Inspiration and Finding Your Creative Zen

Inspiration (from the Latin inspirare, meaning "to breathe into") refers to an unconscious burst of creativity in a literary, musical, or other artistic endeavour.

"Whether I was in my body or out of my body as I wrote it I know not. God knows."

- George Frideric Handel

For my second post here on Ruminations from the Edge, I wanted to tackle the subject that made me start this blog to begin with, the most fascinating concept relating to art, music, writing and creativity in general: inspiration.  As it turns out though, this universally experienced yet profoundly mysterious subject is quite a big one, an endless rabbit hole of questions and viewpoints.   I decided for the time being to focus on the most practical aspect possible: how do we get inspired?  The experience of being inspired seems to be identical to everyone that has experienced it since the beginning of time though it has been called everything from an act of God to a departure from sanity.  I asked composer friends Austin Wintory, Laura Karpman, Jack Wall and Joe Kraemer what inspiration means to them and though the experience of it seems to be universal, they each had some interesting thoughts on how they get into that creative "zone".

I personally always felt like inspiration was like a timid yet stubborn child who would only make an appearance when they were sure nobody was looking for them.  If I had a dollar for every time I had a substantial musical idea pop into my head when I was nowhere near a place to put it down (like in the shower, while driving, or my favorite - just as I start to fall asleep), I'd be able to retire comfortably.  I won't get into the science of the right and left brain here (though the subject does fascinate me), but I will ruminate on what it means to be inspired and how to find your way to that goldmine of creative ideas that scarcely seems to be there when you're looking for it but always graces you with a visit when you least expect it.

One of the biggest challenges for a lot of us as composers is that when we take on a project we have represented ourselves as having the ability to create something from nothing, something inspired and substantial.  We do this at times with a subconscious irrational fear that somehow, THIS TIME, that magical visit from the inspiration fairy won't show up.  We know from past experience that it has shown up each time without fail (though sometimes at the 11th hour) yet somehow the lack of ability to call up inspiration at will makes us secretly feel like we are selling snake oil.  

"Literally every time…and I have, I don't know, a hundred films on my iMDB list…at the beginning of every project, I truly can't remember how to do this job"

- Mychael Danna (Life of Pi)

And then it happens…Somewhere along the way the ideas start flowing faster than we can keep up with them and from a place inside us we scarcely recognize.  Many of us go into a near trance-like state where the world disappears and we become vessels to bring this musical idea (or piece of artwork) into the world.  We forget to eat, go to the bathroom or think about much of anything else for hours or even days.  We often emerge on the other side of this state having little memory of the experience yet the idea is born.   The ideas may not be what we originally envisioned but they are nonetheless inspired.  Calmly and confidently trusting that this mysterious and elusive process will eventually lead you (however windy the road may be) to the finish line might just be the path to creative enlightenment (or at least make for a smoother ride).

"Inspiration always feels more like the act of staying out of the way than of dredging up emotions or ideas. When things click together at their best, I always feel that the music somehow already existed and my job was to simply be a surrogate of sorts. If I assert myself too heavily into the process it gets watered down or even ruined. So any sort of creative rituals that I have tend to be about letting go and just letting it all happen (this sort of sounds like a confession to composing-via-Ouija-Board, but I promise I haven't reached that level yet!)"

- Austin Wintory (Journey)

So how do you find your way to that elusive yet magical place where inspiration comes out to play?  That is the burning question.  Though all creative people seem to share certain habits and experiences, the path to that special place is different for all of us and familiarizing yourself with it might be the key to getting back there with greater frequency.  When do you feel the most inspired?

"For me writing music is very much like meditating. There is a separate state of consciousness that exists that's different from our awake state and our sleeping dream state. It's sort of a meditative state of consciousness that I strive for in order to write music that connects. When I sit down to write, one of the most important things I do as a ritual is cognitively realize and acknowledge that what I'm about to do is not about me and my abilities as a composer. It's really more about how well I can listen. It's not unlike Michelangelo who knew that his sculptures already existed within the slab of stone. He was merely chipping away at the bits that didn't belong. 

When I write, I'm tapping into that vast infinite universe of possibilities that already reside somewhere in our collective consciousness. I'm finding those notes and the spaces in between. I have to have faith and trust that whatever I tune into will be right. It's really an exercise in letting go. If I can get quiet, I will hear the music that is already there. The more effective I get at this, the more the music seems to resonate. It's when I "try" to write or forget these things that I get into trouble. I suppose that I'm a composer for exactly this reason. It's my way of tapping into something magical - a sonic glue that connects us all. Oh - and for some reason, when I'm stuck, taking a shower helps. I've written a lot of shower music!"

- Jack Wall (Call of Duty Black Ops 2, Mass Effect, Myst)

Another important question to ponder is what are your greatest enemies of inspiration?  I know for me, one of the greatest enemies of inspiration is clutter.  Whether it be clutter in my workspace or in my schedule, the more things I have weighing on my subconscious, the less likely I will be to gain any kind of creative momentum.  This also goes for noise.  Sometimes inspiration can speak in a whisper and even the smallest distraction can get in it's way.  This may be why I find my most creative time to be late at night when most people are asleep.  No cars, no leafblowers, no calls.  Just me and my muse.  I have gotten fairly good at maintaining focus amidst distractions considering my studio is in my home and I have a young child and pets but it has taken years of practice.  Another big creative roadblock is emotional distress.  While some people thrive on and are inspired by chaos and pain, I myself shut down creatively when I am not at peace.

To combat clutter in my schedule, I usually try to take care of as much of the logistics and correspondence as possible in the morning while I'm still waking up.  For some reason my creative brain likes to hit the snooze for a couple of hours so I spend that time taking care of the other stuff.  This may be another reason why my most creative time of day is later in the day or at night.  I also do my best to get tasks out of my brain and onto lists as soon as often as possible.  The more things I am trying to hold onto in my head at the same time, the less I am able to relax.

One thing is for sure, forcing inspiration to happen will almost certainly never work.  It took me a long time to realize that knowing when to push on and when to call it a night was a huge thing.  We don't always have the luxury of time but sometimes persistently working when you're mentally exhausted will slow you down more than taking a strategic break to clear your mind.  Knowing yourself well enough to know the difference is an acquired but essential skill, something I still practice and attempt to fine tune on every project.  Sometimes stepping away for a short while and distracting yourself with a task or a simple physical activity can free your mind to find it's way back to a more inspired place.  Composer Brian Tyler plays basketball to alleviate momentary bouts of writer's block.  I once heard Hans Zimmer say he takes a bath sometimes to relax and that though he wishes he could avoid it, sometimes just showing up to the studio and being there in front of the proverbial blank page will eventually yield results.

"I sit down to the piano regularly at nine-o'clock in the morning and Mesdames les Muses have learned to be on time for that rendezvous."

- Pyotr Ilich Tchaikovsky

On the subject of exhausting one's self, it is also important to do what Julia Cameron refers to in The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity as "filling the creative well" or taking time out in our busy schedules to turn inwards in relaxation as well as outwards in observation.  The image of a well describes creativity as a channel deep into the earth or the psyche – a vessel or conduit that can be tapped unseen for a long while, but may eventually run dry unless more water is allowed to flow into its source.  So how does one "fill the creative well"?  Cameron suggests "allowing more "water" to enter the well from below, by relaxing and resting the creative mind. We may also refill the fountain from above by pouring new images and experiences into the inner well of the mind...Take an evening off and go for a long walk in the park. Watch a movie. Read a good book. Doing something for yourself, even for an hour or two, can have an impact on the experience of writing and on your results on the page."

There is also something to be said for deadlines.  Though I have never specifically been a "wait until the last minute" kind of person, it is inevitable on most projects that a lot of work has to be done at the last minute for various reasons that aren't necessarily the fault of the composer (though sometimes it is).  A lot of times it is craft and instinct that get us through to the finish line but often times inspiration shows up when we least expect it to save the day.  There have been many times I've nailed the last cue on a film or show under enormous pressure and in a seemingly impossible amount of time yet with an inexplicable calm, like a basketball player making a game winning shot with less than a second on the clock or a pilot landing crash landing a plane.  I might be reaching a bit in the comparison there but it does feel that way sometimes.

I asked composer Laura Karpman (Taken miniseries, Everquest) what inspires her and how she finds her creative zen:

"Inspiration: the ocean, my son, my spouse, Stravinsky, Peet's coffee, Milton Babbitt, really good Nova, not fishy, a hot bath, great cake without frosting, an apricot, thinking of my mother, shopping for shoes (same as thinking of my mother).

Getting in the zone - breathing, a great walk, morning, and a really rigid and clear schedule. What doesn't work: frenzy."

"Jack Reacher" and "The Way of the Gun" composer Joe Kraemer has a really interesting approach to getting inspired:

"I think often of a scene from Star Trek: The Next Generation, where Mr. Data is struggling to perform the first violin part in a string quartet. He argues that as a machine, he is incapable of inspiration or true creativity. Captain Picard asks Data how he approached performing the violin part, and Data explains that he simply took elements from three different soloists throughout Federation history, and brought nothing to the performance of himself. Picard pointed out that these three soloists each had vastly different styles, came from entirely different cultures, and from varying eras in history. Before Data, no one would ever have thought of combining those elements the way he did. In this way, Data created a unique, and inspired, performance.

When I'm stuck on a scene, when I'm trying to crack a score, or find the right motif that will carry me through a film, I sometimes play a little game. I will pick three different elements, from three sources as widely varied as I can think of, and see what happens. Before long, this little exercise has opened up my thinking and I'm on my way. I believe that like Mr. Data, no one else would choose the three elements that I did, and that will make my composition unique. Maybe even inspired…"

However it is that you get there, inspiration is the heart of the creative process and the better you know your own path to it, the better you will be able to retrace your steps back when you are lost. Be good to yourself and remember to be good to the goose that laid the golden eggs.  In that classic fable the goose's owners killed it to get to the gold inside and in doing so the goose never made gold again.  I thank Halo composer Marty O'Donnell for that analogy that always reminds me to be treat my creative self with care and replenish my creative well before trying to force inspiration.

Special thanks to Austin Wintory, Jack Wall, Laura Karpman and Joe Kraemer for taking time out of their busy schedules to share their thoughts on inspiration with us!

See you next time!

N

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