iLL Gates is a Genius!!!

[fuz]

It might be not as bad as he says (depending a LOT on the user) : fact is that it make you lose a lot of time (because of the short term memory loss stated above). In his point, the time is the relevant value : the 20hr guillotine.
Even though it's good to work with deadline, everybody won't need the same (length and strength)
If you can work right with it, it doesn't matter, it's not that great for heavy users who (think they) can't do music without it...
I just don't think it make one more sensitive or creative . if you do awesome stuffs on weed, you can certainly do it without (it might be a little bit less exciting though) but overall the result might be better and achieved faster.

[DubMikey]

It might be not as bad as he says (depending a LOT on the user) : fact is that it make you lose a lot of time (because of the short term memory loss stated above). In his point, the time is the relevant value : the 20hr guillotine.
Even though it's good to work with deadline, everybody won't need the same (length and strength)
If you can work right with it, it doesn't matter, it's not that great for heavy users who (think they) can't do music without it...
I just don't think it make one more sensitive or creative . if you do awesome stuffs on weed, you can certainly do it without (it might be a little bit less exciting though) but overall the result might be better and achieved faster.

Ideas DO start popping up as soon as you hit the herb. Of course you can make stuff without having to smoke the herb, but it does boost your creativity. I am speaking from my own experience, which I have a whole lot of on this particular subject.

[fuz]

Depends a lot on the user. I was a heavy smoker, had ideas, but not a single project i was able to finish.
Now I surprisingly still have ideas (I was SCARED of losing them when I stopped weed), and I think I have a more reliable hindsight on my work (so I can actually finish things).
But my experience isn't universal, it's very personal thing. My point is not "smoking is bad", just : if ideas pop-up when you're high, they'll pop-up when you're sober as well.

[DubMikey]

Depends a lot on the user. I was a heavy smoker, had ideas, but not a single project i was able to finish.
Now I surprisingly still have ideas (I was SCARED of losing them when I stopped weed), and I think I have a more reliable hindsight on my work (so I can actually finish things).
But my experience isn't universal, it's very personal thing. My point is not "smoking is bad", just : if ideas pop-up when you're high, they'll pop-up when you're sober as well.

I actually get most of my ideas while being under the influence of the herb and believe it or not, I get motivated.

[drake89]

Depends a lot on the user. I was a heavy smoker, had ideas, but not a single project i was able to finish.
Now I surprisingly still have ideas (I was SCARED of losing them when I stopped weed), and I think I have a more reliable hindsight on my work (so I can actually finish things).
But my experience isn't universal, it's very personal thing. My point is not "smoking is bad", just : if ideas pop-up when you're high, they'll pop-up when you're sober as well.

I actually get most of my ideas while being under the influence of the herb and believe it or not, I get motivated.

I prefer to work clear headed so I get shit done faster. But with or without it I'll still spend an hour or more dicking around with new plugins from that bedroom producers blog!

My timing is definitely better as far as playing stuff in, sober. God knows everyone's different though.

[RandoRando]

^^^^
it definitely depends on the weed, you need a sativa to be productive at all with the ideas. With an indica, sure i get ideas, but they sound broken and i get one 8 bar pattern layed out then start melting into the midi controller, getting nothing done.

[Mad_EP]

I have no problem with weed... I used to smoke it a lot (for many years) when I worked on tracks... but never as an inspiration.

If anything, I used it to be able to focus on all the mundane details that seemed boring sober.

But eventually we all grow up - so now I do the boring stuff sober too. However, I have never understood those who take substances to be "creative"... people who can't be creative on their own tend to be boring people.

[Ficticious]

This is a really great video. I'm going to keep it in mind and watch the rest of it later. Complete support.

[DubMikey]

I have no problem with weed... I used to smoke it a lot (for many years) when I worked on tracks... but never as an inspiration.

If anything, I used it to be able to focus on all the mundane details that seemed boring sober.

But eventually we all grow up - so now I do the boring stuff sober too. However, I have never understood those who take substances to be "creative"... people who can't be creative on their own tend to be boring people.

You don't consume the substances in order to be more creative.. You simply think in other terms and will therefore come up with ideas that differs from the ones you come up with when sober. I can be creative whether I am high or sober, but when my sober-ideas have been written down on a piece of paper, I like to hit the herb in order to come up with totally different ideas and - hopefully - take the track to its "maximum potential", if you catch my drift.

Take a guy like Eminem, for example. His style of music was TOTALLY different back when he was using. Now that he is clean and aren't using anymore, his style has changed a lot, but still he is being creative.

This is simply my view on this subject. I am not saying that no one is consuming substances in order to be creative, as they cannot be creative when sober.

[RandoRando]

^^^you make weed sound like meth when you say "using" lol

[crunkedxup]

the best time to be creative and really think things through is when you are relaxed/thinking clearly. our modern society has rendered us pretty much incapable of doing this without help from drugs.

this doesn't make it a bad thing, just keep in mind that the ideas/creativity you are experiencing is 99% your brain and 1% the weed/booze/whatever you just took.

my point being; drugs will not make a shit musician better but they won't make a good musician worse.

[Mad_EP]

I wasn't calling out anyone in this thread...

I've been around the block a few times... so I have come across all sorts. I have met brilliantly creative people who use drugs, brilliantly creative people who don't use drugs, boring people who use drugs, and boring people who don't use drugs.

My experience has lead me to believe that creative people are creative with or without drugs... although I have seen drugs become a crutch (for reasons beyond creative necessity). I have met many people who take drugs to "become creative" ... and in my experience, they are still boring people = they just think they are creative because they are high.

I used to use a lot - but to narrow my mind (rather than expand it). I had too many ideas and taking drugs used to be a way that I could dull myself enough to focus on one thing at a time. But at the end of the day... one has to find their own inner strength and discipline. As a cellist, on the day - to - day ... I was pretty much drug free... because I had to consider the physical after effects. As a classical musician, you need the reaction of an Olympic athlete and the precision of a neurosurgeon. When I started focusing on beats, I was able to get sloppier ... but now that I am no longer a kid, I find myself reaching for those old days being on the straight and having a fine-tuned mind and body.

Whatever isn't a help, is a hindrance.

[cryptic]

I wasn't calling out anyone in this thread...

I've been around the block a few times... so I have come across all sorts. I have met brilliantly creative people who use drugs, brilliantly creative people who don't use drugs, boring people who use drugs, and boring people who don't use drugs.

My experience has lead me to believe that creative people are creative with or without drugs... although I have seen drugs become a crutch (for reasons beyond creative necessity). I have met many people who take drugs to "become creative" ... and in my experience, they are still boring people = they just think they are creative because they are high.

I used to use a lot - but to narrow my mind (rather than expand it). I had too many ideas and taking drugs used to be a way that I could dull myself enough to focus on one thing at a time. But at the end of the day... one has to find their own inner strength and discipline. As a cellist, on the day - to - day ... I was pretty much drug free... because I had to consider the physical after effects. As a classical musician, you need the reaction of an Olympic athlete and the precision of a neurosurgeon. When I started focusing on beats, I was able to get sloppier ... but now that I am no longer a kid, I find myself reaching for those old days being on the straight and having a fine-tuned mind and body.

Whatever isn't a help, is a hindrance.

Standard.....made music for 7 years smoking weed - got no where!

first year without - making moves

Like the post above tho,to me it was about growing up and see what works for you.........everyone is different. Trying different changes and approaches to your music and it will surprise you as i thought i never be able to make tunes without weed.

[VirtualMark]

I wasn't calling out anyone in this thread...

I've been around the block a few times... so I have come across all sorts. I have met brilliantly creative people who use drugs, brilliantly creative people who don't use drugs, boring people who use drugs, and boring people who don't use drugs.

My experience has lead me to believe that creative people are creative with or without drugs... although I have seen drugs become a crutch (for reasons beyond creative necessity). I have met many people who take drugs to "become creative" ... and in my experience, they are still boring people = they just think they are creative because they are high.

I used to use a lot - but to narrow my mind (rather than expand it). I had too many ideas and taking drugs used to be a way that I could dull myself enough to focus on one thing at a time. But at the end of the day... one has to find their own inner strength and discipline. As a cellist, on the day - to - day ... I was pretty much drug free... because I had to consider the physical after effects. As a classical musician, you need the reaction of an Olympic athlete and the precision of a neurosurgeon. When I started focusing on beats, I was able to get sloppier ... but now that I am no longer a kid, I find myself reaching for those old days being on the straight and having a fine-tuned mind and body.

Whatever isn't a help, is a hindrance.

Standard.....made music for 7 years smoking weed - got no where!

first year without - making moves

Like the post above tho,to me it was about growing up and see what works for you.........everyone is different. Trying different changes and approaches to your music and it will surprise you as i thought i never be able to make tunes without weed.

Weed can certainly help creativity, but it'll be harder to get a whole tune done if you're baked. The simple fact is that it will impede you concentration, there's really no getting around that. I believe that's why ill gates was suggesting having separate writing and sound design sessions.

[Electric_Head]

For each his own.
This generally applies to everything.

[JTMMusicuk]

out of interest has anyone tried the thing he mentions about writing a page in the morning and more importantly has it helped?

[fuz]

out of interest has anyone tried the thing he mentions about writing a page in the morning and more importantly has it helped?

Yes, I did it, long before I saw the video. I write at wake-up and right before sleeping : it's very good (kind of empty your head) for both. At the beginning you'll find yourself silly, but the more you do it, the more interesting it gets. (I do it less often than at the beginning, cause of a much heavier agenda)
Everybody has a ton of fleeting/volatile ideas, and putting it in written words is a good "exercise". Can be mantras, haikus, poems, essays, manifests, mini-novels, whatever. It's not a stupid blog (it has to be intimate, I shared several lines only with my sister and a weirdo friend, it's not limited by others' interest).
It has to be fast, honest, violent (no need for blood or deads, just no overthinking, nor audience).
It doesn't help directly, there's no miracle, BUT, you'll memorize better and faster, you'll get another escape door, you'll port "ideas" to another media (I don't think I express this one so well), like expressing your inner stuffs through words, before transcribing it to music (or whatever media you want to use). It's just a better expression.
The excitement you get through this is pretty awesome, like some heavy cafeine, kind of a light drug-stuff effect (aka. brain masturbation).
So, (I repeat myself) it's a very intimate thing, the effect/interest might not be the same to everyone, if you're interested : GIVE IT A DAMN TRY, it won't hurt.
(I'd like to read if some others gave it a shot!!!)

[JTMMusicuk]

i've actually been meaning to try it since i watched the video...however many months ago that was haha
might go buy a note pad this week...so many ideas i've lost because i had no where to write them down and they've just floated away into the hazy abyss
it must be rewarding in some way on some other level because he really does go on about it

[SMOR3S]

Wow! That video is really inspiring :3

[crunkedxup]

out of interest has anyone tried the thing he mentions about writing a page in the morning and more importantly has it helped?

I was told to do this a long time ago when I was in school to help me concentrate. It does work, it works to unlimited effect, I can't suggest it enough. Just wake up and write 2 pages of whatever comes to you. I disagree with what he said about writing the same word over and over because that defeats the object.

Try it out g