How to ALWAYS be inspired [or a lesson in wizardry]

Hey there!

This week's YouTube video has hit a nerve - a good nerve that is - and I want to talk about it (and wizards) with you today.

The video was ostensibly about field recording and sampling but it is my discussion on inspiration that is resonating the most. I lay out a simple but I think overlooked argument in the video.

The only difference between something interesting and something inspiring is your ability to act on it.

We find things interesting all the time. For me, I'm interested in architecture, sampling, design, menswear, electronic music, nature sounds, public transit, synthesis, living well, etc. We're all drawn to things in the world around us.

Why then are inspiring things so much more elusive than interesting things?

Inspiration requires an outcome. When we find something inspiring, that usually means there's an implicit promise of action. Inspiration means that you'll get something cool out of it and that seems so much rarer than interesting things, right?

Nope.

The problem isn't that inspiring things are hard to come by. The problem is that you aren't able to turn all the things you find interesting into sources of inspiration.

But here's how.

We could all learn a thing or two from wizards.

Music is often compared to magic. The argument tends to go that the more you know about music, the less magical it becomes. The beauty is in the unknowing.

That's some peasant shit.

Huh?

If we want to stick with the fantasy metaphor then you gotta decide if you're a peasant or a wizard.

Picture a wizard in your mind. Got it? Great. What is that wizard doing? Chances are they're studying!

The popular image of a wizard is some crusty old dude poring over old tomes or peering into a crystal ball. They study magic to better wield the magic. It doesn't disappear once they know how to use it.

Wizards devote their life to studying magic. The peasants are just amazed by this thing they don't understand.

So again, I'll say it. You gotta decide if you want to be a wizard or a peasant.

But we both know the answer already. It's always cooler to be the wizard*.

Here's how you become a music production wizard

The answer is simple: you fill your knowledge gaps. If you're stuck feeling like music has lost all of it's magic then it's because you're at the stage where you know enough to know that you don't know enough. The magic isn't gone, you're just discouraged.

Here's how you break that loop.

Ask yourself where your friction points are. When you go to produce the music you're imagining in your head, at what point does everything start falling apart? In my experience, the most common areas tend to be music theory, sound design, and mixing but for you it might be something else entirely.

Once you've identified those points of friction, come up with a plan to address them. As you address each point of friction, watch the magic return.

Stop hunting for inspiration, just strengthen your ability to act

Once you know how to act on the things you find interesting, you'll never hunt for inspiration ever again.

If inspiration is a struggle for you, I would encourage you to frame the problem this way in your mind. It gives you agency, a way forward, and the power to change your circumstances.

Because at the end of the day, we live in the real world. While music (and my excellent metaphor today) is magical, music isn't itself magic. The only thing standing in the way of your making the music you want to make, is you.

Til next time,

ZW

*For years, I taught a class for pointblank called Creative Audio which is essentially an advanced sampling class. This class taught me definitely that the magic is never lost once you learn how music is made. I have a great memory that exemplifies this. One class session, I was showing a technique similar to the one in the YouTube video linked above and a student named Randy exclaimed, "This is some black magic shit!" Hell yeah it is, Randy. Hell yeah.