Choose Your Own Experience

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the words that sank 1000 songs
the words that sank 1000 songs

"THIS is the best song I've ever made."

If you're anything like me, you've said this to yourself (and others) more than a few times...

Only to find your hopes destroyed when you hear it next.

Not always, but OFTEN.

Also, if you've been making music for any length of time, you’ll know the opposite experience:

You're SURE it's terrible.

Listen back, and it's not so bad.

So what do these all too frequent experiences demonstrate about your opinion?

Unless you've an infestation of studio gremlins changing your music when your back is turned, they can only mean one thing:

Your opinion is unreliable.

I’m sure you’re AWARE of this.

But do you KNOW it?

Here's the difference:

AWARE: you have information about the subject - but it doesn't change your behaviour.

KNOW: you are doing something different due to this information.

Think on this now...

Even though you regularly receive irrefutable evidence that your opinion changes when the music does not...

Even though day in, day out it is clear your judgement is unreliable...

What do you DO about it?

If you’re thinking “I need to get feedback from someone else.”

Hold up a minute.

That makes the problem worse. Because the feedback will be from another human with changing unreliable opinions.

And here’s what’s even more surprising...

Of the various opinions you have, which do you almost invariably believe?

Look honestly at your experience, and you'll be shocked to find:

You tend to believe the opinion you have NOW.

FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN IT'S THE OPINION YOU HAVE NOW!

Day 1: I love it! YES! This is going to be the best track I’ve ever made!

Day 2: hmmm...not so sure about this. Darnit.

Day 3: crap...this is terrible! I'm gonna give up.

Day 4: WOOHOO! I AM a genius!

And so it goes on. Believing each and every judgement. Because it's the NOW opinion. FOREVER.

W.T.Actual.F???

Of course, this is an extreme example. Opinions aren't always so up and down. So you don’t always notice this happening.

But even when less extreme - your opinion IS changing when the music doesn’t...

For reasons beyond the music...

For reasons outside your conscious awareness!

Yet, despite this, what do we end up doing?

Change it this way. Then that way. Then the other way. Then back to this way again. ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHH.

Is it any wonder we go round in circles...

getting stuck in the loop

the endless tweak

“perfecting” but never finishing

not releasing what you finish

...is a persistent reality?

So what's the alternative?

This is your first step:

ACCEPT you don't know. ACCEPT you never will know for sure.

No matter how strong the feeling. No matter how persistent the thought.

Be ok; in fact, REVEL in being wrong.

(Laugh at yourself, for goodness sake. It's ok - we're ALL in the same boat.)

And once you've come to terms with this fundamental fact of the creative process?

You're ready for the next step...

You are ready to take the step that lies behind all human knowledge and progress:

GUESS.

Onwards & upwards,

Mike

"The only certainty is uncertainty."

P.S. If you’d like to have far more fun making much better music - with a process which solves your “unreliable opinion problem” for good?

I’m working with a new group of music producers to double the quality and quantity of your music over the Summer.

We’ll start next weekend and if you’d like to join us hit reply and I’ll get you all the details...

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the words that sank 1000 songsthe words that sank 1000 songs

the words that sank 1000 songs
the words that sank 1000 songs