darren r hill

the creative minimalist

Tag: songwriting

  • Creating amongst the Chaos – Creative Field Notes

    Creating amongst the Chaos – Creative Field Notes

    creative field notes text with my feet on a wooden bridge

    How have I felt this month?

    This month has been good. I have been creative, and I have been getting quite a few things done and moved forward. This month has also been another month of unbelievable events in the wider world. I want to think there is some plan behind it all, but I can only see chaos. This has affected my creativity, although it hasn’t deterred it. I have channelled the “energy” into my creative practice. My work hasn’t become all political, but I have managed to use the energy positively instead of letting it numb me into inactivity.

    What have I created this week?

    Sculpting Sound

    I finished FAWM. I wrote 14 songs in 28 days to complete February Album Writing Month. These songs aren’t going to win me any Brit awards or Ivor Novello trophies, but they did enable me to have a pretty much daily music creative practice through the month. This will continue and also expand.

    I will be focusing on my Wheel of the Year project.

    Weaving words

    I am opening DayOne, Ulysses, and Scrivener more regularly. I am also reviewing my creative writing practice and getting out and about to write more in my Moleskine.

    Multimedia

    Getting distracted and falling down digital rabbit holes is an issue I face when creating multimedia. There are so many excellent tutorials that I can spend all my time watching them and taking notes. However, we all know that if you want to learn, you need to do. We only learn by doing. So, I will be curtailing my time watching and spending time doing.

    I am exploring how I can use focus modes more during my day. However, the biggest distraction is from my own brain box. Picking up the phone or opening a browser to do something legitimate for my next action can all too easily become a wander down

    25 in 25 highlights and lowlights

    I have noticed that I am not getting out enough. As spring has officially sprung and with the time zone changing at the end of March, I want to make sure I get out more. Part of the reason for this is to help with the distractions mentioned above. I want to spend more time doing creative prep work outside. The more I can prepare in a journal or notebook, the less I will be distracted or in that “what’s next” phase when I sit with the app open.

    In conclusion

    Regular habits and creative practices help me in achieving goals and completing projects. My challenge is to keep this up but not let these rituals and habits become negative must dos. I never want them to become, oh no, not that again. In the past, this has happened, and my plans have cascaded like a house of cards.

    It is time for my Odyssey to become more intentional as I step into March.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

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  • Imbolc: Creative New Starts

    Imbolc: Creative New Starts

    Imbolc creative new starts with picture of a single bluebell and myself

    January has been a difficult month for this creative minimalist. However, the festival of Imbolc is as good a time as any to make a creative new start. This week’s vlog explores recent creative highs and lows.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

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  • Completing a creative project

    Completing a creative project

    Completing a creative project text and interview with me text, with three pictures of me in a record shop

    In a productive moment, I finished a creative project. In a surreal moment, I decided to interview myself about the challenges, practicalities and what exactly that creative project was. In a recorded moment, I present this week’s vlog about completing a creative project.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

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  • Creating soundscape motifs in a song

    musical motifs in screenshot for Logic Pro x

    I usually create musical soundscapes as a whole. What I mean is I will make a piece of music that describes something specific. In Music to Journal by, I took each step of the art journaling process and made music that reflected those steps. Likewise, when I write songs the lyrics and music relate to an overall theme. The emotions portrayed shape and form the sound. Form follows function, to borrow a design paradigm.

    I am currently working on a song that requires me to take this one step further. I have an overall sound and feel for the song. The lyrics are almost complete and they follow a form of contradiction. Each line refers to how the singer feels differently from the character being sung to. As such I am creating tiny musical motifs that relate to each of these lines. But these motifs are barely a bar long and have to act as a non-invasive counterpoint to the main melody. I want them to be an almost unnoticed itch amidst the song.

    I’m not sure if it will work. I might need to remove the ideas as the recording progresses. However, I am giving it a go, taking a step into the unknown and challenging my creative ability. It would be easy to keep things simple and leave these motifs out, but using them and attempting to use them feels right. When the creative flow catches you it is best to ride along with it. The journey may not be smooth but the experience is priceless.

    Oh, and I’ll share the music soon…

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

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  • Creativity and perfectionism

    I take a look at how perfectionism so easily hinders creativity. I also share what I have been creating recently with my adventures through FAWM. Click above or below to watch...

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

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  • How to take the first creative step in 2023

    A few thoughts on entering 2023 (main or lunar calendar) and taking the first creative step. Events of recent years have left creative people in a weird place, so a simple thought on how to get going in the new year. Here’s the latest vlog. View below or click the link to YouTube.

    Thank you for reading this post. Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
    namaste
    d
    xox

    If you enjoyed this post please support my writing by making a donation of any amount.

    Sign up for my (ir)regular newsletter to keep up to date with my creative adventures, including special offers, and join me on Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Pinterest