Interruptions are a common challenge for creative professionals, but there are several strategies you can use to stay creative even when you are at risk of constantly being interrupted. Here’s our top tips for staying in the zone, even when things want to pull you out of it.
In Short
Creatives like to go with the flow, but in the modern world of audio production, there’s a lot of things that can slow you down, and some cases, stop you dead. Avoiding the distractions in the first place with some focus strategies, is the only real way to avoid them. In other words, it takes some structure to stay flexible!
In Depth
There’s a shocking statistic from the University of Irvine, California, research The Cost of Interrupted Work: More Speed and Stress. They suggest it takes over 23 minutes to refocus once you are interupted. Given these findings, and the importance of an inertia-free workflow for most creatives, it seems we need to do something about trying to be creative in the modern world.
Here’s our advice for building a studio workflow that minimizes those distractions and enables you to be maximise your creativity.
Make Creative Blocks Of Time
It might seem like a dream to just have a moment and then go with it. Which comes first, inspiration or the work? In truth, it can be either, so you need to make time to find a creative idea, or at least work one up that you already have.
Given the data from the study on the derailing power of distractions, it’s also good for you and also for those you live and work with to tell them when you are in creative mode. It can seem from the outside that you are wasting time, but ideas need the space to develop, or as someone once put it, to percolate. Anyone who’s ever had a coffee or tea that’s not been given time to brew properly will find the word ‘percolate’ helpful.
In other words, you need to be intentionally in the zone. Drifting in and out of the zone may sound like bliss, but it may not produce the results you need and end up being a nightmare!
Use Tools That Minimize Distractions
Distractions can come from all sides. A lot of us think we have great self-control, but in reality what we need to do is to remove the thing that’s controlling us.
Our always on, connected world is not conducive for those who need creative focus. Thankfully, there are some tools to help.
Mute your phone from all alerts. I’ve had my phone on silent for as long as I can remember.
Mute all computer and tablet alerts too when you are trying to work.
Close social media apps and browser tabs when you are working.
Only check email at pre-detemined times. Consider having an out of office message that says; “I’m currently working on a project that requires serious attention, please text me if this is an urgent matter and I’ll get back to you ASAP.” If it’s the person running the project you are working on then consider a way ONLY THEY can contact you on for urgent matters.
Turn on call blocking from unknown numbers, it’s a feature on phones that once you’ve used, then you never go back.
Apple has a feature where every device rings and alerts, it might be on Windows too. It sounds nice in theory, but in many cases it’s a PITA. So if you have all your devices set to alert you at the same time then turn it off. It’s annoying.
However, there’s a second area of distraction when working in music and audio production, ironically, it’s sometimes the very tools that we use to do our job. Here’s some things to consider;
Don’t install new software or plugins if you are about to start a new project that requires you undivided attention.
Don’t install updates just before you start a new project.
Turn off automatic updates feature for your OS and your other software and plugins, that one can really bite you on the ass.
If you are thinking of trying or buying some new gear then use that as a reward on successful completion of the project you are working on. There’s two reasons for this; first, you’ll have something to look forward to and we are wired to get a kick out of rewards. Second, you’ll have the money to pay for it… hopefully.
Have A Studio Space
Many of us moved our studio home during the pandemic, some of us had already been doing it for years beforehand.
I have a converted garage in my back garden that is my creative space, some have sheds, some attics, others cellar, or another spare room.
Whatever space you have, then make it your WORK space. When you go inside that space then you are in the studio, when you come out of it then you are not.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been sitting at my laptop on the kitchen table and my wife walks in to talk to me about a bill, or a school issue, or a flight. “I’m working!” I say, but how does she know? If I’m out in the studio, then she knows I’m working, I also know I’m working too. My wife also works at home and she has her office in one of the spare rooms. I always make a point of knocking before entering. During her work times it’s not our spare room, it’s her office. Having a space let’s everyone know where both the physical and mental bounderies are.
It’s not the size of the space that matters, just make one.
Prioritize Your Day
I have a problem and that’s TODO lists. Some people live by them, I die by them. I just can’t make them work. However, I still need to prioritize my day into the things that matter and what I need to achieve that day.
I was once taught a helpful way to think about prioritizing my day. Former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower said “I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.” From that you get the matrix shown.
I find it really helpful. Often on our teams when something hits us for discussion we ask; “Urgent or important?” It’s a great way to quickly decide when you need to deal with it.
If there’s a mix that need delivering by 5pm that day, then you know it’s both urgent and important. If it’s a mix that needs delivering next month, then if it requires the same amount of time, it’s important but not urgent. A lot of stuff that distracts us is neither urgent or important. Knowing the difference can really help us to priortize and focus.
Stop!
If you want to maximise your creative output then there’s one thing that’s a certainty; you can’t do that when you are tired, or worse still, burnt out.
Make time to rest, relax, eat and sleep. It’s amazing what a glass of water, some food, a walk or a run, can do to a problem. Sometimes we are unable to function becuase of physiological reasons, not psychological ones.
Self care is often overlooked by creatives, who think they can function on little sleep and bad diets. You may be an outlier, but it’s more than likely that at some point life will prove you wrong.
Photo Credits: Guto Macedo Craig Adderley