From the Bench
by J. Phoenix
"
Staying Fresh"
The Synthesis article is still in the works; it's such a big subject
that we're breaking it up into four parts, and The Bench will see each
of them released one at a time. It will cover the basics
of synthesis, which is much more complicated than the term implies.
This month we'll take a short break and discuss staying fresh. These
are my top ten ways to stay fresh
and renew inspiration with whatever activity, art form, etc. you are
pursuing:
10. Read a Biography Before You Start a New Project
Bonus points if you pick a biography on someone whose work is totally
unrelated to your work, but still inspires you. The idea behind this
is that if you look at the trials, tribulations, and successes of another
who inspires you, what happened in their life may prepare you for something
in your own, or may give you a new insight on what you are about to
do. And even if it doesn't, at least you'll have learned a bit more
about the art you enjoy.
9. Find Another Art form to Work On
Learn how to play guitar, paint watercolors, or swim. Learn how to dance,
learn how to rock-climb, learn how to cook a certain complicated dish.
The more artistic endeavors you attempt, no matter the results, you
will find appreciating the process
of the other art form that apply to what is already your forte.
It also gives you something to do in the downtimes of
inspiration in your other art form, or vice versa. Having two or more
art forms allows you to switch back and forth and keep inspiration
running more consistently.
8. Take a Day (or Week) Off to Reorganize Your Space
Set aside a day or a week to clean up and clean out your studio. Put
those canvases in order, get all those CD's back in their cases, tie
up those cables, sort out those papers. Unless you are one of the rare
people who actually work better and more efficiently in total chaos,
I recommend taking a break when you're in between projects or have
some sort of downtime and re-organize your habitat. Some of us actually
reconfigure their studio in relation to the project they're working
on. One way or another getting everything in order is one of those
steps which will make it easier to create quality from the lowest levels
up.
7. Start With the Smallest Things
As above so below, from largest to smallest. Remember that if you do
the small things very well, it means that the larger things will go
the same way, because they've been set up to. Most people get so focused
on the bigger elements, their goals or dreams, the larger picture that
they forget to put in the detail
work to get them there in the first place. Start by doing one small
thing perfectly, and then move onto the next. That is how
quality is created.
6. Use the Right Tools for the Job
One of the problems that can easily get you into a rut is not having
the right tools for the right job, or that the tools you are using
are not calibrated properly or they are simply inferior. While it is
a poor craftsman
that blames his tools, from time to time things break down, get adapted,
or weren't being used for the right purpose in the first place. Do
not try and paint tiny detail work with a paint brush you
use to
paint the side
of your house. It takes the knowledge and research to know what
the right tool actually is sometimes, so look into it.
5. (Keeping No. 6 in Mind) Use What You've Got
A lot of us get easily bogged down in the cycle of "if I only had
[insert equipment here] I'd be able to do what I want to". Inevitably,
you will end up putting off what you
need to
while imagining what you could do with something you don't
yet have. By sticking to the idea of using whatever
you've got, you'll find yourself stretching the boundaries of what your
equipment can do. You may learn something about
your gear you, and possibly nobody else knew before.
Don't get trapped in the pretty catalogs with the new gear every month
and
ignore
what
you've already got!
4. Give up and Take A Break
Just stop it! Quit trying for
a second. Get out of your chair, away from your headphones, turn off
the mixer
and
the
tables
or computer
and do something else. Clear your mind of whatever's
blocking you by completely ignoring the problem and its solution altogether.
Don't try to figure it out while you're doing whatever else to get
your mind off of it, and don't use your break time to rehash everything
you're doing right or wrong. Just stop it. Take a break.
3. The Total Opposite of 4-Stick to It!
Don't give into that temptation to quit and turn on the TV / X-box /
VCR / DVD / Internet! Stay focused on the task at hand. Finish what
you started,
otherwise you're not likely going to finish anything! Throw
yourself into it, get your hands dirty, and get it over with. Now!
Stop reading this article and get to work!
2. Don't Be Afraid to Start Completely Over
Change is devastating. It means having to learn things over, rebuilding
what was destroyed, creating new connections, and generally backtrack
until you find yourself where you were before or even farther behind
or ahead. But, if it weren't for such experiences, then you'd keep
doing the same thing over and over and while you may get better at
it, you won't learn as much as if you have to start from scratch. So
when your records get sent one way to Taiwan on the trip back home,
the sub woofer's magnetics destroyed your hard drive with your samples
during the gig, or that freak electrical storm destroys your synth
patches, just remember: as you're rebuilding, you're learning better
ways to get your results.
1. Do What Makes You Happy
Do it because it makes you happy. There is nothing
that says your art has to please anyone, and frequently we allow others'
opinions to keep us from doing something new, or outrageous, edgy,
or dangerous. The risks that we take are sometimes what ends up making
or breaking us. Many times an artist has chosen to boldly go ahead
with their ludicrous idea or another and as a result got that record
deal, caught a publisher's eye or gotten their script sold.
Take Care, Be Safe, and See You in Front of the Speakers!
