You sit down to write a new piece of music and...nothing comes out.

We've all been there, and it's frustrating. Usually you can just take a break and try again later. But what if that doesn't work? What if, suddenly, every time you try to write, nothing happens?

Welcome to the curse of writer's block. It feels horrible and can seem inescapable. That's why today we're going to learn five techniques you can use to fight writers block and finally break out of your creative slump.

Change Your Environment

Even small shifts in scenery can jump-start your creativity. Try making music in a new place like outside or just in a different room. Although not as effective, even changing up the lighting can help. This is why, in Home Studio Starter, I recommend having a variety of lighting options. If you haven't picked up your free copy yet, you can download it HERE.

Once you've changed your scenery, take a moment to get comfortable, observe your surroundings, and relax. Focus on something that catches your eye, or even your ear. Try honing in on just this one thing to help clear your mind of other thoughts.

When you're ready, take out your instrument and see if anything comes to you. If nothing does, don't try to force it. Stay relaxed, and if you need to, refocus and clear your mind again. Let yourself noodle around on your instrument. If you find something you like, try to keep it going.

You can do this without an instrument too, just open the voice recorder on your phone and hum or sing whatever comes to mind. If you have a laptop, you can record your idea or even use it to make something. There's also apps you could use to do this directly on your phone.

Try Something New

Learning or trying something new can re-engage the creative part of your brain.

No matter how experienced you are, there's always something new to learn or try. Learn a new chord, technique, or scale, and then use this as the starting point for a song.

If you usually write in minor, try writing something in major.

If you always start writing with guitar, try starting with drums.

New pieces of gear or software/plugins can be effective too. A word of caution, try to use what you already own first, and be careful when buying something new. Things can very quickly and easily get out of hand. You don't want to trick yourself into thinking you need to constantly buy something new in order to create something.

Revisit Something Old

If you're like most musicians, you probably have a ton of unfinished songs, ideas you started but never finished, or things you're just not happy with. Now's the time to go back to them.

Open up an old idea and see if you can add to it or turn it into something new.

Revisiting old ideas can help spark new ideas.

Try to turn that single riff idea you had months ago into an entire song.

Seek Inspiration From Others

Learning other people's ideas can help you come up with your own new ideas.

Critical listening is an important skill to practice. Sit down with the specific goal of listening and analyzing music you enjoy. Don't just put it on in the background, actively listen and take notes. Pay attention to song structure, rhythm, chord changes, harmony, arrangement, and production. Not only will this help you better understand the music you like, but you can also apply what you learn to your own writing.

There's a saying "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Whether you realize it or not, all music is inspired by other music. Learn how to play a song you like. and then use pieces of it as inspiration for your own material.

This doesn't mean you should flat out copy other music. It means be inspired by the rhythm, melody, or feel. This is much easier to do if you take the time to really learn the song. Once you have it down, play it a few times in a row, then take a short break. Go grab a glass of water or step outside to reset your mind. When you come back, play the song again, but this time, keep going. Pretend you're making a spiritual sequel to the song. If that doesn't work, take a melody or rhythm from it and use it as a jumping off point.

One of the best ways to deal with writer's block is to collaborate. It removes a lot of t he pressure to come up with everything yourself. When you find the right person (or people) to collaborate with, creating can feel effortless. There's something magical about bouncing ideas off each other to create something even bigger and better than you could have alone. If you have friends who write music, ask if they want to collaborate. If not, there are lots of places online where you can find people to collaborate with remotely.

Take a Break...But Never Stop

Sometimes, you just need a break. Take one or two weeks off from writing and focus on something else, like improving your production or mixing skills, or focus on your other hobbies.

When you return to writing, if you're still feeling stuck, try the earlier techniques again.

After a couple of breaks, if nothing's working, try to push through it. Not every idea needs to be good, you can always go back and change it. The most important thing is to keep trying. Even if it doesn't feel like it, things will get better eventually.

One of the best things you can do is just keep trying no matter how stuck you feel.

Final Thoughts

All of these tricks have one goal in common: to inspire.

Without inspiration, being creative can be hard, and at times, feel impossible. If you are in a creative slump, try these techniques to snap your brain out of it and get the music flowing again.

Do you have a trick you use to fight writer's block that wasn't covered? If you do, leave a comment below and let others know what works for you.

-Anthony

5 Tricks to Snap Out of a Creative Slump