Songwriters and music producers are all familiar with the feeling of staring at a blank page or DAW session, perhaps holding a guitar or sitting by a keyboard, waiting for inspiration that just won't come. Creative block can be incredibly frustrating, but it doesn't have to be a dead end. This is where the exercise I call 30-minute mining comes in: a simple yet powerful technique to kickstart creativity, overcome procrastination, build habits, and unearth a wealth of hidden musical gems (thanks to producer Alex Wildwood for sharing his version of this exercise at the AMPS music production workshop in 2022).
What is 30-Minute Mining?
The exercise involves setting a timer for 30 minutes and creating a piece of music from scratch. The rules are simple: once the timer starts, you dive in and don't stop until it ends. No second-guessing, no overthinking, just creating. Leave your phone in another room and let anyone else in your house know you need uninterrupted time. Once the timer is up, stop. Bounce an mp3 of the result so you can easily listen back later without having to open a full DAW session. That's it - and tomorrow, you'll do it again!
To be clear - you're not expected to come up with a completed masterpiece in this time, it's about producing the most complete idea that you can. As you do the exercise more and more, you'll develop speed and efficiency, and you'll be able to get more out of the 30 minutes than you do on the first few attempts.
The Power of Time Constraints
The time constraint is key to the exercise's effectiveness. It forces you to make quick decisions, prioritise efficiency over perfection, and let go of the fear of failure. When you know you only have 30 minutes, you can't afford to get bogged down in endless tweaking or searching for the "perfect" sound. Instead, you're encouraged to embrace experimentation, follow your instincts, and let the music unfold organically.
The Cumulative Effect
The real power of 30-minute mining lies in its cumulative effect. Engaging in this exercise daily over a set period (such as a month) can profoundly impact your creative process and overall productivity. By consistently starting new projects and exploring different musical ideas, you'll develop invaluable habits, skills, and instincts that will serve you well in all your productions. After one month, you'll have 30 new musical ideas - that's a lot in a relatively short time! Many of them will probably suck (at least that's usually the case for me), but a few will have something special that can be revisited later.
Benefits of 30-Minute Mining
Here are some of the benefits I've experienced through 30-minute mining:
- Conquering creative block: It's much easier to commit to 30 minutes of creativity compared to the thought of tackling a larger project when inspiration is lacking.
- Practicing the skill of getting started: After a few attempts, you'll learn not to waste time thinking "where do I even start?" because the clock is ticking! You just have to pick an instrument or sound and get going.
- Building momentum: Instead of dwelling on one idea for hours, you're encouraged to generate multiple musical sketches and keep moving forward, fostering a sense of continuous creative flow and preventing stagnation.
- Honing efficiency: The time constraint encourages you to become more efficient with your DAW and production techniques, helping you streamline your workflow and eliminate unnecessary steps.
- Detaching from outcome: The emphasis on the process over the final product encourages you to let go of perfectionism and embrace experimentation, leading to unexpected discoveries and a more playful approach to music-making.
Tips for Maximising Your Mining Sessions
To maximise the effectiveness of 30-minute mining, here are some tips:
- Embrace imperfection: Use placeholder lyrics or mumbled vocal sounds, rough synth patches, and basic drum sounds to quickly capture your initial ideas. You can refine or change these elements another day if the track shows promise.
- Use templates: Create your own 30-minute mining template in your DAW with empty tracks containing common instruments, effects, vocal chains, and drum samples already loaded. This eliminates setup time and keeps your focus on composing.
- Categorise and rate: After each session, label and rate your creation using a simple system (e.g. tagging the file as green, orange, or red) to indicate its potential. This helps you identify promising ideas later for further development.
- Make it a habit: Consistency is key. Aim for a 30-minute mining session every day for a set period, such as one month, then reflect on your progress. The more you practice, the more natural and effortless the creative process will become.
From Mining to Refining
When you review your creations at the end of the month, you can select the best ones to develop further in a second creative stage and leave the rest. Remember, the goal isn't to create a masterpiece in 30 minutes; it's to overcome creative block, build productive habits, and generate a wealth of raw musical ideas.
In my next article, I'll show you what my current 30-minute mining template in Pro Tools looks like, including the tracks, plugins, and routing I use to help me get my creative ideas recorded quickly with as few technical barriers as possible. You're welcome to copy my template or create something similar based on how you like to work. I've found this exercise so useful that it's just my standard starting point now - several unreleased n1ghtmar3cat tracks that will appear on my third album originated from this 30-minute mining process.
So set your timer, open your DAW, and embrace the exploratory mindset. You might be surprised at what you uncover in those 30 minutes.
💡Once you've tried this exercise a few times, report back to let me know how you're getting on. Do you think it will change anything about your creative process?
