Can't finish your latest beat? As a creator, it's inevitable to run into a creative block. Here are my 11 tips for trying to get past that block and finish your track.

Creativity is a powerful thing. It can be the thing that gets you through a tough time or the thing that changes your life. But what if you find yourself stuck?

It's not so much about avoiding the creative dry spells, but about knowing how to navigate and respond to those difficulties when they arise. Using the right tools and working with the right people is essential, but what separates successful musicians from the crowd is the will to persevere.

Try this right now: Close your DAW. Stand up. Do 5 slow breaths (inhale 5s, hold 2s, exhale 5s). Then come back and keep reading, you'll absorb more with a reset brain.

Reset your mind with relaxation and meditation

Every producer hits a wall eventually, the DAW stares back at you, and nothing happens. But creative blocks are not an insurmountable obstacle.

I've been there more times than I care to admit. I'd open a project, stare at the arrangement view, tweak a kick drum for an hour, and close it again. Sound familiar? What finally pulled me out was stepping away completely and learning to breathe, literally.

Sometimes, taking a break from music-making can help to clear your mind and give you a fresh perspective. Step away from your music for a while, and do something else that you enjoy. Yes, scrolling through presets for two hours counts as "working" but you know it doesn't.

1. Breathe and meditate. Meditation and Cardiac Coherence has been shown to help people get over creative blocks by allowing them to not focus on their thoughts, while also helping them to relax. This is how you will reconnect yourself with your creative self. It might be just the only thing you need to get back on track.

Try the 5/2/5 breathing technique:

1. Inhale for 5 seconds
2. Hold for 2 seconds
3. Exhale for 5 seconds

Continue for at least 5 minutes. Focus on your breathing and nothing else. Notice the difference between breathing through your nostrils vs. your mouth. Concentrate on the sound and feel your chest expanding. Allow your mind to wander from there.

2. Go for a walk outside. If breathing isn't enough, head to a forest or a park nearby. Try the same 5/2/5 technique while you walk. If you still can't relax, consider seeing a professional relaxation therapist or hypnotherapist. Relaxation, breathing and meditation is the key to reconnecting with your creativity.

3. Change your scenery. Consider working on your music in a different location, or try working at a different time of day. A fresh environment can unlock fresh ideas. (Kitchen table sessions have produced more finished tracks than you'd expect.)

Did you know? Oblique Strategies is a deck of creative prompts and aphorisms by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt, designed to help artists overcome creative blocks. You can try an online version or buy the cards to get over your creative block!

Break through with some musical techniques

The key to sparking new ideas is to be open to new experiences and be willing to try new things. Experimenting with different techniques and approaches can help to open up new creative possibilities and inspire new musical ideas.

Reframe your approach

4. Steal from your idols. Don't go into the unknown. Think about the style of music you want to achieve, and listen to productions in that style to refocus. What tempo? Which instruments? Which scales? Or mix and match and incorporate some elements from other styles.

Tweak your sound

5. Break the melody on purpose. Change the scale, change the octave, change the dynamics, reverse the notes. A change of scale can have huge effects. Try playing the melody with different rhythms, add a pause or two, add swing and groove. Have you tried recording your melody on an arpeggiator or sequencer and speeding it up? This can give surprising effects.

6. Retune your synth. A function found in most virtual synths, this little-known technique lets you change the mood of the song. Try changing from 440Hz to 432Hz and the vibe of your track will shift instantly.

Embrace the minus

7. Strip it back. Often less is more. Lighten up your production by removing unnecessary or distracting instruments. This will allow you to move more easily through your song. If a part doesn't serve the groove, kill it.

8. Use fewer tools, not more. Reducing your plugin and tool count cuts distractions and keeps you focused on making music. Your next creative breakthrough is not hiding behind plugin number 247.

Get help and inspiration

9. Level up your theory. Lack of knowledge about music theory can also be a barrier to inspiration. Opt for quality training, such as Thinkspace education, and you'll save a lot of time by avoiding classic mistakes.

10. Let the machines surprise you. There are many plugins to create random or pseudo-random chord progressions or melodies. You can try: Scaler, Harvest, or if you use Ableton Live, the Bouncy Notes instrument.

11. Phone a friend. Collaborating with other musicians can help to spark new ideas and inspire new approaches to music production. Two heads staring at a blank project are better than one.

The life of a musician is never a smooth ride and there will be times when the creative chaos will leave you feeling discouraged, but persevere and use my tips above.

If you have any other tips, feel free to discuss them below.

⭐ If you’d like to dive deeper into electronic music production with me, book a 1-on-1 coaching session here.