Lets talk Inspiration

[Frederik.Sjölund]

I am bringing up this subject since its most likely an issue to most of the musicians and composers and other creative people.
Personally i've been lacking inspiration for months now, and it is clearly eating up alot of time where i could have been creative.

So..
What do you people do in order to restore inspiration?
Do you have any specific techniques or theories about this issue?

I believe that it in some cases is possible to force inspiration to reveal its presence by forcing yourself to experiment with different sounds, arrangements or instruments in new creative ways. However, its easy to get stuck to old patterns and then you risk to demotivate yourself if you get stuck in the same place every time.
This is something we all have to deal with, and im sure we all have our different ways to cope with it.

So come on, people. Lets get this discussion going and throw out your thoughts about this

 

[Crash2991]

The experimenting with sounds and making you own instruments is one way of finding inspiration, but I have always seen inspiration from someone else or another musician, not myself. I am not sure if I misunderstood like you were saying you were inspiring yourself, or were you saying that you were inspired by someone to try those new sounds.

One way I see to find inspiration is to try a different genre. Usually genres that are usually only known in their native countries. (Afro-Beat, Bossa Novva, and Latin are some genres that I think that arent popular in many countries except their own.) Then mess around with that genre by combining it with another genre or changing just a small part of it that ends up making it sound completely different.

Also another way it is just listening through a collection of your music.

 

[Ouled Nails]

Many classical music composers found some measure of inspiration in what they read (often poetry, but also short stories, history, etc.), what they saw/heard at the theatre or at the opera (movies, later), what they observed in the landscape and in exotic places, and, of course, from some of the more influential composers.

I am asking this question sincerely and without any disrespect to Frederik: Is it possible that the muse is less likely to appear when inspiration is mostly sought "clinically," within one's studio, exclusively within one's own mental sphere?

 

[Krummhorn]

Some of my personal inspiration comes from hearing spoken words, such as during a church service homily (sermon). With some exceptions, I seldom prepare an offertory ahead of time - rather I gather certain phrases together during the homily and come up with an impromptu improvisation. Fortunately, I have a digital recorder at the organ console so I can re-create the improv in my music notation program, Noteworthy Composer.

At other times, I will simply 'doodle' at the keyboard, and form a theme and then expand on that theme. Again, the digital recorder is running so to capture these ideas for future expansion. All the pieces (scores) I write are for organ or piano - I've not yet entertained any prospect about publishing these, but that might change in the near future.

I'm hoping Falcon1 will also respond to this thread - I would like to know how he gets his inspiration, too.

 

[lyrica]

I play guitar and when looking for inspiration for a new tune or rift i try to imagine exactly what it is Im trying to evoke from the it (sadness, happiness etc?) then let that reflect the tone like Krummhorn i 'doodle' with the instrument... I usually have to be without distraction to do it effectively.
But 1 of my friends writes alot of lryics and she seeks inspiration from all around, to hear an array of her songs is amazin, so diverse, its a real skill 2B able to do that.

In a thread about 'inspirational stories' I mentioned Shaayan Italia, a new singer/ song writer I have become keen on. He found the gift of song after both his parents were killed within a yr of 1 another. With no previous experience he was able to play piano compose lyrics, quite extraordinary.
So it seems that we can find inspiration for music in many places....and some times music just finds you!!

I know its just a short thread, so if any1s interested in how he was inspired to make music check out:

http://myspace.com/shayanitalia

 

[Oneiros]

Inspiration to me is like a river flowing through the mind... Unfortunately the mind steps in sometimes and builds a dam, thinking too much (maybe it's just me, having an overly active mind). To quiet the thoughts and discover the ocean within, that's when you realise that there's no end to inspiration... which reminds me of a Schubert quote, something like "Imagination is the eternal fountain at which we can always refresh ourselves". It's always there, only we forget sometimes.

 

[Corno Dolce]

I find my creative juices flowing at maximum when during and after I have read poetry by Pushkin, Shakespeare, Pasternak, Robert Frost, Dostoevsky, Yevtuschenko, Tolstoy, and........the list goes on.

 

[methodistgirl]

inspiration

I only write down what pops in my head whether it is a praise song
or not. I had a tune that popped in my head after joining my church
last summer. I couldn't go to sleep until I wrote it down. The tune
was where I could fit the Lord's prayer in it. That worked and I finally
fell asleep. Now talk about inspiration! I don't normaly compose that
much. I might play with the keyboard on the organ until I've made up
something or any other instrument for that matter. That's when I do
my best on the pipe organ is when I make something up. So good luck!
judy tooley