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Producing when tired

Not recommended but done by all of us. The past year I've had time at night to produce more but sometimes I'm tired and creativity, attention etc isnt at its best. I'm quite lucky to have the time to produce so most time I will do so ok with no problems

When my attention is short due to a tiredness I feel slightly gutted about wasting the time just surfing the web as my mind simply isnt interested and just wonders to do something else.

Anyone ever feel that way? I know I shouldnt worry as usually not much good happens when tired but just want to hear other thoughts?

Its a bit different for me, I've had some of my best ideas when i'm tired and workin on a track. I speculate that the brain is more creative when tired. Maybe it goes into natural survival mode and something releases that inspires creativity, perhaps creativity needed to survive when most vulnerable. Maybe why I often make my music late at night, to good results.

Burning the midnight oil, waxing poetic to sounds, chords, rhythm, and melodies is where its at for me.

Re: Producing when tired

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Originally posted by music2dance2 Not recommended but done by all of us. The past year I've had time at night to produce more but sometimes I'm tired and creativity, attention etc isnt at its best. I'm quite lucky to have the time to produce so most time I will do so ok with no problems When my attention is short due to a tiredness I feel slightly gutted about wasting the time just surfing the web as my mind simply isnt interested and just wonders to do something else. Anyone ever feel that way? I know I shouldnt worry as usually not much good happens when tired but just want to hear other thoughts?

Happens to me all the time man. In fact, this is more the norm for me than anything else. I work 9-5, eat dinner around 6 or 7 with the wife and in the studio by 7:30 or 8. More often than not, I spend time on this site, watching TV and generally being unproductive.

Maybe 2-3 times per week, I'll have these little creative bursts of 2-3 hours where I get a large part of my work done. If I get distracted for more than 30 minutes by anything, then that window is gone, and it's very difficult to get back into the groove. Sometimes inspiration is hard to come by, and it can be frustrating. I get very inspired while at work, but by the time I get home and get into the studio, I'm usually tired and my mind starts to focus on something mindless like TV.

I guess the point is everyone works differently, and this routine, while frustrating, is still somewhat productive for me. I seem to be able to get my tracks written, but I always wonder if I would be more productive if I could do this all day.

I guess its better to have little sessions of high productivity than long sessions of mediocre productivity.

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Originally posted by Kismet7 Maybe i'm different, since I've had some of my best ideas when i'm tired and workin on a track. I speculate that the brain is more creative when tired. Maybe it goes into natural survival mode and something releases that inspires creativity, perhaps creativity needed to survive when most vulnerable. Maybe why I often make my music late at night, to good results. Burning the midnight oil, waxing poetic to sounds, chords, rhythm, and melodies is where its at for me.

I find late night production best as well, but I think for me it's because everyone is asleep, and there's not much else to do. No distractions! I've stayed up more than once starting a track in the evening and working all the way through the night, finishing it as the sun comes up. Few feelings can beat that.

Re: Re: Producing when tired

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Originally posted by Kismet7 Its a bit different for me, I've had some of my best ideas when i'm tired and workin on a track. I speculate that the brain is more creative when tired. Maybe it goes into natural survival mode and something releases that inspires creativity, perhaps creativity needed to survive when most vulnerable. Maybe why I often make my music late at night, to good results. Burning the midnight oil, waxing poetic to sounds, chords, rhythm, and melodies is where its at for me.

Indeed I have also created some great tracks or parts while tired. Generally though, I prefer to have my mind not wonder but i totally agree here.

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Originally posted by Eric J Happens to me all the time man. In fact, this is more the norm for me than anything else. I work 9-5, eat dinner around 6 or 7 with the wife and in the studio by 7:30 or 8. More often than not, I spend time on this site, watching TV and generally being unproductive. Maybe 2-3 times per week, I'll have these little creative bursts of 2-3 hours where I get a large part of my work done. If I get distracted for more than 30 minutes by anything, then that window is gone, and it's very difficult to get back into the groove. Sometimes inspiration is hard to come by, and it can be frustrating. I get very inspired while at work, but by the time I get home and get into the studio, I'm usually tired and my mind starts to focus on something mindless like TV. I guess the point is everyone works differently, and this routine, while frustrating, is still somewhat productive for me. I seem to be able to get my tracks written, but I always wonder if I would be more productive if I could do this all day. I guess its better to have little sessions of high productivity than long sessions of mediocre productivity.

Haha to true mate. I have also had those moments of creativity then once the window goes it goes, but you can get alot of work done in those moments, more so than working all day sometimes.

I've had the oppurtunity to work all day and I think the grass isnt always greener. It just means you have more time to mess about be distracted, but you also have more time to produce, swings and roundabouts. And dont you just hate it when you have great ideas at work or somewhere else and cant get it out in your studio as you say.

Good to hear some other points of view.

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Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles I find late night production best as well, but I think for me it's because everyone is asleep, and there's not much else to do. No distractions! I've stayed up more than once starting a track in the evening and working all the way through the night, finishing it as the sun comes up. Few feelings can beat that.

Agreed. Also, there is often a deeper connection to the music, when i've spent from say midnite till the sun comes up working on a piece. Also, having to mix at low volumes when working on something late at night, creates an intimate relationship with the music, i have to really listen closely to the music I am making, and perhaps it listens to me more closely.

You what distracts me more than anything else is sports. Like tonight, I'm like "OK, I need to be in the studio by 7:30, but I want to see Monday Night Football tonight." Then its like "Oh wait, there is also a Dallas Stars game at 7:30, so I want to watch that too." Before I know it, it's 10:30 and I've gotten nothing done.

Then the cycle starts all over again the next day. Typical week: "OK there is MNF, then a Mavs game on Tuesday, Stars on Wednesday, and oh yeah, Thursday night NFL is going now, so I need to watch that." College Football all day Saturday, NFL all day Sunday. It gets worse in spring and summer because that is when baseball starts up, that's 162 games I have to watch, 6 nights a week.

Oh yeah, and this season we get 2 weeks of Olympics right after the Super Bowl.

Frankly, I'm not sure how I get anything done. There needs to be more hours in the day.

the more tired i am the more close i am to the a dreamy state, and theres where most of my creativity lies. another thing is that when im tired im not easily distracted and manage to keep all my focus on one thing, and ignore everything else, im like fuck everything else this is what i wanna do. phone calling? put it on mute. someone talks to me on msn? log off. i become a selfish bastard when im tired and alot of the times i can get results from that only, just by cutting out bullshit like TA. its really weird but my concentration seems better when tired, well when it comes to music that is.

+1 on the making a whole track from night fall to sunrise
always results in epic vibes.

if being tired inspires creativity, i sure would like to hear it as I have heard nothing but formulaic crap for years and upon years

my best track was made this way. i was totaly fucked tired but gained new energy from the track i was making so the day after i was just not tired, without any sleep. great.

I do almost all of my music production work either on the weekends or late at night (11pm - 4am) after the family goes to sleep. But, surprisingly, I'm usually not very tired when I pull the late night sessions. My body just got programmed to operate on a few hours of sleep during my college days, because I was either playing in one of my bands or running sound 4-6 nights/week on average and I did most of my studying just before and after gigs. I usually sleep from about midnight to 6:30am, but I can typically pull 2-3 late night/early morning sessions each week and still not be a wreck at work (usually 7am~4:30) the next day. But I usually need a couple of nights of regular sleep to recover. I won't be able to stay awake if I don't, so producing when I'm that tired means sleeping.

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Originally posted by Eric J You what distracts me more than anything else is sports. Like tonight, I'm like "OK, I need to be in the studio by 7:30, but I want to see Monday Night Football tonight." Then its like "Oh wait, there is also a Dallas Stars game at 7:30, so I want to watch that too." Before I know it, it's 10:30 and I've gotten nothing done.

Ha! That sounds exactly like me, except that I'm not a fan of baseball, so summers are actually pretty productive for me. But, between hockey (Red Wings/Sharks), NFL, Olympics, and especially college football and basketball, I could find an excuse to lounge on the couch every evening from 6-11pm if I wanted to. Fortunately for my music-making, I grew up in Michigan, so I'm a die-hard Lions fan...well, let's just say that my interest in the NFL has waned during the past few decades. I've actually contemplated mounting an LCD TV right above my computer monitors to keep me productive while watching sports, but I'm afraid that my wife and son would never see me again.

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Originally posted by cryophonik Ha! That sounds exactly like me, except that I'm not a fan of baseball, so summers are actually pretty productive for me. But, between hockey (Red Wings/Sharks), NFL, Olympics, and especially college football and basketball, I could find an excuse to lounge on the couch every evening from 6-11pm if I wanted to. Fortunately for my music-making, I grew up in Michigan, so I'm a die-hard Lions fan...well, let's just say that my interest in the NFL has waned during the past few decades. I've actually contemplated mounting an LCD TV right above my computer monitors to keep me productive while watching sports, but I'm afraid that my wife and son would never see me again.

Wow, living so close to the Bay Area, I figured you might be an A's or a Giants fan for baseball. Of course, your NFL options haven't been real good this decade with both the Raiders and 49ers sucking most of the decade. I'm in Texas, so its all football, all the time here. Obviously I'm all Dallas Cowboys over here, and everything else is just a distraction until Cowboys games.

Too bad about the Lions, with 0-16 last year. I think you may have hope with (Dallas's own) Matthew Stafford in there. Seems to me when a team is that bad for that long, there is a fundamental problem at the organization level.

I'm actually a big Red Wings hater over here (we call them the Red Army). They are always so damn good every year. They are like the Yankees of the NHL, and I loathe the Yankees, haha.

You and I should make it a point to never watch sports in the same room

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Originally posted by Eric J Wow, living so close to the Bay Area, I figured you might be an A's or a Giants fan for baseball.

Well, I'm actually from Michigan, but we moved here about 9 years ago after grad school. I'm just not a baseball fan in general, but it's good to see the Tigers not being the laughing stock of the league!

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Originally posted by Eric J Too bad about the Lions, with 0-16 last year.

Yeah....uh....thanks for the reminder.

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Originally posted by Eric J I'm actually a big Red Wings hater over here (we call them the Red Army). They are always so damn good every year. They are like the Yankees of the NHL, and I loathe the Yankees, haha.

If I wasn't from Michigan, I'd probably hate the Wings as well. I almost always root for the underdog teams - and tend to loathe teams that dominate year in and out (e.g., Dallas Cowboys )

Anything I make at nightime tends to have a more "moody" feeling, and generally turns out darker than the tracks I'd make during the day, which seem to be more upbeat.

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Originally posted by Eric J You what distracts me more than anything else is sports. Like tonight, I'm like "OK, I need to be in the studio by 7:30, but I want to see Monday Night Football tonight." Then its like "Oh wait, there is also a Dallas Stars game at 7:30, so I want to watch that too." Before I know it, it's 10:30 and I've gotten nothing done. Then the cycle starts all over again the next day. Typical week: "OK there is MNF, then a Mavs game on Tuesday, Stars on Wednesday, and oh yeah, Thursday night NFL is going now, so I need to watch that." College Football all day Saturday, NFL all day Sunday. It gets worse in spring and summer because that is when baseball starts up, that's 162 games I have to watch, 6 nights a week. Oh yeah, and this season we get 2 weeks of Olympics right after the Super Bowl. Frankly, I'm not sure how I get anything done. There needs to be more hours in the day.

go Cowboys and texas longhorns this thanksgiving !

I'm defo a night person anyway so producing through the night suits me and day also.

Palm - wish i was like that. Once i get tired and im not feeling the music ill just wonder onto anything mindless.

I find most of the best stuff is done in the first 5-10 min on opening the project.

when you get tired you often just fuck about then end up all creative just to keep things intreasting.

i like to devide my time between working on things i need and play time when i'll just select all my best shit and make some cool riffs ect.

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Originally posted by Owsey2008 Anything I make at nightime tends to have a more "moody" feeling, and generally turns out darker than the tracks I'd make during the day, which seem to be more upbeat.

+1, all the happy stuff I've made up has been done during the day whereas the ideas I get at night are a lot more minor sounding.

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Originally posted by Kismet7 I speculate that the brain is more creative when tired.

It is, sort of. Highly creative processes are performed most productively when one is not in a state of "focused attention", which is associated with elevated dopamine levels and a high level of alertness.

That doesn't mean it helps to be ADD or stoned or otherwise easily distracted - just that you need to be able to think about several things at once to be most effective and that means doing certain things unconsciously that you'd normally have to think harder about.

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Originally posted by DigiNut It is, sort of. Highly creative processes are performed most productively when one is not in a state of "focused attention", which is associated with elevated dopamine levels and a high level of alertness. That doesn't mean it helps to be ADD or stoned or otherwise easily distracted - just that you need to be able to think about several things at once to be most effective and that means doing certain things unconsciously that you'd normally have to think harder about.

My brain tends to work best the day after drinking, have no idea why, but it is like that every time.

I was watching something on TV last night about sleep, dreaming, etc. There was one experiment they talked about that I found pretty interesting that went something like this:

A man was brought in to an office late at night and told to play an arcade game where you ski downhill by using your feet (I'm sure if you've been to an arcade you've seen games like this). So he played this game for a while and tried to get better at playing it. Then, he went to sleep and was occasionally woken up and asked to recal his dreams. Several times his dreams had to do with snow and skiing and stuff like that. The next day he was told to play the game and the cool thing was, his score improved! He was able to do certain things in the game (there was a wall he always hit that he was finally able to avoid, for example) that he was not able to do the previous day.

Now this isn't totally related to the topic of this thread but still, it's related in a way. Maybe, if you work on a song before you go to sleep and you dream about it, then the next day when you work on the song you might make it better. It may be that the guy in the experiment got better because it was a simple activity and not a creative process but who knows, it might work.

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Originally posted by floyd741 Maybe, if you work on a song before you go to sleep and you dream about it, then the next day when you work on the song you might make it better. It may be that the guy in the experiment got better because it was a simple activity and not a creative process but who knows, it might work.

This should thread should have been called Production late at night when tired? @floyed I all ways used to do this, when I came across problems getting something to fit or work, I would go to sleep to see if my dreams would help? belive it or not more then half the time I would get my answers in my dream or just before sleeping in the twilight zone where the brain drifts in and out of the fist stages of sleep. Only one thing I was doing this In late afternoon sessions.

Everybody should be more creative late at night because its easyer to let go? Remember Creation comes only when u learn to let go.

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Originally posted by Subtle My brain tends to work best the day after drinking, have no idea why, but it is like that every time.

i can relate to some spesific things, but i dont function at work after drinking, i might as well call in sick, ill do more wrong than it is to do nothing by keeping away. but certain things like cleaning my house, paying bills, planning the week to come, but also things like creating music, website, artwork. I conclude with that everything that demands any social skill at all i suck at after drinking. I NEVER meet people the day after, i just dont wanna se them, and i cant react with them. But mostly creative and practical things works really good but i dont really think it has anything to do with directly, its just that i dont waste any energy or focus on social skills. This means that if i took my laptop into the mountains for a week without internet or cellphone id probably make a whole album. i should do it.

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Originally posted by Subtle My brain tends to work best the day after drinking, have no idea why, but it is like that every time.

At least it's not during drinking, lol.

Alcohol is a dopamine enhancer and so you could say that the day after is kind of a dopamine crash - so maybe it's all part of the same thing. I know I feel pretty exhausted the day after a bender.

Well, the creativity inducing late night music making is paying off for me. That remix did end up getting picked up exclusively for the Label's CD Compilation. And my freshest produce/demo that I had been working on the past month, which I just shopped, a day later it is in negotiations and planning stage as a forthcoming EP release on a top House label. Late Night Music Making = Sweet Success.

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