Some days creating music can be the biggest pain in the a**. The motivation and creative energy isn't there, you're tired, or some days nothing sounds good. On Thursday of this past week, I sat down to make a beat and spend almost 5 hours making different ideas, creating things I didn't like at all, and wondering if I should call it a day. On what felt like the 10th idea, I finally felt I had it. It ended up being a sample chop sent over from a friend, a layered kick, and 2 fx sounds. 5 hours, a handful of ideas, and a lot of frustration led me to make a beat in about 20 minutes that sounded great. The point of this post is to talk about the idea of "getting out the muddy water".
When you turn on a sink that hasn't been used in a while, or maybe is a little off that day, sometimes you have to flush out the muddy water and things that are in the way. Creating a handful of ideas, pushing through what felt like creative block, and ending up with an idea I liked is the same thing. If I had quit, I would have left all that mud in the way for the next time I sat down. Sometimes it takes only 30 minutes, or sometimes multiple days. Stay with it until something you like comes out of the other end and it lets you walk into the next idea with fresh ears and no frustration.
Music is truthfully meant to be fun, but some days it can cause you so much annoyance that you questions everything. Some of the biggest producers on the planet feel that way, all the time. It's normal.
Keep the ideas flowing, get the bad beats out, and take note of the days where you feel like music isn't your friend. It will make you appreciate the days where it flows freely much more.