How to Stay Inspired as a Musician: Creative Tips

Many artists experience periods of stagnation, where it becomes a real challenge to stay motivated and inspired. In this article, we will share practical tips to keep you growing artistically throughout your journey as a musician. 

1. Consider Your Physical Comfort 

The place where you practice should be comfortable enough to not ruin your artistic flow. That’s why it’s significant for drummers to invest in high-quality drum thrones to prevent back strain, as well as buying saxophone neck straps for saxophonists to distribute the weight of the instrument. The same is true for musicians working on their music on computers: ensure you’re sitting in a comfortable chair, especially if you're doing it for hours.

2. Listen To Music As Much As Possible 

Include in your playlist classics and new releases. Having a good ear for certain styles will help you to keep your ideas fresh. Listen to the bands and orchestras that you admire to keep you motivated and explore new genres such as reggae, folk, or electronic. If you want to become a trumpeter or a pianist in demand, it’s useful to dive into styles you’ve never explored before.

3. Transcribe 

This will challenge your technique and potential, helping you grow as a musician. You can set transcribing as a weekly goal. Select any small project such as a guitar riff, a small song, or even a solo. If you are consistent in doing this, you will soon notice how transcribing helps you get better at your playing. This works for artists and writers who start by imitating others and recreating what they like with some adaptation and thus create something unique. 

4. Take Seriously Everything You Know and Experiment with It

Try to incorporate changes in what you’ve learned. Move the passage upscale, change the rhythm or add some groove. Bring something new from yourself — let your own vision shine through what you create. When you listen to other artists, pay attention to rhythms, harmonies, and instrumentation.

5. Record Yourself 

Make it your daily ritual to see things from a distance and be honest about what you hear and what needs some improvement. This will help you see things from the audience’s perspective. Recordings of your own performance can also help you evaluate your tone quality, intonation, and rhythmic accuracy.  Video recordings  also help you see how you can improve your stage presence and performance. 

6. Create A Ritual 

Create a space that inspires you. For instance, you may try to light some candles before working on melodies with your synthesizer or string instrument, or simply decorate your room with inspirational pictures and phrases. Try to make your practices consistent, considering the time when you feel the most productive.

7. Collaborate with Others 

You may feel tempted to think that you can do everything yourself, however collaboration with a musician who plays the same musical instrument or with a music producer can really boost your creativity. It will help you learn something new, as well as discover new techniques in specific music styles. Each collaboration is a significant step in forming musical relationships, which allows you to focus on what you do the best alongside others doing their part of work. You can start jamming with friends or establishing a band, or even taking part in online music communities.

8. Be True to Yourself

Recreating your favourite songs is always a good way to challenge your skills, however  it’s significant to search for your own unique voice and feel confident with that choice. Although it’s always good to get feedback from colleagues or friends, don't get stuck seeking validation. First ask yourself if you feel satisfied with how you sound. 

9. Learn a New Instrument 

If you play the trumpet, why not try the trombone or French horn? Knowing how to play several instruments will expand your songwriting possibilities a lot. You won’t feel limited to working with the loops, but instead you can record a track with another instrument played by yourself. You can even create a one-man band, representing only you behind the piano, drum set and strings.

10. Take Each Step As Part of the Progress

Once we’ve learned something, we start to take it for granted. However, you should always take your time to estimate what progress you’ve already made by this specific moment. It’s easy to lose motivation when we underestimate the journey we’ve already made and instead focus on what is there to learn and achieve. Remember that you’re always in the process when your gift, talent, and skills evolve and grow. Don’t set unrealistic goals and get stuck in the process of thinking of  “I need to do this to achieve that”. Instead, start doing something and the motivation will come. 

11. Care for Your Body — Find Time For Breaks 

Don’t ignore breaks as stepping from your activity can recharge your creativity. Take a break every 30 or 40 minutes, do some physical exercises to relax your muscles, and have a walk. Spend time doing your hobbies, meet friends, watch a movie or some documentary about your favourite musicians to keep inspired. 

12. Celebrate Even Small Victories 

Even small progress proves that you’re moving toward your goals. Celebrate every new song you’ve learnt how to play and every piece of melody that comes to your mind. Take time to track progress from when you set the goal to the moment where you are now. 

Conclusion 

Staying motivated is what every artist struggles with. Sometimes you may even feel like you’ve lost more battles than won. However, it’s significant to remember that motivation comes after an action. You start doing something and it inspires you for further actions. While it’s useful to learn from your favorite musicians when mastering the instrument, it’s equally significant to feel comfortable during practices, be true to yourself, celebrate each progress, care for your body, and collaborate with others.  

Are you a musician with many ideas but not enough time? Check our Time Management Tips for Musicians to find some advice.