Welcome to the first installment of “The Creative Challenge,” a series I am writing on overcoming creative roadblocks.
The Problem
All creative minds run into “writer’s block.” We are raised in a society that holds order and structure in high regard. We are trained to think “inside the box.” So whether you’re a field recordist, sound designer, musician, writer, painter, architect – whatever type of creative you are – you’ve run into creative blocks, and you always will. The problem isn’t running into them, it’s having a few tricks up your sleeve to help you overcome them.
The Solution
Just go out and record. You might be surprised at what you get. Go for a walk with a recorder, go for a drive with your windows down and radio off, jump on a train or a bus and go somewhere you haven’t gone before. I’ve found that in exploration, you’re more than likely to find something that sounds amazing and is worth recording. Try to free your mind from adult worries, and hear the world through a child’s ears. Sometimes the simplest thing sounds amazing.
The Challenge
My challenge to you this week is to just go out and record. Go somewhere you’ve never been before. Maybe you’ll take the bus, maybe you’ll drive down a road you’ve never driven down before, maybe you’ll take the subway to a stop you’ve never been to before. Wherever you go, and however you get there, bring your recorder and your ears. Listen for the little things, or maybe the big things. Find something you’ve never heard before, or something you hear every day and never noticed how cool it sounded before, and record it.
