cael illus

fororchestra:

McDonald’s Theory — What I Learned Building…

andrewdcox:

This is a fun article that I know I could internalize. My favorite quote:

The next time you have an idea rolling around in your head, find the courage to quiet your inner critic just long enough to get a piece of paper and a pen, then just start sketching it. “But I don’t have a long time for this!” you might think. Or, “The idea is probably stupid,” or, “Maybe I’ll go online and click around for—”

No. Shut up. Stop sabotaging yourself.

If you make art, stop and read this article. This is in-line with exactly what I’ve been saying about chasing a muse. When I’m stuck for musical ideas it’s usually because I leave too many options on the table. To have no boundary is what causes writer’s block, paralysis through analysis, or stalemate reactions for demanding an answer to something.

For example, if someone says to me “write a piece of music” then I’ll likely never come up with something interesting. But if the challenge was “write a piece of music using only 4 notes, between 1 and 2 minutes in length, only using legato arpeggios” then not only would it be more fun to see if I can conquer the obstacle, but the result would be easier on my mind to write, and a better musical piece as a result.

The reason why this McDonald’s Theory works too is because to say “pick a restaurant, any restaurant” is leaving too many options to capture our imagination. So the second someone suggests McDonalds’s then you’ve created a box or variable for other people to work inside of.

The only way you’re going to think outside the box is to first make the box.

Nice, I like this approach! I agree that the first step is often the hardest- It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with possibilities and to dismiss things out of hand. Self-criticism to a degree is natural; otherwise we wouldn’t know when things are good. But I find that once something is out of my mind and on paper (or what have you), then you can turn that critical eye into knowing how to adjust things for the next, better iteration, and from there things really get rolling.

The more I just let myself draw out whatever comes to mind, even if the relevance isn’t immediately visible, the more I find myself with pleasantly unexpected results. Sometimes these serendipitous outcomes wind up being the best solution.

(via bonyfish)