How ‘Doing Nothing’ Transformed My Creative Process

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As always, thank you so much for watching, and thank you to all of you that leave comments.

[@NahreSol]

Grab a Nahre Sol sweater!! I only have a few dozen units of each size left: www.nahresol.com/sweater (use code NOTHINGVID for $5 off) 👚

[@Piggy24]

I knew I was onto something

[@frogandspanner]

I am a doddery old git, in my 70s. I was a university academic here in UK. It was early in my life that I discovered my subconscious mind. My conscious mind is the bit I talk to directly, which I pester with questions, and which bombards the subconscious mind with its interpretations of those questions. The subconscious is the clever, creative bit, that hates being interrupted. It was when I learned to provoke the subconscious into a direction I wanted, then wait for the response, that I discovered I could achieve so much more. Many people think I am mad when I talk of this, but when I mention something being _on the tip of one's tongue_ , and that being the subconscious breaking through, they get a hint of what I mean. Whenever I have a problem I want to solve I'll do something that stops the conscious mind interrupting the subconscious - such as going for a long walk around university campus, or having a drink in the Senior Common Room bar. The subconscious got on with its work and produced amazing results. The thing to learn is _when_ and _how_ to communicate between the two aspects of the mind, and not to feel guilty about giving the subconscious the time it needs. Burnout is not giving the subconscious its personal time.

[@Goldencarddx]

Wow this is very relatable. I use to feel guilty for not being creative/productive all the time. But after watching this I realized I should embrace the still hours of my day. I am going through some huge creative blocks lately so I've taken a step back and focusing on other things like exercise. Although I'm a night owl I also need to try front loading my day because lately I find myself vegging out in the evenings before I sleep and i dont feel great about that. Anyhow thanks for sharing your thoughts about this matter, it's really eye opening!

[@NahreSol]

I really know the struggle!! I hope you can find some breakthroughs in creativity soon… the night hours are very important to cinch down. I feel like that’s the toughest part, but once you start leaning into having more stillness in the day, I feel like it also comes naturally!

[@sniffableandirresistble]

We all lose everything, every conceivable separation will occ,ur, everything will pass.

[@ChalumeauLOL]

Thanks! I always do "nothing" during math class in school! 😝🤩🤩

[@andrewwoodpiano]

I was preparing for a recital last month and discovered the same exact thing ~ 2 weeks before the concert. I felt very secure with the work I’d done up until that point, and randomly I tried this idea of just letting my mind digest the music, creating lots of time for these empty hours of “nothing”. Sure enough, every day when I would practice, the music was unbelievably elevated, & the concert was amazing.

[@DawlessHouseMusic]

It's an important part and a hard part to give yourself sometimes.

[@BenthovenMusic]

As the saying goes, “the best offence is a good defence”. And then there’s “the best productivity is a lack of productivity”.

[@NahreSol]

Great quotes 😅

[@negoras]

This video have lot of space for joking about you are creator when you are lazy,and laugh a lot with some of this comments!But this is a very deep video,against the days we live.I will start the struggle for waking up very early and sleep early.Till today i wake up early but stay after midnight,so i just lose sleep time that is not good at all!Thank you for the reminder in this speedy days we live!

[@toavnwub]

I needed this very much, thank you.

[@ElliottMilesMcKinley69]

Yes, indeed!

[@NahreSol]

😁😁😁

[@frankspears4597]

Agree. Make time for daily walks and occasional cycling is essential to me.

[@NahreSol]

Yes!!

[@frankspears4597]

@@NahreSoli have a full time non composing job so it’s even more important for me to have a balanced life along with composing

[@PianoTortuga]

space creates structure, helps to organize things, it makes a routine more sustainable, it helps to prioritize things, helps to be more focused when needed.. just don't use it for scrolling hehe

[@ScottStentenFilms]

love your vids,,, hope this helps thank you

[@photonjiagu]

We learn while we sleep. There should be times in your life to go full steam and times to rest, meditate in silence. I can’t stand the pointless lawn mowers, leaf blowers and chainsaws where I live now. Only night is quiet but I feel it’s more healthy to sleep at night.

[@michaelperryviolin]

Wonderful video Nahre! I'm so glad you found this new routine! I think it is a really great idea. You must feel great! I'm going to try your routine! Sounds like a great way to live :) And I've noticed I'm also more creative when I have more time doing nothing.

[@Blend33]

Another Composer, Mattias IA Eklundh talked about this, saying being bored is important for creativity, great video 💯

[@FictitiousCtrlGames]

I've been feeling this way too. I think dopamine is easier to receive when you have breaks from anything. Literally anything. I found that when I was literally always consuming content, I wouldn't have moments to think about projects that I'm excited about and thus start working on them.

[@soundtreks]

Totally agree! Creativity is a well and it has to be filled up to be potent. A break from the studio in nature has long been a source of inspiration for so many composers. Great video as always Nahre!

[@davidsalazar2466]

Being outside is important. I remember reading somewhere that even Rachmaninov took two hour walks every day.

[@DMitsukirules]

I actually don't know how to be creative with long walks. Not walks with podcast or anything like that, just walking in the world. That's when my brain really gets going and all the ideas flow. Obviously because I trained skills if I sit down and do it stuff can come out, but all the real ideas and advancements at this stage come from the long quiet walks.

[@promt_matters]

We even do something about doing nothing! Do you know when we really do nothing: when nobody really knows that we are doing nothing!

[@pierrephilip1682]

those "i have nothing on my plate today" are the best days for writing... though relatives never truly grasp the importance of doing nothing.

[@MarkWilliams-es3wc]

we need more doggos going forward!!! I love this video, but MORE DOGS - they are soooo cute

[@canonwright8397]

The most important thing to understand about doing nothing is that it is utterly impossible for human beings to do nothing. Ever try to stop your brain from thinking? Well, it's not as easy as one might think. =] When I "do nothing," it becomes my most productive, imaginative time. And, also, I love to spend most of my quiet time with God. Yup! Shutting down and letting the Big Guy tell me what he thinks Is really what life is all about. Have a nice day. =].

[@jetmarshall]

Beautifully done. A contemplative approach to life is not a waste of time, or a "means" to greater productivity. It is the generative space from which all creativity and insight arises.

[@mckmckmckmckmck]

human body just like any machine, need a regular maintenance . but biologic systems work slightly different which is called physiology. human machine fails if running non-physiologically for too long.

I appreciate how much love and appreciation you have for your pups, including so much footage of them in the video. I'm curious if you've ever written them a theme on piano? Great video. It's very relatable as a fellow freelancer.

[@ravenbom]

Honestly, actual work (or school when I was in college) is the best thing for creativity. Watching movies and listening to other music and traveling also helps. So does dating. You need inspiration, you can compose when you're not in front of your instrument. Sometimes you need to push through to make something make sense. Sometimes you need to step away. Hard to know when each is appropriate.

[@chrrsy]

Do you have any tips for someone who pursues music while in school or with a part or full-time job? How might it be possible for someone to balance all of these things while still finding time for empty space? How much time should you expect to have to work on music? How much time is enough?

[@xway2]

I've come to kind of a similar realization recently. I would work as much as I could, I think because I felt some kind of pride in that, but a lot of it was just empty busywork that didn't move me forwards. I've started actively taking breaks and making sure I actually work efficiently when I do work, and I'm starting to feel better about life in general. I'm less irritable is the big one I'm noticing. This is still a process, and this past week I'd stay at work late and find things to do but I've realized there's no point to that. This week I'm going to be more disciplined about also stopping work and going home at a reasonable time. It's important to figure out when you're the most productive (for a lot of people it's in the morning even if we don't want to admit it) and take advantage of that, making sure you work efficiently and take regular breaks to maintain efficiency, so that you get your work done and can enjoy the free time without guilt for the rest of the day. It's important to remember you're doing this for your own sake, to make your own life more enjoyable, so you shouldn't try to cheat because you're only cheating yourself. Also if you fall back into bad habits, that doesn't mean you've failed. Just try again and maybe with this experience it will work a little bit better this time, and then even better next time, and so on. Those are my thoughts and what I've been doing lately, and so far I'm happy with how things are going.

[@jordangreen3573]

This is so awesome! I’ve been trying to incorporate space into my life but your point about being more focused when working was super helpful and I’m gonna try it out! I always like to think of Howard Shore when he would walk around his garden when writing the music for The Lord of the Rings. That space seems to just fill our souls up again..

[@robertmueller2023]

I wonder who the Hummel sonata No. 2 in e-flat pianist is? She is fantastic. A real pro.

[@mariecloutier3548]

I love this. I'm a writer and I agree that stillness is so important for creativity. You have to refresh and process and let ideas come up. And just live your life. I've always been an early riser and I agree that frontloading work at the beginning of the day and then getting the downtime later is what works. Being organized and intentional with how I use my time is so important!

[@rina-nv5yr]

This is a great video. I noticed a couple of years ago that whenever I’m on a walk without earphones or I’m doing the dishes, songwriting just happens to me. The first time I wrote an entire song was actually after doing the dishes. It really is so important to let your brain just be

[@francoisrossignol7961]

Hello Nahre. I'm also a professional composer. I've had a girl friend for the last three years. I love her, but love is in the way of the great goals I had set out for my life which is also something we want to call a career. Is the real life of a composer the life of a monk or a nun? You probably should tackle the subject in a video

[@rd-um4sp]

I remember reading a book by an Italian author many many years ago about something like this: Domenico de Masi? But I also remember a lot of criticism back then too because you were not being efficient and productive but it made sense for me back then. I still cannot balance both side but I'm always trying

[@claraartnow6645]

This is so refreshing, because, aside that a lot of us completely agree, there's this idea between musicians that you can only become better the more you practice non stop. Whenever I did things with that mentality, I ended up feeling a loss of creativity, and almost no one from the music world talks about the importance of silence and the space to rest and do nothing. Thanks Nahre! ❤

[@tenywajimowen1002]

As a content creator too, I usually do this most of the time. I am able to also explore my own thoughts and how to come up with bigger and better creative ideas in the space that I work in. Usually taking time off and pushing the pause button enables me to think and be myself more on the otherside of things. I am also able to process information much more quicker and faster.

[@TheTutorialMan42400]

I should definitely give this a try! Even though I'm still a student right now which means I can not have the same routine every day due to changing classes hours but yeah that's inspiring

[@JanBaars]

I love ur content so much.

[@Opuskrokus]

You're getting older and wiser.

[@laurenth7187]

Creativity needs a sens for disaster.

[@bstein9500]

15 minute nap. Just sayin'.

[@JMCV2]

Doing basketball shots helps a lot !

[@BatmanWangChung]

Cool sweaters!

[@patrikherman_]

This hit home

[@bemay8010]

Thank you for this 🙏🏼

[@WINGRIOT]

That Dr Dre era...

[@leecherlarry]

mwuahahahahaa

[@thomasmcgill7229]

This is wonderful! I find my most create time is a 5 mile walk. When I walk, the world speaks to me! 🙂

[@NahreSol]

No wonder many of the great composers talked a lot about walking !

[@sfulmer430]

This is why financial security and independence is so important.... with enough money you don't feel like you constantly need to work or pursue work

[@xway2]

You need financial security to a degree of course, but you can get quite far with not much money. Take some time to figure out what you are able to do, and then try not to worry about the things you are not able to do. It's easier said than done of course but I do speak from experience and it does work.

[@nikolaytrofimov4175]

I just read "The Creative Act" by Rick Rubin, and you basically seconded some of his points! By doing "nothing", you're letting your brain rest, you're creating intentional distractions, so your brain will have time to accumulate and adapt to the information received during practice. Our brain is way slower than our movements, so it takes time to process the amount of motions we just did. Also by doing "nothing" you're creating space for ideas to come - this was your point at 5:00. Good video!

[@NahreSol]

Oh! Do you recommend it?

[@zerksari]

This is as you mentioned not just about musicians. I am returning as freelancer as I need that creativity back and that state allows me that, including increased professional hunger.

[@NahreSol]

This is very true!! Thank you for sharing… 🙏🏻

[@palalama]

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@immagns]

honestly "boredom" (tbh i dont rly feel that traditional boredom coz mind is madness) is a hack for vivid expression

[@NahreSol]

Yes!!

[@pablotg_09]

Hi Nahre. Such a very interesting video, I really agree with your ideas. I would like to ask you to think if you could make a video about Ragtime an show how to write in that style. I’m discovering it and I would like to start writing one. Thank you for All.

[@NahreSol]

I have an old video touching upon this! Maybe time for a refresher sometime. Thank you for the suggestion!

[@torlack]

So much this. While I no longer do creative “art”, my job still requires a creative mentality. I’ve found all of this works great for me. I’ve also learned from being in a cross culture relationship that there are cultural pressures pushing people to always be productive. I would add that maintaining “personal space” vs “professional space” is extremely important for people who work from home. These last two videos have resonated so much with me. It is a very interesting subject.

[@NahreSol]

Thank you for your comment!! I love these points.

[@Yhhmhmhmhmhm]

As a student with 2 important exams tomorrow (and a music studies exams on wed!), maybe doing nothing is not worth it but maybe it will apply as a freelancing musician 🤣

[@NahreSol]

😅😅😅

[@Dylanthestudent]

I’m exactly in the mood for this kind of video thank you!!!! 🙏

[@NahreSol]

☺️☺️☺️

[@michaelbishop.]

Something is better than nothing. Rather than reserving one or two periods in the year for holidays, allocate some time every week for a change of activity,rewarding yourself for the dedication you channel for your work .

[@NahreSol]

Great advice!

[@robertmueller2023]

I got better at the instrument after my year long complete hiatus. How can that we? Logic dictates that I'd only break even at best.

[@NahreSol]

Wow thank you for sharing !

[@immagns]

One super integral part of my creative process is to recognize when my head is starting to slow down and accept that at that point I need to put the pen down, my efficiency plummets. Sometimes it's hard to do because I take it on my self-worth but one must abide by their own nature

[@NahreSol]

Very important and useful point!! Thank you!!

[@joelconolly5574]

As a guy, I can literally turn off my brain and stare blankly for some time no matter the time and what I do. At work or at home. Probably why I can do a lot of things very voluntarily 😂

[@NahreSol]

That is a superpower! 😅

[@J3unG]

It's because doing nothing lets you think about what to play.

[@NahreSol]

Very true!

[@falsaapariencia5898]

What a great take on creativity. This channel just keeps getting better and better over the years.

[@NahreSol]

Thank you ☺️🙏🏻!

1:45 That's two philosophies I noticed with composers. Some composers like to work on something everyday, even if it isn't good, just so they have something to come back after some time and work on. While some other composers like to do nothing and catch that pure inspiration and creativity.

Two widely different examples of the first one: Bach and Grant Kirkhope. Write something everyday, even if it isn't good, then take a break. Once you come back you'll see where it's lacking and fix it with a combination of both technicality AND creativity.

[@NahreSol]

So interesting! You’re right, there are different approaches for everyone ☺️

I myself found ideas flowing when doing something absolutely unrelated, riding a motorcycle, walking, working on something else.

[@wrtoomes600]

Doing nothing is doing something! 😢

[@NahreSol]

Well… maybe 😂

[@foxtrotml4540]

Add a dash of heartbreak, lol

[@NahreSol]

Tell me more 😅

[@user-dh4mi6ir2m]

Was that u on a swing? 2:44-2:50

[@NahreSol]

Yes 😅 from my Erik Satie daily routine video!

[@aarrkalai4380]

Welcome to the light side

[@NahreSol]

😅

[@eldorado3523]

At 31 years old I've been wondering about this a lot. I always had this nagging feeling that I was a lot more creative as a child and teenager than as an adult, and I started looking back at why I felt that way. One of the things all those years had in common, even though my life changed very fast, is exactly the amount of nothing-to-do time. As a child I'd get out of school and go to my grandparents' for like 4 hours where there was little for a kid to distract himself with, so I'd just play with a bouncy ball until my parents arrived to pick me up. As a teenager and young adult I spent hours on bus rides every week going from school/university to my home and also long bike rides. Once I started working those do nothing times ended, and as my life became full with responsibilities I felt my creativity getting drained more quickly and my creative work turning into an insufferable formulaic chore rather than something where I'd put the best of myself in and I just kept trying harder and harder, spending more and more time getting things back to what they were when I was young, to no avail. When I started making this retrospect it also hit me that creativity needs boredom, stillness, nothing to do.

[@NahreSol]

Thank you for sharing these reflections! Super relatable…

[@eldorado3523]

@@NahreSol thank you as well, it's important to share these feelings, because we always assume the others as having no struggles in their life, and these kinds of videos demystify that thought. One thing I also found out about is that going for walks or doing exercise has added benefits than just offering you nothing-to-do times, they promote better blood flow throughout our body and also improve brain oxygenation. Going for a walk, if possible, a good way to get out of a lethargic mood and allows for a clearer head.

[@YanoTacchinardi]

Have you heard about the video game 'nine sols' I guess it shares your initials and practically your surname and playing video games kind of falls under the doing nothing category 😅

[@NahreSol]

Never heard of it!

[@YanoTacchinardi]

@@NahreSol it's pretty good and pretty new. Above average difficulty when it comes to platforming and combat, now I'm not sure how piano playing dexterity translates to gaming so your mileage may vary.

[@zubemoezung5173]

Can you suggest me a good app to learn music?

[@NahreSol]

It depends on what type of music!

[@zubemoezung5173]

@@NahreSol gospels, classical.

[@superblondeDotOrg]

Gen-Z does not need this advice. Absolutely does not need this advice.