Published in The Startup·PinnedThe ‘Blues Hammer’ SyndromeCopying your idols is a great way to learn new techniques. However, your creative and musical development should not end there. — The ‘Hammer’ of the Blues Gods Studying musical cultures from around the world (or even from our own backyard) is a voyage of discovery. It activates our curiosity and challenges our notion of what defines music. We become more receptive to new ways of hearing and, in turn, we respond by setting out to learn this…Music5 min readMusic5 min read
Published in The Startup·Oct 27, 2020Tuning into your MuseThere’s the pie in the sky and there’s the one that’s on TV — Your inner radio The music business is really weird. It’s bound to the notion that you need to produce something completely original and get famous for it. It’s as if the creator needs to be blessed by some muse from another world who gave them the keys for achieving “success.” Inspiration falls from…Creativity4 min readCreativity4 min read
Aug 16, 2020How Can You Listen To That?Expanding your range of listening — The new frontier Before the pandemic, I made a point to catch at least three live indie music acts a month. Much of the time, I was not too familiar with the bands I was going to hear. It’s an experiment of sorts to give myself the opportunity of a direct experience without…Music6 min readMusic6 min read
Jul 8, 2020The Anti-ArtistAnti-Artist Rebel Are your songs starting to sound the same? Do you find yourself covering similar ground, reinforcing old tactics in your creative process? We’re habitual creatures. It feels safe to tread on familiar ground. I’ve often thought of going to the same vacation spot every year. Although repeat visits could deepen…Songwriting5 min readSongwriting5 min read
Jul 1, 2020Getting UnstuckConfronting Writer’s Block Head On — The Monster in a Box Stagnation is an annoying obstacle that keeps you from getting your work done. This is also known as writer’s block. Writer’s block can occur at any point in your project. Initially, you might begin with a clear idea of what you want to do. The problem is, you can’t bring…Writers Block5 min readWriters Block5 min read
Published in The Startup·Jun 30, 2020The Creativity Danger ZoneCreativity Diver Creativity can be dangerous. It is fraught with anxiety, peril, isolation, displacement, boredom, dread, pain, and damnation. At the same time, the desire to create things seems to come from a joyful place. It’s the joy we experience when we accomplish the goal of finishing our work. Of course, there…Creativity3 min readCreativity3 min read
