Keys to Musical Creativity
By Jeffrey P. Fisher
http://www.jeffreypfisher.com

In the music business, creativity rules. Follow these specific techniques and strategies to tap into your creative wellspring.

Get a well-rounded education
The more you know about a variety of subjects, the better prepared you are to use the material in your creative work. You have a bigger well to draw from and that can help you explore the deeper recesses of your creative spirit.

Read, watch, experience
Always keep expanding your knowledge and looking for new information and connections. Don't be surprised when seemingly unrelated material combines in a new way and sparks your muse. Feed your mind and it will reward you with what you need to make your music better.

Write
Keep a journal that helps you make sense of your world. All those things you read, see, and experience need focus and meaning to be useful. Record your thoughts, ideas, aspirations, and more on paper. Don't just file the journal away, though. Refer to it and use it as a creative tool.

Clear the clutter
Get rid of the physical and mental impediments to your creativity. A messy home/office/workspace coupled to an equally messy life will interfere with your ability to make music. Get your act (and life) together fast.

Understand the four main steps to the creative process. Not every piece you do will follow these steps exactly, but what you may discover is that overall, most creative people follow this process unconsciously. Knowing this can help you get through the "writer's block" we often face during step two (below).

1] Collect material.
You usually jot ideas down, strum a few chords, maybe even the hint of a melody. This is often just playing around; the musical equivalent of doodling. You are usually unfocused and disorganized.

2] Idleness.
You appear to be doing little, if anything. You may feel frustrated at this point because you just can't seem to do anything good. However, this is often the crucial step that lets ideas swim around in your brain waiting for the spark.

3] Inspiration.
Suddenly everything just starts flowing and you scribble down the lyrics, chords, melody, and perhaps start recording, too. This step is usually effortless and your work seems to come from beyond you.

4] Perspiration.
Now the hard work begins as you start pulling together what you did into a cohesive musical piece. You make something special out of your creation and give it the polish it needs to be real.

Put these ideas into practice and unleash the creativity you need to do your best musical work.

That's just a sampling of tips available through my "Moneymaking Music Tip of the Week." Check it out at http://www.jeffreypfisher.com/tipofweek.html or send an e-mail to [email protected]

Jeffrey P. Fisher is the author of "How to Make Money Scoring Soundtracks and Jingles", "Ruthless Self-Promotion in the Music Industry" and "Profiting From Your Music and Sound Project Studio". Get more information from http://www.jeffreypfisher.com or send e-mail to [email protected].