How to get over creative roadblocks

When you are working on a creative project, you’re bound to run into moments when you get stuck. It happens to all of us. The trick is when inspiration doesn’t strike, to engineer it by trying out a few techniques. Here are some tips to inspire you: 

Play an instrument you aren’t used to playing 

Picking up a new instrument can give you ideas, especially when you don’t know where the notes are located and have to use your ears. Or try making the instrument you already play sound new by playing it in ways it isn’t supposed to be played. Create new sounds by modifying it, like Jimmy Page and Jonsi from Sigur Ros did by bowing their electric guitar, or in this example using a pencil on an acoustic guitar to replicate the sound of a cello:

Sample your household items. 

It’s amazing how much potential normal household items have. Look around your home for items that might produce interesting sounds. The raw acoustic sounds might surprise you once you load them into your sampler to process them.
See Fin_draper

Even better if you can get the whole family in on it:
See here

Go DAWless

Let’s face it, computers aren’t going anywhere. Luckily for us, because they make us productive and get stuff done. But every now and then, it's important to get away from the screen and use other senses besides the eyes. Switch over to a tactile experience and play around with hardware that might be in your studio or try totally new ways to express yourself.

And if all else fails, build your own gear

If you are a DIY type, why not try your hand at building your own gear? There’s plenty of information out there to get started, and plenty of rabbit holes to go down, like this customized organ made entirely out of Furbys.