Featured Artists Answers
60 answers from the archive
How do you deal with writer's block?
Every Featured Artist ever asked this question — in their own words. Click any name to visit their Audiotool profile.
erthboy @et-47“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I have literally disappeared from making music for years at a time. I personally deal with it by just moving on and finding another hobby for a bit. Inspiration will hit when it hits. I've always kept making music in the realm of fun/hobby/decompression. I don't intend to push deadlines or try and profit from it, so it keeps things stress free.
escapiistt @-9010-“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I'm in writer's block more than I'm not. What I've always told people, and what has always helped me, is to do lots of collabs and remix tracks. I think when I see other people's workflow and creativity, their ideas rub off on me, and I end up being able to make something worth being proud of.
Alckhem @indianboykap“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Making music consistently, even without inspiration. I started my lunchbreak series, where I gave myself about 1-2 hours to produce an experimental song, because I was facing a lack of inspiration. Forcing yourself to create and practice, even if it's not perfect, is the best way to overcome the block.
Snowfire @snowfire“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I have writer's block all the time. To combat that, I'll take some kind of sound and distort and contort it till it inspires me to create something around it, usually leading to weird audio textures and ambience. I also find making strange drum beats in odd time signatures to be inspiring.
Chonoes @redguy5009“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Early on, I had really bad writer's block, but over time, I've come to the mindset that I make music for myself and no one else. The idea of whether music is good or not is irrelevant because the concept of a "good" song is so extremely subjective. With that mindset, I've been able to approach all the different ways I end up in writer's block. I also strongly recommend having an alt account where you can release less serious music if you struggle with not posting enough.
@elow @pogtopia179“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Absolutely! The last time I had writer's block was like 6-7 months ago but learned a trick to overcoming it: making music at least an hour a day. You don't have to post them either and it can sound like the most vile, despicable thing ever. But the point is to get used to your DAW and when you do have an idea, you will be one step closer to achieving your dream song. Another good thing is stepping out of your main genre/style and making something completely new.
itxmi @noah_cheng“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Listening and finding more music helps with finding more inspiration, which in turn helps with my creativity. Sometimes I'll just sit on SoundCloud, Spotify, or TikTok for an hour and just listen to stuff. If I really love something, I'll recreate something like it but throw my own spin on it.
volen @ryddnce“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I get writer's block all the time, especially when it's with a style I usually make. Sometimes the best way to approach writer's block is to not write, but to listen. Go listen to some new music, old classics, maybe a style or genre you haven't heard before. Take influence from the music around you, and don't be afraid to try something new once in a while.
atelier @gilbert_lake“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Writer's block? Time to doomscroll for three days. It's honestly not a terrible way to cure it — you may end up finding a really cool idea or sample. My advice? Don't stress about it. Sometimes you just need to let your brain take a nap and come back ready to kill it.
Batoune & The Brewers @baptiste_benezech_yahoo_fr“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I sleep very, very little. Composing is a bit like a grandmother's herbal tea getting herself ready to sleep. Often, when I finish a track, I realize that I have nothing left to offer, but after a few hours, the ideas come back. I have so many drafts that I'll never finish — that's kind of my problem. I have too many ideas that I have trouble following through on each one.
BioL!nk @biooo-_“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I struggle with writer's block pretty often. When it hits, I try to step away from the music for a bit. My advice is to not stress too much about it — sometimes the best ideas come when you least expect them. Keep experimenting and stay patient. Creativity will come back.
Sub4sax @sub4sax“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Yes, I've definitely experienced writer's block. There was a period of about 2-3 years where I really struggled to create any tracks. What helped me get through it was stepping away for a bit and focusing on other creative outlets or listening to music outside my usual genres. I also recommend trying to work on smaller ideas or experimenting with new techniques — don't worry too much about making a perfect track right away.
Dj TeK-NjA @solosoldier1200_gmail_com“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
If writer's block means being braindead at times on what to produce, then yeah I get that way from time to time. Listening to other producers can help and inspire, but honestly, for me, I literally have to get myself in the Zone somehow. When you're in your Zone, however you get there, it's time to make some music!
Head Trauma Romance @headtruamaromance“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Of course! Nowadays, learning something new works 9/10 times for me. When there's something new to try, it always gets me excited to get back in the studio and mess around with what I just learned.
virux @gearbotgd“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Oh yeah, plenty of times. There are two ways to solve this — the fun way, or the funny way. The fun way is to take a break, listen to some music instead of trying to make it, and just relax. Recharge the batteries. The funny way is to put yourself through hellish challenges to force yourself to make something that you wouldn't normally make. Also remember, music is art, and you cannot force it.
ryzenn AKA taiko! @itsyahboi“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
A few things that have helped me: sometimes it's best to grab random sounds and not think too much. Listening to other songs for inspiration helps too. Sometimes it's best to step out of your comfort zone. I also like to produce in different places, like on campus or in a library — a change of environment helps.
anodyne @hurakan“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Of course I've had writer's block! Sometimes I'll listen to some music to try to get inspiration. Other times I'll just go into the studio and make garbage on purpose, to spur my brain into realizing it's time to lock in. And sometimes I don't make music at all, I just let my brain recover from the burnout (which is what writer's block is, in my opinion). Sometimes the best course of action is inaction.
Le Voile @levoile“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Like every single day! I like to find a loop of some sort of busy noise, like a crowd talking, or people laughing. Or, pick a TV show, maybe your favorite one, and watch a few of your favorite episodes. Isolate a 30 second span or compile some snippets of lines from shows or movies that sounds the most fun to you. Put it all in a pile, and chop it up into 1/8 bar or 1/16th bar bits. Mix and match to taste and lay it over a beat.
althruist @akridiki“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
My worst nightmare. Truthfully I haven't discovered a good way to deal with it, however, out of being upset about it, I usually mess with random sounds. It doesn't matter how bad the sound sounds, but sometimes it can sound good enough to just spark something in my head. If that doesn't work, I'll watch a children's film from the 1960s or something like The Sound Of Music. I love old children's movies, and they usually spawn intense inspiration in me!
Uzeh @iuzi“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I've had more times than I'd like to admit where I have no ideas. I'd recommend listening to other people's music, especially genres you don't usually work in to give you some inspiration:D
Kurp @kurpingspace2“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I cannot remember the last time I had art block, maybe 2 years ago. My recommendation is to prevent it from happening. I think the reason why art block occurs is that you develop a personal relationship with your draft and don't want to upload something unfinished. I say just stop caring about that, do whatever is the most fun. I put all my demo drafts in an album called "demo mixes". The rest of my music is created within two weeks, over 4 hours in total not including breaks. Also try listening to new music you haven't heard before — music.youtube.com has a radio feature which is great for this.
Civility @jrockstorm6“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Usually when I have writer's block I take a step back and allow myself time to reflect and not force myself to create. There is no rush to put music out there. Work at your own pace and allow yourself to work at a speed that will benefit you.
Amp7070 @ample“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Because I normally make music to vent my feelings, when I am feeling empty and nothing interesting is happening to me is when I normally get writer's block. If I want to make music and this is the case, I think the best thing to do is to find a song that you think is really cool, and try to recreate it in your own way. In my own experience I normally end up with something that sounds completely different to the original song!
retro @retrorhythm“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Something that seems to work for me is only listening to music that you're not usually interested in and studying it. And if that doesn't work just don't make or listen to any music at all for a while. Just take a break. Trying to force it will make it worse.
mxcii @why-are-you-looking-at-my-url“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I mostly make music for fun, so if I feel like I'm struggling to come up with ideas, I tend to just do something else for a while. With time I've found that I always find inspiration eventually, and then I'm back on the music grind:)
WPX @jazart“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Don't be afraid to try something numerous times and fail, and always look for deeper meaning and inspiration in your own life. Sleep and dreams are important for creativity, so try to prioritize those. I think trying to force tracks out will never work, ultimately. The best ideas always come at random, I've noticed. If you're experiencing a block, give yourself time, give yourself rest, and surely something will come to you when you least expect it.
Siren @sirenkx“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Yes, countless times. The main factor contributing to writer's block is the lack of inspiration at a critical moment. How I counter this is by having ideas ready, either in my voice memos/notepad as memory cues. I would recommend everyone doing music to record down an idea once you get it or else it might be too late. Another thing is to draw inspiration from anything, especially things in your life. Any random thing could spark inspiration; talk to more people, step out of your comfort zone.
JayFK @jayfk“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Sometimes I really have no idea at all. What can help is to break your normal routine. If you usually start with a baseline and build your track around it, then just start with a few piano chords or something else. It doesn't help me to decide: "Today I'll produce a chillout track." In the end, a completely different genre usually comes out than I planned. So the best thing is to just let things go.
etterath @xenom0rph“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I haven't experienced an artist's block as severe as some, but I've definitely gone through it. Something that's worked well for me is making something on my alt account pigpen. There's something quite freeing about it; you don't have to meet any expectations your followers might have. There's really no tried and true method to get out of a block, unfortunately.
andy @not_pr0n“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I'm actually in one right now! The truth is that patience is always key, and never try to force it. If you don't want to walk away from music for a time, then find a different medium. Currently I'm spending my time practicing piano and guitar instead of Audiotool.
Drimeur @rafael91“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I've never had a writer's block because I've never created music under pressure. When I feel like creating music I do, and if I don't I do other stuff like learning how to mix or playing the guitar or playing football. You shouldn't put pressure on yourself when you create music. When I have a melody in my mind I record myself singing.
sphere @yawningiron785“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I think writer's block is an inevitability for anyone who wants to pursue music. There really isn't a one-size-fits-all solution that works for everyone, and though it's broad, the only reliable solution I can recommend is just to wait. In some way or another, something always comes back to you. Always.
ApoC @lucimusic080“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I've had writer's block quite a lot. But whenever I do, I like to browse through the tracks section of audiotool in which I select the most recent and I listen to those. I've come across some really cool songs to be honest doing it that way rather than just typing it all out with the search function on the website.
Melancolist @melancolia“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Keep listening to music, go to concerts, analyze your favorite tracks, open projects you like on Audiotool, be curious about music you listen to, make featurings, experiment and even if you are not playing the best music you can at least train about technical aspects.
viista @vistamista“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I usually take a short break from it all and either go outside and sit on my porch for a few mins, play a game or two, just do some random improv on my keyboard, or watch YouTube videos. If that doesn't work then I'd try using your emotions to your advantage and make music off of that.
leadenshrew @leadenshrew“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I'm actually going through a pretty nasty block right now. My drive usually comes in bursts, but that hasn't happened in a while. My advice would be to try and occupy yourself with something else creatively, for me that's drawing and writing. Stuff like that could give you inspiration for a sound or an entire track, and you can also expand your talents in more areas.
nico @theanonymouspineapple“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Take a break — things take time. When music-making gets too emotionally charged it can get in the way of using the music to process those emotions. Sometimes taking time away from music will help to work through those things. I also do "oblique challenges" with my good friend sim. This involves picking an oblique strategy (a set of esoteric cards by Brian Eno) and using it as a prompt for a piece of music that we have to start and finish within an hour. This always gets the creative juices flowing! If you make creation a habit, it's possible to avoid blocks in the first place.
Gravidon @gravidon“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Everyone gets writer's block. My best fix for when it happens is simply to allow it to happen. I try not to rush any one draft that I'm working on and let certain ideas/melodies/techniques come to me organically. I do my best to avoid rushing or pushing through to a song's completion with no significant inspiration in mind.
Client @theclient“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
There are really two options. Either you go and do something else (preferably not related to music). Or do something in music that you don't normally do. What I personally do is sound design experimentation, and try to really push my experimentation knowledge with strange combinations of effects and weird resonating base sounds and modulation.
okin @traptaco“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Yes, multiple times. My only solution is usually to ride it out and then I get this burst of creative ideas all at once again. Some solutions I'd recommend: taking a break, listen to different music, try timed challenges like make a track in 30 minutes (usually good ideas come from under time restraints). But yeah just don't stress and give it time.
aeiter @themp20q“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Writer's block SUCKS. I try to remind myself that ideas from 'bad' drafts can lead to good ones. I try not to be afraid of what I come up with. I think that my writer's block stems from expectations that I have for myself and my finalised music. I try to experiment and explore new starting methods to keep things exciting.
sim @jewan“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
All. The. Damn. Time. I live in a perpetual state of artist block these days. The best way I have found to deal with it is to just go in with a truly open mind and let your ideas ebb and flow, no matter how stupid you think it sounds. Surround yourself with good music, good company, and good times as well. That really gets the creative juices flowing and provides an outlet for when creating just really isn't your thing in the current moment.
po9t @anotherevolution“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
YES I'VE HAD WRITER'S BLOCK! IT'S TERRIBLE! My best advice is to go outside and use different mediums of art to channel your creative energy. I personally love visual arts like photography, drawing, and painting. Music can wear you out when you feel like you're not into it, and sometimes you just need to let go and take a break. If you're still having trouble, I'd suggest writing from the perspective of someone else for a change, or try to capsulate an image or a story in your writing.
Two Sworded @two-sworded“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
That's my secret — I always have writer's block. Honestly though, I log onto my "in." account and just do stuff. So yeah, just try something new.
Wightfall @youllnevergetmyusernamefromhere“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I've had years-long periods of creative drought. I've found Nick Cave has good advice on this, paraphrased: 'Block is going to happen, so don't say to yourself "I'll just wait for inspiration to come back," because it won't without your encouragement. Force yourself to listen to new things, think about new things, write about new things even when you have no inspiration. And inspiration will come.' Live/breathe the world you want to write about, and the words will come.
▽Momo▽桃. @pandasparks“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I have had writer's block, multiple times, and I personally just go to the studio and go absolutely bonkers. I deal with it by drafting, erasing then drafting again until I find what makes me happy. Writer's block can definitely make you feel like you want to give up, but don't get too frustrated with yourself and make sure you're not too busy in your personal life.
rai. @fonder“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I deal with writer's block all the time. I find that the best way to get over it is to get busy. Get super busy. Have responsibilities and deadlines. And these need to be things that don't require creativity. When I'm under time pressure, I start procrastinating. I open my music programs and my best works have come out of that! On the other hand, when I set aside time to make music and I sit down I got nothing. So get busy!
Vault Boy @s51995“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I go through writer's block. I deal it with by making moans into basses and I know that sounds weird but just sound designing differently can get you out of the "rut". Honestly just have fun while making music, when I try hard and not having fun it doesn't turn out good and then I get writer's block.
Joe @no-worries-atmosphere“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Oh yeah. I've noticed that writer's block is kind of cyclical, it goes away and comes back again. If I'm having writer's block with Hip-hop, I know it's time to record some acoustic music. Having a different outlet gives me enough time to come back to Hip-hop with a fresh state of mind. And when I get writer's block after a while of acoustic, I know it's time to make some Lo-Fi.
BubbLz @bubblicious“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Oh most definitely. In a writer's block situation, most likely I'm overworking my brain. So I'll just step away for a few hours or a few days, and completely forget it exists. Therefore when I come back, it's like a fresh creative mind, slowly unfolding, compiling ideas as you listen to your work.
Vulkron @nick123456“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Ah yes, writer's block. This has kept so many of my tracks in draft form for much longer than necessary. Deadlines actually work very well in my favor whenever artist's block hits. My creativity works in short bursts, making a lot of progress for maybe an hour, then ideas just don't come to me past that. However, if I have a deadline for myself like "I need to get this published tonight", it's able to spark my creativity to go a little while longer. I also like going through my drafts (I have hundreds), so I let it sit and "ferment" until a future version of me finds it and hopefully makes something happen with it.
Sila @borozo“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Sure thing. I found out the best way to deal with it is take any track of yours which you like and feel proud of and recycle it. Just hit the remix button and start turning knobs. You will realize you can make hundreds of tracks out of one track through recycling the sounds and it will boost your creativity. When the block is too big, just don't produce but listen instead.
Tim Derry @kravatt“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Yes, I've had lots of small writer's blocks, especially after having not opened the app for a long time. What I recommend and always helped me is this little 'REMIX' button on some of very creative tracks that I like. I have maybe 50+ unfinished remixes in my drafts that simply helped me getting back on track or made me discover new ways to use the app. Two other things I sometimes do is try to create a track in a genre I've never done before, or just play with samples from the library.
Naut @trulsenstad“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I constantly have writers block, and I generally lack the motivation to work on big projects for an extended period of time. What usually helps getting me out of a rut is doing short projects where I try to finish it all up in about a day's work. Forcing myself to finish up projects more often prevents me from getting frustrated and anxious about artistic integrity. Generally just listening to music can also be inspiring.
Syntax AKA Kiari @inxile412“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I've been having on and off writer's block for years now. I have noticed that keeping at it has always been what breaks through the block in the end. It doesn't even have to be full tracks; making small doodles, coming up with new sounds to experiment with, or even trying out new tools can be a good way to change things up. Though, if I had to say how I got through my two year long block, it was the Home Office contest on Audiotool. I'm a sucker for competition and even though I didn't place, bringing back my desire to make music was the real prize for me.
Kibbey @crashwarrior“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Yes, I have had it a lot. What usually works for me is finding some piece or pieces of music that you think you want to work up to making at some point, and listening through them. Try to take said music apart in your head, and find ideas you could implement into your music. It's more motivating when you know that something you have in your music is something the "pros" use.
Fluent AKA Owtlet @foxyfennec“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
It seems like I constantly have writers block. Coming back to a project after some time helps a little. Most of the time I just give up and invite someone to the track to help me finish it. I'd say about 1/500 drafts that I create gets published, and then about half of those get hidden. I'm super indecisive about my music, and I know everyone can relate to that in some regard.
Icebox @stoneheart“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
Yes, I have. Writer's block is very challenging to overcome, but my best advice would be to do absolutely nothing! You won't get anything done by forcing ideas out of your head. If you can't come up with anything, it's because you're not inspired. Carry on with life as usual, and wait for those magic little moments to come in. If you adopt patience, you'll produce quality over quantity;)
Goon @untamed“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
If I'm stuck with a project, I reduce the number of notes, tracks, and automations until I'm left with a simple core idea, then I tweak that until it takes off in another direction. If I don't have a project on the go and I don't know where to start, I trawl through the back catalogues of record labels I like, Bandcamp genres, and SoundCloud/Spotify track stations until I find inspiration in newly discovered music.
Naswalt @naswalt“Have you ever had a writer's block? If so, how did you deal with it and what do you recommend to your colleagues?”
I write a lot of things when I'm not at my creative high. Sometimes I'll see somebody say that what I heard as weak in my track was their favorite part. I think the key is to just keep making stuff. Everybody writes a bad song, even the greatest artists!