What do you do when you're just not feeling it?

:sigh: the wonderful "writers block/ why am I doing this for" moment. Yup, get em' all the time. Attempting to write during a time when creativity has hidden itself from me is the worse. All of those negative thoughts tend to seep in and then i become complacent when it comes to my goals. I tend to force myself no matter how whack it might come off to be. Sometimes it works, some times it doesn't. I usually end up with a ton of unfinished projects. I think inspiration just happens. Forcing it or making it happen just creates more frustration. As writers we have to learn how to build off of incidents or moments that just arise. When you are passionate about a subject matter, creativity tends to revel itself. It happens to the best of us....You're not alone
 
You definitely cannot force it. Almost every rap i have written at the wrong time has been scraped. The closest thing to forcing myself i can do is, listen to music that gets me inspired and that will put me in the mood to write.
 
The past few days have been really bad for productivity, getting so tired of this uphill fight just to get stuff done. Time to give up for today and try again tomorrow when i don't feel so negative.
 
I hit a wall recently and decided to trick myself. I decided to write about writers block and it turned into one of my favorite verses I've ever done. From there, I was back into creative thoughts.

Edit: FWIW, it's the first verse on the Pound Cake instrumental in my sig.
 
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I find my inspirations ebbs and goes depending on my mood, if i'm in a good/relaxed mood the patterns and ideas just come to me. If i'm in a negative state i find that i cannot think about anything.
 
To feel it, I have to get in "the zone".

There are two different states of mind: 1. work and 2. play.

I can't create when I am in work mode. Work mode isn't just when we are literally doing work. Work mode means sorting stuff out in life and doing all the things which we ought to do (ie not creating). Anything involving stress or pressure, communication or expectation from others, having to do something/anything....etc.

Play mode is when my mind is doing and thinking "fun" things (ie not problem-solving and not sorting life out). I need at least 30 mins of this to be able to get into the zone to start to create. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. This involves shutting myself away, listening to my favourite music, playing favourite instruments, drawing, doodling,...etc and especially not answering the door, turning the mobile to silent, not having any interaction (closing all email, chat, FaceBook, etc communication...). Being in this mode for 30 mins to an hour then allows my mind to get in "the zone" to start to create...
 
Since I've started producing beats, writting became more of a side gig and, therefore, every time I wanted to write I just wrote about 4 to 8 bars, and got tired of writing. But there is one thing that always makes me get pumped and want to write: Gramatik's No Shortcuts Intro. I know, it's ridiculous probably, but every time I hear that, I just gotta go get a piece of paper and a pen, and I'm not even into that inspirational speech shit, but it gets to me..maybe it'll get to you to, just wanted to share.
 
Olie said:
I've noticed the mood i have to get in to write well is the same mood to enjoy music the most and be able to rap well etc. It's a free flowing uninhibited mood where i'm positive about everything (not necessarily happy or sad) and have an abundance of energy.

The best way to describe it is i'm just "feeling it", i can bob my head to my favourite songs and feel good. It's sort of comparable to excitement/positive anticipation for the future. When i can't write it's the opposite, everything sounds just as good but i'm not "feeling it".

Does anyone know what i mean? It's doing my head in that i can't just flip a switch in my brain to get back in that state and write again.

:hmmm:
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Hmmm... Im not sure I can relate to this one. When I am going through something, or bothered by something... that usually gives me a topic to write about or to produce.... There may be a little while there where its something hard to get through and I dont write about it for a couple days or so, but those are what catches peoples attention... Putting your troubles in their lives so they can relate. Use it as a tool, not something to hold you back from writing.
 
I think what you mean is personification. - WHen you rap a certain way and you do it "RIGHT!". Right like tight right like excite ment in the writing hood enlighten ment. Meant like its supposed to be said. knock em out cold style like dead.

Practice practice practice. but as far as it goes for writing new lyircs- when I can't, I don't. I work on forebearance and patience. Wait till the time is write. haha. "there is a season turn turn turn". that one band.
 
Try not to force it, take a day away from it completely and do something else. It will come back with time. Absence makes the heart grow fonder etc.
 
Hi, I totally get that, I don't think there's one strict answer for this. Go for walk, take a shower, put a timer on for five minutes an write down whatever comes out. Do something entirely different. If you're under a deadline though, just crack on, approach the lyrics from a different angle, re write lines you have faith in to see how much further you can take them or start ad libbing. I always tend to avoid heavy mixing projects, but when I actually get into them the time flies. With lyric writing I generally just troop on and then edit heavily in the morning! ;) Hope that helps a little, you're not alone!
 
dano91 said:
Try not to force it, take a day away from it completely and do something else. It will come back with time. Absence makes the heart grow fonder etc.
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this. if im not feeling it I'll usually go watch a movie with a great OST and hopefull get some inspiration from that
 
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