creative down periods

we all have times were inspiration is aplenty, and what flows out of our instruments is golden(at least to our ears). so what I'm asking is, during the times when you couldn't write an interesting chord progression(or drum fill, bass line, whatever it may be), how do you approach that situation.

for me personally, i get kind of bummed. i know i shouldn't expect to be at creative peaks every day, but for some reason it always gets me down when i can write anything worth while for a few days, or even a week or so!

currently I'm in that situation. so.........advice?

yea, i know what you mean by the "reason to exist" comment. that runs through my head as well. like, "if i cant write something good now, maybe i shouldn't even be doing this..." it is dramatic, but i think its only present, to that degree, to those who have a true, deep passion for what they do.

i try to take a step back and not even play for a few days, but then i feel like i'm already abandoning it. well, its just on of the many trials and tribulations with being an artist.

yea i know what you mean about the "ultimate goal". when i tell people what i want to do most reply with some.."you wanna tour stadiums and be on mtv?". people outside of artistic realms cant understand how satisfying it is just to create, let alone make a career out of it.

Yeah, you see, you'll be fine. You care about your music, because you love it. It's the fame or failure crowd that give up. They lack that inward "passion".

That would be convenient to have multiple artistic passions. For me it's just music so I don't have the ability to switch to another form.

 I don't really get bummed when I'm not producing something I like. For me its just pretty damn exciting just to be trying... excersizing my passion. I have fun trying and trying even if nothing I really like comes out for a month or more. All I can say about that is that as long as you still want to try there's no problem, just wait it out.

 I do go through periods though where the will to try just isn't there. and when that happens... nothing good is gonna come out.  I actually kind of appreciate these times though. I find them a perfect chance to practice correct form. I dust off the borring old scales and repeat them over and over paying very close attention to form. i just forget about creating. What happens is eventually the scales and other practices become so damn boring that the will to create come roaring back.

That the way I compose music:

first I write a chord progression (interesing or not) then i listen to it. I do it with the computer, i put it on a string patch. So start listening and I start imagine music.
Then I write a line. Listen again write other. And so. Then I delete the chord progression. And start modifying some parts to get a good armony with the voices I wrote.

There is a link that can help you:

http://www.musique.umontreal.ca/personnel/Belkin/bk/index.html
">http://www.musique.umontreal.ca/personnel/Belkin/M.ID/M.ID.htm
http://www.musique.umontreal.ca/personnel/Belkin/bk/index.html

Just you are with your instruments, a lot of time... You Compose the main melody, and you harmonizes with chords based on different scales... and you try, and try, and try...  It's my form...

Different tools or kinds of music for me..Guitar done , lets move to Software Synths to enjoy the spacey sounds for a while maybe record some..Then maybe a wah solo attempts or metal riffs. I just enjoy variety.

AI

oh ya....  Like a fuel tank sometimes I need a re-fill.  In weak times I like to do cover tunes.  Covers that inspired me by my favorite bands (but do-able ones).