How I Know When An Idea Is Worth Pursuing

Neon Notes — Week [22]

When I first started making music, I had no idea what made an idea worth pursuing. I didn't have a process or a way to judge if something was going to become a song. I just followed wherever the idea took me.

That actually worked out pretty well.

During my initial 90-day Ableton trial, I was able to finish 12 songs before it expired.

They were simple songs, and they were far from what I make now, but they taught me something very important. The only way to learn how to make songs was to finish them.

Sometimes I create a really cool synth patch and I'm sure I have something. I'll add layers, build whole sections, but ultimately it goes nowhere.

A cool synth or bass doesn't always mean there is a song there.

The most important thing I look for is not if an idea is perfect, but if it keeps me interested.

If I want to hear the next section, or I'm already imagining where the song is going to go, I know I have something. If I can't wait to open the project the next day or the melody gets stuck in my head, that's how I know.

I actually have a new song on repeat as I'm writing this, and that's usually a good sign. If I keep coming back to an idea even when I'm not working on it, I know there is something there.

Of course not every idea turns into a song. If the idea is going nowhere, one of the most powerful skills is not forcing it and being able to step away to focus on something else.

This is a skill I learned pretty quickly. Dwelling on a dead idea kills creativity.

Looking back, I think the biggest difference between then and now is that I trust myself more.

I used to think that every idea had to be amazing from the first moment. If it didn't sound awesome at the start, then it wasn't worth pursuing.

That's why I rarely go into a project with an idea in mind. I start creating and see where it takes me.

The most important thing is to give the idea a chance.

After finishing dozens of songs, the thing I learned is that the best ideas aren't the ones that sound amazing at the beginning.

They're the ones that I can't stop thinking about.

Thanks for reading.
If you have thoughts about any of this, I’d love to hear them.

This post is part of my weekly Neon Notes series. New posts go live every Wednesday.