Is Creativity Exhausting?

[hummingbird]

I don't find creativity exhausting, I find it invigorating. But creative projects are hard work, just like anything else. I try to remember to take breaks and go for walks and do dishes and other tasks that give my brain/muse a break. I make a list of projects and I have to make decisions on where to spend my time, and allow that I might spend hours on a piece of music and then realize it's not working right now, start again with something new. But even the stuff that doesn't work is grist for the mill, an exercise, an experience, that adds to my knowledge and skill.

[anne]

Vikki - I wish I were that organized! I get most of my thoughts for songs when I'm working on the yard or mowing down the back 40. There is something meditative about spreading gravel and mowing down tumbleweeds that makes my brain start filling with little musical themes to work on later. I haven't had to cut anything this year though, so I'm short of good songs write now

[shakabrah]

I should point out that this last project took a couple of years! It was my first solo record. And I did everything myself:wrote the songssang all vocalsplayed all instrumentsprogrammed all synthesizersproducedrecordedmixedmastereddesigned all CD artwork all marketingIt got harder as it went but I had to finish it. There was no turning back. The most draining project I've ever done. And the payoff - the most satisfying project I've ever done. Upon completion I threw it out there in my target audience/media and.....it's a big success! all within 2-months of the release date. It's exceeded all my expectations. I had hoped for the best and expected the worst..... And gawd, already writing for record #2......does it ever stop??? LOLIf I had to play live, I'd be a total basket-case....

[cj]

Wow... you're all really hardworking! I haven't ever been forced to write for any "project" or a certain deadline... but I can imagine that would be extremely exhausting after a while. This is slightly off topic, but it reminds me of a prof who said ppl hit these plateaus in their songwriting where it seems you've hit a mental block/exhaustion and it takes time for your brain to re-energize & get back into the creative process again... so I try not to freak out when my mind goes blank for a while.

[elser]

Nope.

[grandmatarkin]

Not if you have enough adderall...

[Casey H]

Aug 15, 2008, 5:06am, grandmatarkin wrote:Not if you have enough adderall...NoDoz works for me...

[davewalton]

A friend of mine recently came back from a trip where, for one of the reasons he went, he did a fundraising event for cancer and raised more than twice the amount of money than the person behind him in "second place". After the "high" of that whole experience he came back to what he described as "an emotional hangover". I had that after the last Rally. It was so uplifting and inspiring that when I returned, I was "exhausted"... emotionally hungover.I think that's what happens to me on projects that are long and "extra" creative... an emotional hangover more than exhaustion.

[stephen]

I believe any mental exertion is tiring sometimes more tiring than physical (that's why they pay thinkers more than laborers). However after I've completed something the initial tire is overcome by excitement, to do it all again.

[grandmatarkin]

I would imagine they pay thinkers more than laborers because of the relatively small number of effective thinkers as opposed to effective laborers. A thinker (in general) can do a laborer's job, but usually not the other way around. I think ... but I might not be much of a thinker