How Scheduling Time to Make Beats Translates to getting better.
I recently joined this group chat of other producers who took on a 30 Day Upload Beats to YouTube challenge. This should be a simple task as all we have to do is import a video of the beat playing with some cool graphics or static image for the next four weeks. However, by day four 3 of the producers had already fallen off the wagon. What is it about staying consistent that’s so hard? Easy answer, improper planning.
Everyone eats, sleeps, and showers at same time based on their schedules. You wake up, hop out of bed, and head to the bathroom and turn on the shower head. You’ve done this so much that even when you’re sleep deprived and loopy you still somehow manage to get this not so simple task done. The reason why is because you’ve repeated this pattern over and over so much that your brain goes on autopilot. So when it comes to uploading beats or making them everyday why don’t producers take the same approach. Wake up, turn on computer, make beat in said time frame, and then shower. To do this you’ll need to something that you probably haven’t done in a very long time. Scheduling time in your day at the same time to make a beat.
Most creatives would say that this stifles your creativity when in fact it actually does the complete opposite. For example, take riding a bike when you were younger. When you first took the training wheels off your thoughts were probably, ‘Don’t fall down. Don’t fall down.’ After about 5 years of riding your bike so much your thought patterns probably sounded something more like, “Did I lock the door when left? Which pocket are my keys in? I wonder if so and so is up and can ride with me?” The reason why this happens is because your body and brain has repeatedly this activity so much that they go on autopilot. So why don’t we do the same when it comes to creating records or making beats? Why is the narrative to wait until you’re inspired and not to jump in every single day? If you’re willing to show up to a job even when you have the flu, guilty, then why not have the same approach when creating?
This narrative actually does more harm than good when younger producers are studying the ones that came before them. If a producer believes that someone like !llmind only creates when he’s in the mood and then takes a look at his catalog then he or she would be under the impression that they would need to create chart topping records everyday or there’s no reason to show up. Luckily, !llmind has started a twitch channel and has explained that he has had numerous days where he’s created very lack luster beats and kept going. Same for your favorite artist. S1 who produced Beyoncé’s “Best I Never Had” stated in his book that by the time she even approached him for a record she already had 75 recorded for her album. So what you’re hearing on her album “4” aren’t just 18 records she recorded one after the other. What you’re actually hearing is the best of 75 which may had been even more by the time S1 even completed his record.
What you feel is your best idea today is usually your worse a month from now. Schedule time to get in the studio and make something everyday.
