Power of Deadlines
This post is really a test of new blog posting software I'm playing with.
I hate the web-based interface of Moveable Type (the software that powers this blog) so I'm playing around with MarsEdit - which also works with my RSS reader NetNewsWire.
This is potentially cool because it let's me blog on stuff I'm reading on any of the many blogs and feeds I keep up with. If posting is easier I'll be less likely to blow it off when I find stuff that's interesting.
So - what follows was posted directly from another blog - and all I had to do was push a little button to get the content on my blog.
It just so happens to cover a subject I'm beginning to realize is fundamental to my music creation - deadlines.
From the "Creative Think" blog comes these ideas on the power of deadlines -
Strict limits can be a powerful stimulant to the creative process. If you've ever been asked to solve a challenging problem with a small budget or a tight deadline, you've probably found that you were much more resourceful than if you had been granted a ton of money and time. As architect Frank Lloyd Wright repeatedly told his students,'Limits are an
artist's best friend.'
Over the years, I've asked many, many people when they get their ideas. The answers I've received run pretty much along these lines:
- 'When I'm just playing around.'
- 'When I'm faced with a problem.'
- 'When I'm doing something else.'
- 'When I'm not taking myself too seriously.''
- 'When things break down and I have to fix them.'
However, the one comment I've heard more than any other is:
'The ultimate inspiration is the deadline.' Thus, having limited time is a constraint that seems to goad lots of people's creativity.
I admit that I don't like pressure. But I have to also admit the pressure does get results.
I always question the balance - or the ratio of pressure to the result achieved. Too often - particularly in business - pressure is viewed as productive in any - even excessive amounts. I disagree with that. Having a deadline when nothing serious is at stake can be quite productive. I've finished writing a few pieces by planning on playing them live at an upcoming gig.
Recently I finished such a piece in 2 weeks using this method. It works. It works by forcing me to accept things that I might question and debate if I had more time.
For me - time is the ultimate pressure creator. If I have to have something ready by a certain day - I allocate a certain amount of time to exploration - but when that time is up - I have to go with what I've got - regardless.
Without the time pressure - I've found I let pieces lay around for too long - and they often don't get finished and I lose interest in them.
Deadlines are a tool. They don't always work for every creative effort. Learning to know when a deadline is the most effective tool is something I'm still working on.
Comments
Neat - the MarsEdit software published this post quickly and easliy.
Cool.
Posted by: Jeff Schmidt | January 3, 2007 11:30 PM