The process of making art is totally different for everyone. Some like to meditate while some like to get high. The end product always comes out, no matter what. But wouldn’t you rather fully nail the time you’re investing in your art? So let’s start with our first edition of “Mind Over Music.” In this, we’ll go over how your mindset is the biggest key & what can you do to make the most out of your session!

1. Reflect on the times you feel most creative

Now you can sit at your shrine for hours to see nothing coming out. There will be days when you’ll be so creative that you can go on for hours without losing any creative juice, but most of the time that isn’t the case. So your best bet is to close your eyes, go backwards in time and introspect. When are you able to make the most satisfactory music, music that you can listen to again & again? For some, day time works and for others midnight works the best. Personally, after I came to the conclusion that I feel most inspired/creative during night and I’m pumped enough to make any further mix adjustments in the morning when my ears are totally fresh. Doing this will make everything straight for you & you’ll be able to make the most out of your time & activities.

2. Stop overthinking & comparing yourself to others

Your subconscious works in a really magical yet pretty indecisive ways sometimes. It can be pretty demotivating coming back to your project and seeing that you’re not turning up to your music like you turn up to your current favorite tune. You sure can get lost and end up deleting that project and doing what your subconscious says (“hey, psst, drop this project and make something like what you just heard”) or you can just stop overthinking and go back to your tune after half an hour and start with a fresh mind. Real talk, some might not be there in terms of ideas, sound design, mixing and mastering, but you gotta realize that everyone has their own story, everyone is in their own stream. And hey, if you keep on flowing you might end up in the ocean someday!

3. Allot some time to add something that distinguishes you

With the amount of tools that are available right now is just mind blowing. Get to know how everything works and you’re one unstoppable producer. But, this wide availability of software has caused nothing but saturation in the dance music industry. So, if you want to grow your name/brand, you have to offer somethingput something on the table that people just can’t reject. Not saying that you should go out of your way to add something, but thinking of something on a regular basis that resonates with you and your music can add that extra one percent to your art. This could be anything, the type of sounds you use, the groove, your arrangement etc. This thing will come with time obviously. Just keep on doing your thing, believe in yourself and see how you evolve as a musician.

4. Approach your session with a positive mindset & attitude

Getting your stuff out there can be hard. Having a dream to put out a song/ep on your favorite Soundcloud network/ YouTube channel/ Label and seeing nothing working out can be heartbreaking. This can totally mess up with your brain and how you approach your music. Your session or even days might get wasted just thinking about it, if you’re serious enough. Like I mentioned in the previous point, staying positive is the key. “You are in the control of the situation, the situation is not controlling you.” So, the next time you feel depressed, before approaching your next session, write down 10 positive things and say them repeatedly until you’re positive enough that you can make music tension free, innovate and stop the negative thoughts coming to the front part of the brain from your subconscious.

5. Keep your distractions away.

As obvious as it sounds, it is one of the most important point to fully utilize your time. There is nothing wrong with checking your socials but browsing through your socials for a prolonged period of time at the cost of your music, is wrong. If you’re unorganized, adding some schedule definitely won’t hurt. The best way I can think to make the most can be to allot some time to social media before you start making music. Post updates if you want (“waddup fam, imma bout’ to make some heat rn.”) But once you’re done, keep your phone, tablet in another room, turn off the wifi on your computer and just get to work. Once you’re done, you know that you used every single second made the most out of your production session. But, if you do end up using your socials in between, “congratulations, you played yourself.”