WAYS TO KEEP CREATIVE DURING LOCKDOWN FOR MUSICIANS

Staying indoors for prolonged periods of time can make you feel uninspired as well as frustrated and lethargic - and that's not good for creativity or productivity! As musicians, however, there are plenty of things we can do to keep our creative spark alive and make the best use of our lockdown.

So whether you are an artist, a producer, a musician or a songwriter, let's take a look at a few ways in which to keep you focussed, creative and inspired during lockdown.

Set yourself a goal

Think of a goal that you want to achieve during the next week, fortnight or perhaps the next month. This could be something as simple as writing a new song, or more ambitious goals such as getting over 10,000 streams on your new single, or learning 5 new skills before the month is out. A goal will help you to focus and structure your days so that you are able stay productive during lockdown. *Top Tip: Keep your goals realistic, but stretching, in order to make it a worthwhile venture!

Design a daily schedule for achieving your new goals

Create a ‘work’ schedule for yourself so you can keep yourself motivated and on track. For example, you might decide to spend Mondays and Tuesdays from 10am - 4pm working on writing that new album and Thursday and Friday for planning a marketing strategy. Make sure that your schedule helps towards achieving the goals that you have set for yourself during the lockdown period. *Top Tip: When creating a work schedule it’s often helpful to set out ‘what’ you want to do and ‘how’ you’re going to do it.

Create a playlists of songs that inspire you

Everyday when I arrive at my studio to start work, I will play my own playlist of songs that inspire me. We all have songs that give us a tingle down our back, or which trigger amazing nostalgic memories. So if you are feeling a little flat and are not sure how to get your creative spark back, then make a list of songs that have some kind of emotional impact on you and listen to that playlist for half an hour before you start working each day. You’ll be surprised at how this can get you feeling creative again!

Collaborate online with other musicians

Just because we’re in lockdown, it doesn’t mean we can’t collaborate with others online. Success in the music industry is all about networking and connections, so there’s never a better time to start making those connections! Not only that, but collaborating with others often challenges you to work differently and to create something that you would never have done on your own. And this can be really motivating.

There are many ways to reach out to other musicians and collaborate online - you could connect to like minded musicians on social media for example. Soundcloud is another great platform for discovering untapped talent and connecting with other musicians.

Learn something new each week

Musicians are lifelong students. We never stop learning. And a great way to keep your spirits up and creative juices flowing during lockdown is to learn something new each week. Think back to the goal(s) you have set for yourself during lockdown - what new skills or knowledge do you need in order to meet those goals? It could be something really easy such as learning about how songwriting royalties work, or it could be a technical skill such as learning about how to properly mic up a guitar amp. There are an array of resources available online to help educate you. YouTube is particularly useful because it's packed with step-by-step tutorials on music production, songwriting, singing….you name it!

Rest up, eat regularly and get fresh air at least once a day

This might seem obvious, but it’s a very important point - without adequate rest, proper nutrition and fresh air in our lungs, our productivity will fall into a slump. Being productive is all about focus and concentration and without good food, respite and a change of scenery, we can quickly become lethargic and run down. So when planning your work schedule, as mentioned in point 2, remember to factor in breakfast, lunch and dinner and ensure you get outside at least once a day to refresh your mind ready for the next working session.

Finally, these are very uncertain and worrying times, but staying positive and keeping yourself busy will help you to navigate your way through this lockdown. There is ample time for you to make real progress on your music, and if you come out the other end having improved your music career in some way, then it will all have been worth it.

So remember - set yourself some goals, plan your daily schedule around those goals, inspire yourself by reconnecting with songs that have an impact on you, collaborate with other like minded musicians, learn something new each week and look after your mental and physical health, and there might be no end to what you could achieve.