot of time searching for ideas on what to create can keep you away from actually creating—which is the only way to improve your craft. Prompt books bring the creative ideas to you, forcing you to produce original content within the confines of a prompt, or creative task you’re supposed to accomplish. While creative work from prompt books might not be award-winning, these books help you create in styles you’re not used to, which can lead you to fresh ideas and more inspired creative thinking. You never know what prompt books might lead you to create!

Stay tuned for part 4 of our series on harnessing your creativity, and check out Part 1 and Part 2 while you wait!

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