Yesterday I had an experience which changed my entire world. I've been using ChatGPT3 for a while for various (fairly menial) tasks, but decided to try out ChatGPT4 to see how much it had improved... IT BLEW MY MIND. That doesn't mean it's all good news of course. There's a lot that's problematic and downright scary about what AI could mean for creators and our culture. But with the massive improvement of GPT4 - I've already found a couple of creative ways to use it to make a much better business, much better music and a much better creator... And here's The Album podcast where I go much deeper into specifically how ChatGPT4 helped me uncover a big problem with my album: The Album podcast: My Jarvis for Music 🦾

I've got 17 songs into DONE! (So now the real work begins.) 🤓 Thing is, I didn't get that many into Done by working my finger to the bone day and night. I did it because "Done" in the Music Machine represents a particular "state" of a piece which helps you finish better music in many different ways...

On the latest "Make an Album With Mike" (MAWM) program session, as we're all getting to the "sharp end" of our albums, the thorny question of feedback came up. Because of course while feedback can be valuable, it's also dangerous and potentially damaging. And I've always struggled to put my finger on the difference between useful feedback and the other kind. What I realised on this MAWM session is that this is less to do with what the feedback giver says, and more about what YOU are looking to get from the feedback, and why you're getting it.

Continuing our "Destroy the Silo" season let's talk about how stories permeate everything we do. And how the structure of many stories is a reflection of a fundamental pattern you can notice EVERYWHERE... Here's the specific "The Album" episode I mention: How could a single note MEAN something?

Another singing lesson with Laura, another MIND EXPLOSION! But this time, it opened up a whole new world for me and this album... Here's Laura's Instagram... And her Spotify...

The hiatus created by moving the songs into Luna has created some SCARY BEARS for me...

Continuing our journey through (supposedly) irrelevant subjects to the creative process we're going to talk about an area which is either ignored or desperately held onto by creators of all kinds.

It's a been a boring "music production admin" filled week for me and this album. Which feels like a step backwards. But then again doing this now will allow me to leap forwards...

Today we're talking about a book which has changed my perspective on almost everything (probably) more than any other. The change has been startling, and for the better. It's responsible for much of the Music Machine, how Make Music Your Life works, how I make music, how I parent and much more...

I've had a week of MANY 💡💡💡💡💡s - particularly in the area of singing. The reason is I had my first singing lesson since I decided to start singing again with one of the amazing Make Music Your Life coaches Laura. Just that one hour has given me a clearer understanding of why I'm singing, what it's for and crucially an extremely simple (not easy) way of improving fast and (literally) with less effort... Here's Laura's Instagram... And her Spotify...

Even though I'm extremely passionate about the subject of Season 4, I've struggled making these PodWalks. But now I've figured out why and what I'm going to do about it... (In Season 4 I'm PodWalking about supposedly "irrelevant subjects"...because siloing in it's many forms is an anti-creative force.)

Today's question comes from Pep: "Hey Mike, I'm enjoying the Pod walks but was wondering if you have ever made a Pod walk about overwhelm as result of working on so many tracks using the machine? It's a problem (although a good one) I face lots of times and I think others may too..."

Let's have a think through what went wrong while I went away which meant I did exactly NOTHING on my album. And more importantly what I could do differently the next time this happens...

A very different PodWalk today as I share a story from my past (pretty much my first clear memory) which I believe has shaped my approach to almost everything... And definitely my strong aversion to the siloing of information, learning and knowledge. (In Season 4 I'm PodWalking about supposedly "irrelevant subjects"...because siloing in it's many forms is an anti-creative force.)

A BIG win this week - this album is starting to take shape...

A very music based PodWalk today, as I'm talking about how I've used the Gestalk Principles of visual perception to help me (and others) make music. (In Season 4 I'm PodWalking about supposedly "irrelevant subjects"...because siloing in it's many forms is an anti-creative force.)

What to do (and NOT do) when things don't go your way...

In Season 4 I'll be PodWalking about supposedly "irrelevant subjects"...because siloing in it's many forms is an anti-creative force. So let's talk about how the creative process (as commonly practised) ensures we're creating unnecessary frustration. When we take into account how our minds work - we can make making WAY simpler, quicker and less painful...

I'm experiencing a problem holding up my progress. Let's figure out a way through TODAY!

In Season 4 I'll be PodWalking about supposedly "irrelevant subjects"...because I believe that siloing in it's many forms is a terrible waste of human creativity. And in this PodWalk I'll fill you in on an area of learning which has had the most profund effect on my ability to do almost anything. It's the bedrock upon which all other learning has happened... The first book that got me into meditation I mention was "The Relaxation Response" by Herbert Benson. It's not the best book on the subject (I've read many), but it is short, simple and practical.

I had an incredible experience on a team session yesterday after an incredible week of Splurging...

If you're struggling to get started again after a break...listen to this. You'll be just fine. :) You'll also find out what Season 4 PodWalks will be about.

From Jon: "I have a bunch of songs (about 12) I wrote in the "traditional" way (singing with a guitar/keyboard) about 15 years ago, and never recorded them after stopping working in music for many years. I still feel there's something in them, I regret not sharing them, and I have a very close emotional connection to them. It seems a big barrier to get them finished and out. Should I leave them or should I persevere and get them finished?"

Opening the doors on my recent creative past has caused an explosion of momentum... AND a worrying problem.

We all WANT to make great music don't we? But what if this wanting is what stops you making something good?

This is the final step of "Festive" Season 3, where I'm taking you through a process I use to get focus, motivation and clarity for the coming year. If you've missed the other steps...

HOW TO: make repetitive music interesting

While I've had a short hiatus talking about the album...there's been no break in making it. In fact, I've had a wonderful Xmas - New Year in the tiny amount of time I've had...

From loop to arrangement the EASIEST way

This is step 4 of "Festive" Season 3, where I'm taking you through a process I use to get focus, motivation and clarity for the coming year. If you've missed the other steps...

From Jon: "When you say you probably won't use 80% of material, do you mean 80% of splurges, or 80% of finished tracks?"

It's difficult to create a satisfying structure

When times get tricky...here's what to do!

This is the 2nd step of the "prep for the best possible next year" process I'm taking you through in this "Festive" Season 3.

Release doubts

Let's kick off "Festive" Season 3 - where we'll get clear on what we're doing NEXT YEAR! Starting with The Review... This is the process I'm using with my team, coaches and clients for birds eye view of last year.

This morning I did a thinking exercise about what I wanted this album to be...and I got a HUGE SHOCK! Here's where I did the thinking exercise...

How to "recover" from a brilliant beginning...

I can’t decide

Let me tell you a true story...the making of my 1st album Smorgasbord in 2005(ish). This story contains s a number of crucial lessons I've learnt which are helping me make my 5th album now.

Let's talk about what is coming in PodWalk "Festive Season 3"...

In the last PodWalk of Season 2 let's have the "debate that isn't a debate at all" debate. What is the relationship between quality and quantity? If you've ever said "I'm all about quality not quantity" then this is for YOU! And if you're already familiar with my schtick on this subject - there's even something new for you too! :)

"I'm not practising to make. I practise through making."

Alex discovers the secret to making the best music of his life in the shortest imaginable time...

To do your best work, you must play to your strengths and de-emphasise your weaknesses But I've just realised that by focusing on my current skills, I've been playing to my WEAKNESSES...

"I know exactly what I want but I just can't get it to come out right" is a problem I've heard repeated 1000s of times over the last decade. (In fact, today on a coaching session with a group of musicians, at least 3 said this was their no. 1 problem.) But there's a problem with the problem itself. It's based upon a set of mistaken assumptions about ideas, the creative process and how the human mind works...

I've made a couple of "big scary" decisions today...one of them might be the WORST IDEA EVER:

With my music I've had a "dragon" I've avoided for years... Is this the album I finally enter it's lair and slay this dragon?

WHY does the Making Machine work? What's behind it? Because any system that works has to be based upon principles... Starting with one of the most insidious, destructive forces I've seen kill many a track, song and even career dead. What's worse is that the tools and technology we use to create suck us into this creative black hole. UNLESS you know what the problem is, why it's so dangerous and what approach to take instead...

I'm launching not 1 but 2 new podcasts! Find out what they are and where you'll find them in this double trailer.

Your opinion about your music changes. So which of your opinions do you believe? More on what we talked about: What is a "Splurge"?: https://makemusicyourlife.com/mondayland/what-is-a-splurge Production vs Practice: https://makemusicyourlife.com/mondayland/production-vs-practice The Idea Explosion Challenge: https://makemusicyourlife.com/iec

What to expect from this new weekly podcast...

In the modern music industry where streaming (and therefore presumably singles) are ascendant - what on earth is the point of making an album? There isn't A point. There are many...some creative, some psychological and some career/business development. On this episode I'll let you know why I've decided to make an album for creative reasons...

In the 1st 3 PodWalks of Season 2, I've shared how the Making (and Music) Machine fundamentally works. In the final PodWalks I'll share what's the behind the Machine, but first a little background on how it came to be...

Beating a piece into submission is the default method of finishing for many makers... But while it works (I did it for years with my music), is it the best way to get quality or quantity? On our PodWalk today we're going to talk about the problems with "brute forcing" your work, and a much more fun, free and effective alternative...

What is a "bad" idea? From my experience of using the Magic Making Machine I've come to realise that a bad idea is a good idea out of context. One of the benefits of using a system like the Machine is you get a birds eye view of what you've been doing. It tracks what you do over many years, so you realise that you're perception of what you've done and what you've been doing is out of whack with reality. If the only perspective of your creative past is in your head, it is going to be distorted. And this is where the Sketchbook comes in. Because in the Machine, you don't delete your "bad" ideas. You come to understand that what you think is bad is a goldmine! So on today's PodWalk we're going to talk about the Sketchbook and the difference between "Ideas" and "Splurges".

How many top artists have you heard say something like: "I can't stand listening to my past music, all I can hear are the mistakes!" I said this, too, for many years. But there's a glaring problem with this. What are mistakes? What are the problems within the music we have made? And how does hiding from what we don't like about our work hold us back? On our PodWalk today, we will talk about what we do with our past releases. (HINT: it's NOT to hide from them. No matter how bad we now think they are!) Get your Music Machine Trello Template here...

On the surface, it might seem that "balance" is a worthy goal. Don't we all want balance in our lives? I'm not so sure. Here's why...

What is your definition of "finished"? After many years saying a piece was "done", then realising it wasn't I had an aha... What was giving me the perspective I needed to know if it was 100% "Done" was the fact I thought it was! This is one of the reasons that in the Making Machine "Done" is separate to "Release" (where we get our stuff ready for release.) So on our PodWalk today I'll get into why and how you make this crucial distinction... Get your Music Machine Trello Template here...

There is a fundamental "pivot" point in any creative process. You move from a "divergent" approach (adding, experimenting, brainstorming) to a "convergent" one (removing, moving, improving, editing). In the Making Machine this pivot happens when you get the piece you're working on out of "Discover" and into "Draft". Then, to keep your process flowing (and not gummed up) you want to make sure you're not putting too much pressure on yourself. On our PodWalk today we'll talk about 2 crucial stages of finishing anything: Draft and Done. Get your Music Machine Trello Template here...

I'm no expert in "Burnout", although a lot of people talk about it. But I have a particular approach I use personally with this category of problem...

In the early stages of the Magic Music Machine I suggest you ignore mistakes, for a bunch of reasons. but when is the right time to turn your mind to fixing mistakes in your music? And what is a mistake anyway? Find out more about the Magic Music Machine here: https://shop.makemusicyourlife.com

I know there's a lot of people who have had "better results" using reference tracks. And they do have their place as a TRAINING tool. But if that educational resource turns into "training wheels" you never take off...if it becomes THE way you make music? You have a BIG problem, which is going to progressively get worse.

Why it's a bad idea to delete your music, no matter how bad you believe it to be...

"Inspiration shows up when you do." Let's talk about the start of the creative process... Get your Music Machine Trello Template here...

I did a back of the envelope calculation the other day. Through personal and group coaching, writing, making programs and videos I've invested around 20,000 hours helping musicians and producers with their creative process. In PodWalk Season 2 I'm getting deep into what I've learned by sharing the model I've developed to explain it. Because while creativity is chaotic and uncertain, there is a pattern...

This is the final episode of season 1 of the PodWalk! (I decided to make the number of episodes per season roughly the same as an album.) So this final episode will be slightly off the beaten track. As I often use various models, ideas and concepts to make progress which I KNOW aren't "true", because they allow me to get closer to the truth...

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is a famous (and largely wonderful) book which changed my life for the better... Until it started to create barriers and obstacles. And then I noticed the same in more and more of my clients and students who had read it. (Some of whom had read it on my recommendation!) I know what he means by "The Resistance". I too feel the daily struggle. I can see the creative process as a noble battle against the dark forces facing me. But what are the downsides to taking this metaphor too seriously? And what could an alternative be?

"If I don't act upon this idea NOW - it will be gone forever." This idea is very common amongst creators. But I'm always very careful of any belief which fulfils itself: Believing it creates conditions which seem to verify it. Because you believe it, you don't challenge it. You don't challenge it, so you believe it. This is circular thinking. While this doesn't automatically mean it's false, it is worth challenging ANY belief like this. So let's take a look at this belief. Because it may well be ensuring you consign your very best ideas to the dustbin.

Ever fallen down an information rabbit hole of doom? I'm guessing (if you're a human who has an internet connection) that's a YES! Trouble is with consuming information is all too often IT CONSUMES US! (Or at least it consumes our progress, and ultimately our dreams...) So on our walk today I'm going to give you a way of understanding information and how it relates to knowledge. If you're anything like me, when you take it on board and embed this understanding in your life, it will inoculate you against this terrible info-addiction affliction.

You might think that coaching and teaching are the same. I wouldn't blame you, as until I trained as a coach I didn't know the difference. But they're SOOOOOOO DIFFERENT! Both have their place and fulfil different functions. But I can promise that while there is a LOAD of teaching everywhere all the time...there isn't enough coaching in the world...yet. 🤓

This was supposed to be the next PodWalk subject - Teaching vs Coaching, but it ended up as a little autobiography on how coaching saved my life (when I look back on it - literally!) If you're struggling in any way, I hope my story will help you realise - there is ALWAYS a way forward...

The modern world requires that Artists of all kinds are also business people. So if you are to build a business around your Art, it's essential to understand how a "solo artist" business is different from almost any other kind of business...

The human mind simplifies to make sense of the Universe. Thank goodness it does, because the Universe is a bewildering and chaotic place! But often these simplifications seem "real" which is when we get STUCK. Because what is "real" is way more complex...

"I've just got to work on my craft..." is a phrase I've heard a LOT. But for a certain kind of artist, I've always felt it misses the point. Or at least, is only a part of the point, and a part which is in service of another part. This other part is what I'd call "THE ACTUAL POINT"! So what's the difference between Art and Craft? What is "THE ACTUAL POINT"?

If what defines humans is we create something new out of something old, then the creative process is the method we use to do this. But so many people say they're not creative because they don't understand that creativity is how we solve problems. Without problems, our creativity is not required. Without problems, there is nothing new. Without problems, there's no path to walk. Problems are what fuel your creativity. Don't avoid them! Jump into them. To ask me anything or for comments and feedback: mike@makemusicyourlife.com

In our culture, creativity is simultaneously edified and debased through magical thinking. Yes, the creative process is mysterious because so few understand it. Yes, it can feel like magic when things are going well. But that does not mean it is magic! Or that we shouldn't touch it lest we kill the magic. Deciphering the mysteries of the creative process is my ongoing life's work. And there more I discover, the more magical the creative process feels. So what is creativity? What is the creative process? And why is it what makes us human? To ask me anything or for comments and feedback: mike@makemusicyourlife.com

One of the first experiences I remember as a little kid I now realise was FLOW...