💡 When Inspiration Strikes (...or Doesn’t)

We’ve all been there: you sit down to write, and… nothing.

Deadlines don’t wait for inspiration and trying to force ideas out can feel impossible (and honestly really demotivating!)

Last week, I was having a conversation with Zach Heyde and his Pro group about how to navigate these moments, and one of the tricks we talked about was taking advantage of voice memos!

The thing is, your best ideas don’t always show up when you need them.

But if you know this in advance, you can plan for it!

That’s where voice memos come in- capturing ideas as they happen gives you something to work with when the inspiration doesn't strike.

But the tricky part is that sometimes those ideas don’t hit the same way when you come back to them.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad—it just means they might need some rethinking.

Context matters.

This is where experimentation comes in. If your old idea doesn't feel right:

• ⏰ Try speeding it up or slowing it down

• 🎻 Rewrite it for a different instrument or section of the orchestra

• 🎞️ Reimagine it for a completely different genre

The goal isn’t just to use the idea as-is.

It’s about turning it into something that fits the project you’re working on.

And honestly?

Even if the idea doesn’t end up working, the act of experimenting and practicing can build up your composing chops!

Now, I’m not saying you need a massive archive of voice memos (I’ve got hundreds I’ll probably never touch 😅)

But sometimes revisiting those old recordings can surprise you!

Even the ideas you wrote off might spark something new in a completely different direction!

So, start building your idea bank now.

Capture what comes to you when it comes to you. And when inspiration doesn’t show up, you’ll already have a head start!