____BT

I love this question. Basically I'm a huge proponent of scheduling small tasks and having a finite goal. Check out my Facebook post on (personal) creation process. That will give you some ideas of how regimented I am. I even schedule for example "play" time on the modular.

Here's a post I made the other on FB:

Someone just asked how to start a new project and feelings of self doubt. Here's what I wrote to him. I can't wait to hear what he creates. This is a simplified version of my workflow. I hope this helps some of my fellow artists out there! //// //// Kevin Rix wow that's awesome first of all. Yes I do have advice! Set yourself time limits and a goal and finish everything you start. Like : I'm going to make an EP. It's going to have 4 songs each with 4 sections each and tracks will range from 3:30 to 5min. Then drill down from there. What do you want to say? Discover? Emotional content you wish to touch on? Thematic ideas? Idiomatic directions? Get specific! Make yourself a map. Set a distinct goal for every part of everything. I.e Track 1. 117 bpm 6/4 F# mixolydian. Make an "inspiration" folder for this one track. Things like what you want to make you love. Set time goals. I WILL finish track 1 in 5 days. If I have to pull 3 all nighters, so be it. Do it like the universe depends on it being accomplished. It well may! Set phone reminders, make an iCal. Email yourself encouragement or TED talks you want to watch when you're writing. Stay OFF social media and email while you compose. And most importantly. Every living person that has ever made anything great has felt like or chronically feels like they suck! It's breaking through our flaws and self doubt that makes creating so beautiful and rewarding. You can do it. Watch the TED talk on Imposter Syndrome it'll blow your effing mind. Can't wait to hear what you create.

Yes I do.

1. Don't write anything in 4/4 for 6 months. You're welcome. Start with 6/4.

2. Don't write any 8 bar phrases! Listen to See You on the Other Side from TBU. 11 bar phrase. Write some melodic phrases and progressions that can't be subdivided by 2!

Man I honestly read this with a heavy heart. I hope you read what I write here and really take it to heart.

No one is supposed to be anything other than the best "them" they can be. You can (anyone reading this) do something significantly better than I can, and honestly it's not how well you can do something but your intent and the purity of why you're doing it.

You're way better at something than I am and maybe it's not music! Maybe it's painting or building houses. I've never built a house (although I really want to go on a mission and do that someday!)

Find what you're here for. Pray about it, search, uncover every stone until you find it. There's a purpose for you and everyone else reading this.

(Your music question, everything under the sun was used on this record)

Hey Casey,

Firstly, don't loose hope! Writers block sucks and happens to everyone. Remember literally Chopin suffered terrible writers block. Imagine if he'd given up.

I'd say, find things that do inspire you. Not just music...in fact go AWAY from music if thats what you're trying to make and feel stuck. Art, literature, film, woodworking, welding (yes I'm serious and can go on), make things.

I think why people can get really stuck is because there is such a prevalence of "same same" tools and workflows. Break that, blow it up. Get inspired. What inspires you? What makes you quiet? Do that and creating will follow.

1- WELL DONE. I was going to post something about that this week. That is a HRTF (or head related transfer function) I did in Csound. 2- Absolutely but imho never ever ever for subtractive. There is nothing like a P5, Jupiter 8, Minimoog, you get the idea. For additive, granular and new things like wave terrain etc, absolutely. 3- I think good labels are great and bad labels are worse than ever. It's all about working with people you want to eat dinner with. That's kind of how I do everything honestly. 4- I think where there is reverence and or a point it's great. I've been sampled and it was reverent and I said nothing. Other times people have ripped an entire beat or top line and that's not cool. It's about balance. 5- To mean it. Ask yourself that in everything. Literally everything. Do I mean these eggs I just scrambled? Do I mean it when I say "how are you?" do I mean it when I put a snare on the 2 and 4? Do you ACTUALLY mean it? If not, throw it out the world is too overcrowded for bs. Mean it always. 6- Lol, nothing other than I guess I love Nick Rhodes.

What fantastic questions. Thank you for these.