My Creative Conundrum

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I feel like sometimes I have the gifting, and the right tools, just not the wherewithal to actually finish out a creative musical idea I have. There is this paralysis that sets in and prohibits me from taking a song from start to finish.

I get a good bridge idea, a good chorus idea. I struggle with verses yet like a child forced to eat broccoli I press on and write one.

I am wondering if I am wired to require collaboration to finish the creative process once it gets started, or if I am just a “musical co-dependent” and it’s a character flaw.

Do any of you struggle with this? What are your keys to overcome limitations? What are the processes you find helpful to push you toward completing a song or blogging, etc.?

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  • http://www.facebook.com/joelklampert Joel Klampert

    First off… when I actually get my usb input box I can’t wait to collaborate with you…

    second I struggle with all of the above. I love working with others and thats why I’m growing impatient with this BOX SHOWING UP! 
    Sometimes God births a song in me. Other times I enjoy refining another persons song. Other times It’s like no nuggets can be squeezed out at all.

    • Bill Kunkel

      Looking forward to collaborating with you as well! What is the top secret name of the new Presonus offering? Looking to sell my firewire interface so that I can get a USB that talks to my computer or iPad.

      I hear you. I think I find most joy in collaboration. I don’t think I’m wired to be a loaner. Evernote has been a Godsend to actually document some of the ideas so they don’t end up scrawled on a destroyed piece of paper on the floor of my van.

      • http://www.facebook.com/joelklampert Joel Klampert

        i have no clue what its called… I hope to hear soon. growing impatient

  • Paul Silva

    While not strictly musical, the creative process can be aided by what works in other disciplines. I have the same follow through problems on writing projects. I’ve found a good solution that has to do with collaberation as well. By involving people with different giftings, like adding a server and an administrator, things get done. The server will do the parts you can delegate, and the administrator will obcess on the deadlines. Of course, this approach may require that you back up to the part where you define the desired outcome. Bringing other people alongside to make you do what you said you want to do needs a “finished CD” sort of goal. “Write a song and let it sit”, won’t motivate anyone to join you in your quest.
    Paul Silva

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=742243067 David Diers

    Good partnerships are hard to find, I count myself lucky to have worked in several.  It seems like it is a different kind of spark that motivates individual creation though, i think in a partnership or collaboration you need little more than a spark, for my own stuff though, i tend to need to be able to write or record a very small snippet and then let time germinate the idea, that’s probably how most of it happens now, there will be the odd right a whole song in one day thing, but now i am finding more and more that it is – write a whole song based on a lyric or chorus i wrote a month or two ago. Just leave the tape running, i think  – always.  Of course that could produce reggae james bond. *shudder*