The Brutal Truth About Overcoming Writer’s Block in Music

The Brutal Truth About Overcoming Writer’s Block in Music

Alright, let’s get one thing straight: writer’s block isn’t some mystical curse bestowed upon the unlucky. It’s not the universe telling you that your creative well has run dry. It’s just your brain being an overthinking, self-sabotaging mess. And the only way out? Stop giving a f*ck and start making music.

Watch Tutorials, But Don’t Drown in Them

Yes, tutorials are useful. No, watching 500 of them back-to-back isn’t going to turn you into the next big thing. At some point, you need to stop hoarding knowledge and actually use it.

Watch a tutorial, try the technique, make something with it. Rinse and repeat. The point is to build, not just consume. Otherwise, you’re just another dude who knows a lot about music production but never actually produces anything.

Get a Real Job (Yes, Really)

You know what’s great about having a job? Structure. Stability. A break from your own head.

A job keeps you grounded. It forces you into a routine, and weirdly enough, routines make creativity easier. When your life isn’t a constant struggle for survival, you can actually relax and make music for fun, not as some do-or-die career path that makes every track feel like an audition for success.

Besides, some of the best musicians ever worked normal jobs. Your music doesn’t suddenly become less valid just because you’re clocking in somewhere.

Break the Usual Workflow

If you always start with drums, start with melody. If you always use a MIDI keyboard, click that sh*t in. If you always produce at night, try working in the morning.

Doing the same thing every time and expecting different results is insanity. Shake up your process. Force your brain to work in a new way. You’d be surprised how quickly fresh ideas come when you’re not stuck in the same patterns over and over.

Buy Templates (You’re Not Selling Out)

Some people act like using templates is cheating. Those people are idiots.

Templates aren’t a shortcut to instant success, but they do eliminate the unnecessary steps that kill creativity before it even starts. Instead of spending two hours setting up a project, you can jump straight into making actual music.

And guess what? No one listening cares how you got there. They just care if the track slaps.

Use Samples (Because No One Cares Where Sounds Come From)

The idea that using samples is “less creative” is one of the dumbest myths in music production. Every major producer—yes, even the legends—use samples. They always have. They always will.

Why? Because it works. It speeds up the process, gives you instant inspiration, and saves you from wasting time tweaking a synth patch for six hours instead of actually making music.

If it sounds good, it is good. End of discussion.

Steal Like a Pro: Replicate Your Favorite Artists’ Tracks

This one’s controversial, but it shouldn’t be. Learning by copying is how literally every artist in history has ever gotten good.

Take a track you love, rebuild it from scratch, piece by piece. Figure out why the kick hits the way it does, why the bass sits so perfectly, why the arrangement flows so well. Then, when you’re done, make your own version of it.

This isn’t about plagiarism; it’s about understanding what works. Once you get that, you can start twisting those elements into something uniquely yours.

Let Go of Perfectionism (Because It’s Killing You)

Perfectionism is just fear wearing a fancy outfit. It’s the voice in your head saying, “This isn’t good enough,” when the truth is, it’s plenty good—you’re just too scared to let anyone hear it.

No one is expecting your track to be a masterpiece. No one is waiting to rip you apart for a slightly off mix. People don’t obsess over the details like you do. They just want something that makes them feel something.

The best way to get over writer’s block? Finish something. Anything. Put it out. Move on.

Final Thoughts: Just Make Music

At the end of the day, writer’s block is just an excuse. The way past it is to stop thinking and start doing. Watch the tutorial, get the job, break the workflow, buy the template, use the sample, copy the track, and above all—stop obsessing over whether it’s perfect.

The only way to get better is to make more. So go make something. Now.