batsbrew
 
drugs.
 
LOL
 
but i do not have a drug problem, and can use these things as a catalyst.
  
but later, under different head space, go back and listen to what sticks to the wall.
 
a lot of guys get stuck on 'that first take'.
 
you can always do it better, the trick is to get so good at doing it, 
that you can make it be what you want,
instead of settling for a happy accident.
 

 
 
EDITED for CONTENT  ^^^^^
 
 
I recall one evening setting around burning some rope..... we were supposed to be learning some new tunes.... someone fretted the guitar on one string and played that one note... someone else thought that was cool..... someone else fired up another one, and before long..... uhhhh what did we come here for?  Oh heck, fire up another one and pass me a beer.
 
Often, when I wrote and recorded the ideas stoned..... the next morning it was like....what was I thinking? It sounding so.... pure freaking genius last night....
 
 
Yeah...all in fun, and it sure seemed so at the time.....
 
But the last paragraph I quoted..... dead on.
 
 

I am not a man of letters, and I hope I don't offend those who have working knowledge of such subjects as the physical, mental and spiritual parts that make up a whole person. I count myself as blessed when I learn something new.

I might posit a few ideas here. The first is that creativity in the context of music can have many different components. From composition, to lyrics, to engineering, to connecting with others, to developing many different versions of the same work. The second is that it takes different thought processes within the whole person to become aware, and those vastly complex thought processes can use different parts of the brain and mind and effect how you get to and stay in magical moments.

This topic is fascinating to me for a few reasons. I found out a coupla years back, that I have high functioning ADD, and I am prone to bouts if you will, of hyper focus. Believe it or not, I think these two things are an amazing blessing. ADD gives me the ability to let something go- fast, become engaged with many things fearlessly, and that intense focus thing helps to analyze, and lock on to something until I know it inside and out - squirrel.

There are a few things that I cherish (aside from the loves of my life). The creative and analytical processes in me. So much so that I have a deep interest in how they affect my life, and how to take full advantage of them. Here's the kicker - for me... I noticed that there are times when the two can work side by side - like engineering, and connecting with others. There are also times where the analytical gets in the way of the creative - like composition, and lyrics. For me, I can turn on the analytical in about a minute, but connecting to the creative takes a lot longer. To keep this shorter, here's what I have learned for me, for the composition, and lyric component.

First, to maximize creativity, in a way, implies that I get to that state as fast as I can. If I am not in that state, I am opposite of maximize to begin with. For me, I need to move away from an analytical place, to get closer to a creative one. They don't seem to me, to be coming from the same place in my brain. To start, oddly enough I grab my guitar and run scales, arpeggios, walk through chord changes and analyze my performance as I am doing it. There's something in me that gets uncomfortable when I could make mistakes that don't sound good (keeping in mind mistakes can be a very good thing). As I practice and warm up a bit, I gain confidence, begin to have fun (I'm a performance nutcase), and relax. When I am relaxed, I am there.

Second tip, stay in the creative composition process. I maximize the time I am in it and do things to help me protect it. Since analytical seems to distract me, I do all I can to minimize any engineering effort like creating a bunch of tracks, mixing, adding effects and the like. It's hands on instrument, having fun (I have an affinity to performance..).

Third tip. Choose that which seems to be emotionally fulfilling at the time. This is where maximizing creativity with my fans, or friends, or just me takes place. Since performance is import, then making a emotional connection with as many people as I can is paramount. I find when I work on something that touches me, I also stay engaged. Putting it another way - choose wisely, because it can maximize the level in which I use my creativity.

Fourth tip. Get out of the studio. This might sound like heresy, but spend time watching other musicians live. Find partners in music to work with. The power of two is not just double maximizing, it's not linear. It can be exponential. I find I pick up whatever fever they have, and that sharing helps create many versions of an idea, faster.

But, Thats me...

Very best regards, and PLAY ON!

L

Thanks guys for the good comments.
kakku

Thank you Kenny for your thoughts.
kakku

Creativity
Learning to run with the wind-
Exploring what tomorrow may bring-
Soaring through trees, as it begins.
Creativity
A mountain to climb-
A monument to sin-
A lascivious woman, to please on a whim.
Creativity
A little breath-
A whispered din-
A battle that no one wins-
Creativity

I put this update in a bit wrong place, sorry.

Hmmm....I can think of a few very simple solutions to maximize creativity. One would be winning the lottery and leaving my place of employment...I wouldn't be flipping anyone off or saying anything rude...just It's been a pleasure working here but you know....I won the lottery...so I'm outta here.Or alternatively you could become a professional moocher....mooching has benefits. I want to expend effort right now but not on any of the things I'm supposed to, I do the right thing though...pull my weight and creativity suffers.

Thank you guys for the nice comments and a bonus thank you for Michael for his wishing best. I was sure this topic was already pumped dry but you still manage to give good tips.