The Homework Theory: Making Music Effortless

Howdy! I'm back! This time, ultrawide and outside to talk about what I think is the most important system for creative work.
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[@VenusTheory]

I'm back in *u l t r a w i d e* y'all. Soundtrack from today's episode is available for $1 on my Bandcamp! ► bit.ly/homeworkOST My Free Solar42 Decent Sampler Library ► bit.ly/solarVT

[@GordonBBB123]

Where the 32:9 at? ;)

[@e7r0py]

Still waiting IMAX

[@TheMidnightBandit]

I don't know if this is a self-imposed limitation that I'm cognizant of, but I usually spend an hour on every song I make and finish it within that time, then move onto the next. I have a hard time when it comes to doing anything else.

[@blayd_]

I LOVE the u l t r a w i d e, this is probably one of my favourite channels on KZbin, down to earth and inspiring, no bullshit, keep doing what you enjoy bro

[@daes5465]

IT depends on If you constrain yourself for Others or for yourself Some people never get free , they are trapped in boundry to Someone Else What happens today is that the creation of stereotype success , and also within the Idols of different Genre and the Focus on selling mindest in Connection to money sexuality drugs and Power AS an constrain , is causing a destruction of healthy detachment to free your own self . IT IS gering the thought If freedom but within a system Money based violence for freedom Boxing Other Sports , music and everything IS dictated by groups of interest is making your Chose a Side and extremist mindest about what is right and wrong WHO IS and who is Not WHO IS the enemy But to See an enemy you must becan enemy yourself If you Dont See an enemy you wont behave AS If Theres a Problem yourself . So i think ITS only right If your doing Something that is in Connection to what you do , and plan to get a certain result In Connection to the Intension of beeing free ITS Not possible with the History WE make The destruction of the Planet and animals IS reducing Options , so in the End everything must be free In This Case free means dead I dont think that to destroy everything IS free But in fact every dead existence IS free from Life If Life is Like This now , so purgatory includes the word purge , then i think free is the right explanation Free the own self , that would mean your self IS free after death I know that If you follow a plan to do and Finish Something that you Always find self in IT thats true , but This is only with people Made of a different mindest Most of the people create to get Money Theres Producers they kill Projects AS soon AS they think that This misic wont get Sold or enter Charts I dont think This way because of Something comes Out im interested how IT will BE in the end So ITS Not supporting stereotype creation A friend Said You Dont need to make music , AI can do IT much better , IT can create what No human can create The Person WHO said This IS hast His own past and now So im trying to understand IT ITS lost Mankind has the Option to Change everything and built a new way to live The system is a running in circles Situation repeating overcane over again with the Same powerful people with the Same mindest and the Same way to teach young human how to understand and behave If you read History you will find Out the exact Same Story Just in another Timeline Just different people But exact Same actions and reactions If you have the Same results Loving together or worst , then ITS stupid Not to Change IT ITS Just different nations but since 1000 years IS also Not different nations People IS starting Something Just because they Dont find themselves in everything right now right away But you can I do I Love to See everything IT Doesnt Matter WHO iam WHO i will BE This will BE created by itself and experienced itself when i start doing sth And If Theres people WHO IS Sharing and helping Then IT will BE Limited ON less Things and i can BE Maximum free Im free as Long AS i dont connect to human Why ? Because their needs will involve myself in their Ego plans And they Dont free me and themselves too

[@wnllkmusic6842]

bro making a full on underground cinema quality short-film for his youtube content; using wide format and this level of colorgrading is insane for a for a video like this

[@ralphashford9022]

Not just the use of engaging images and graphics, but those quotes...so memorable and almost throwaway!

[@saivinay5250]

Yup😊

[@wnllkmusic6842]

totally agree. he's a really smart guy and his thoughts are worth listening to nonetheless - because at the end, if the core content is bad it doesnt matter if production is good. here everythings awesome (though it takes courage to sit through the whole video with my attention span ;-;)@@ralphashford9022

[@logamaguiar4970]

I have no clue what your talking about, but the camera work is incredible, I find that aspect of his content amazing and inspiring.

[@VenusTheory]

Spent a bit too much time on the edit for this one but glad it came across! Always love getting to push myself a bit more in that direction.

[@nilespeshay1734]

Ironically, my favorite YT videos are the ones that tell me to stop watching YT.

[@WuceBrillis7.62]

Hey, stup1d id1ot. Get off the internet. 😂

[@rotemeliaz]

This is the type of content KZbin was made for

[@VenusTheory]

I can give you 11 reasons why and you won't believe #7 (reaction)

[@JoeJohnston-taskboy]

@@VenusTheoryStay tuned to the end of the video for three FREE bonus reasons!

[@lessismore74]

Cat Videos have left the chat.

[@EvanG.]

I think KZbin is starting to change for the better

[@daveemerson6549]

I recently started my synthesizer journey after a medical error left me without the use of my dominant hand. I spent 20 years in the world of black and extreme metal, and suddenly being confronted with being unable to play any of the instruments I've spent my life working on was.........challenging. I didn't know what to do until someone sent me a video of Jango Reinhardt playing with a caption that said "Why do you need to use the same instruments to create the feeling you want?", which was eye-opening but presented me with just a paralyzing amount of options. Imposing limitations on myself has been invaluable to not get overwhelmed.

[@davecorkum161]

Same happened to me 5 years ago with left hand, so no more guitar. Get it done on the keyboard now.

[@playingmusiconmars]

Sorry to interject but the comment is kinda stupid - you use the instruments because of their timbre. I'd rather hear a Chopin nocturne on a piano and not on a banjo.

[@daveemerson6549]

@@playingmusiconmars Thank you so much for your learned input. Guess you showed me. If you don't understand how you can aim for a feeling or atmosphere, and then explore different instruments to create that feeling, then you must be looking at music and music creation through an entirely different lens, because all of the musicians I've discussed this with have understood what I meant immediately. Have the day you deserve, unwanted commenter.

[@playingmusiconmars]

@@daveemerson6549 I'm a musician too and I don't get it - like I said, you can't interchange timbre like that. So in that regard - I'm glad to have informed you. Life is a long journey of learning from people.

[@eclipticsonata1313]

@@playingmusiconmars He's talking about writing music and you're talking about music that has already been written being played on the wrong instrument. It's only wrong because the piece was written for piano. If Chopin wrote a nocturne for banjo, playing it on banjo wouldn't be wrong. Also pieces can be rewritten and tweaked to work in a multitude of styles. This guy can totally write music evocative of metal on a synthesizer. The quote he shared was about using a different instrument to convey a same feeling. This would be a subjective thing. Two pieces with the same notes, but different instruments/arrangement could both sound "dark" and vice versa. He didn't say he's going to write the same way he used to but pretend a synthesizer is a guitar, which seems to be what you are implying with the Chopin banjo comment.

[@UndulaeMusic]

jesus dude. you're really dialing in the visuals and overall cinematic atmosphere for these. great work

[@VenusTheory]

And I only cried twice!

[@yogadaily9864]

I agree, visually stunning and absolutely beautiful music. They are pieces of art!

[@atrus3823]

A thing I struggle with for personal projects is accountability. I can create whatever structure I want, but as long as I’m only accountable to myself, I can just conveniently change my mind. When I’m doing something for work or school, I have other people expecting something. I think here is where you need some kind of support network.

[@rather.boring.]

i have the same issue. i realized -- as i was typing up an idea to hold yourself more accountable without third party interaction -- that i need to be directing my comment to myself. so I'm going to try documenting my "assignments" somewhere I'll see it everyday (whiteboard) and if i don't meet my preset deadline, I'll mark it failed and leave it there for me to see everyday. i will add new assignments until i complete one, then erase it and the first failed assignment. this way i can't keep pushing off assignments because my failures will just keep piling up for me to see everyday. I'm kind of excited and kind of anxious about this.

[@alexmckenzie0]

Something that's worked for me is (if you can afford it) to literally pay someone to be accountable to. I use something called Boss As A Service (look it up!) where you pay $20/month to have a "boss" who messages you asking if your project is finished, why you're running behind schedule etc. Alternatively you can get a friend to do that for free

[@WhyHandlesIMeanFroggchamp]

noted

[@zarynodeiulio1128]

Mind is a Monkey

[@DaimonTrilogy]

@@alexmckenzie0 I would love to do the bosspart here xD

[@6IGNITION9]

Spent 10 years _meaning_ to make games, and getting no further than half-baked prototypes. This year I had the idea of joining every game jam I have time for, with the commitment to ship something every time, no matter how small. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in making games. Getting feedback on my (terrible, tiny!) games has been extremely encouraging. A game jam meets the criteria in this video: (1) Specific constraints (usually a theme), (5) a start and end date. Numbers 2-4 (what to make, and how) are up to you, mostly a matter of experience.

[@1almostblue]

Yeah this is my same struggle with music too. Have five years worth of demos that I’ve either never finished, or finished but now hate. And no one has ever heard them other than me. I have gotten better over the years but my songwriting muscle isn’t as strong as I’d like it to be. I know that I have to get out of the demo stage and finally finish what I start!

[@karennsj7491]

I’ve never heard of game jams. How are they usually running?

[@6IGNITION9]

@@1almostblue I did a project with a friend one summer where each day we'd send each other something we created. In my case, he'd prompt me with a theme for a song to write, and I'd prompt him with a dog to draw. Most productive summer ever. At some point we switched from daily works to weekly ones, which was probably a mistake because the project rapidly fell apart after that.

[@6IGNITION9]

@@karennsj7491 There's jams all over the place, but most of them are on Itch. There's a page on Itch with a big calendar of all the jams.

[@kwimms]

Games are a stupid waste of time... learn to sing or play guitar or grow a carrot or fix something. Be useful, not useless.

[@dunmirof]

I can already tell this is what I need to push me through a dry-spell creatively - as always, thanks for your thoughtful approach

[@jjbing3]

Go back to basics.! 😌

[@Jaspertine]

I wouldn't be self-promoting here if this weren't technically relevant. But I do a livestream on Twitch every Saturday night where I open up Ableton Live and try to create a track within roughly two hours. I've been doing this for half a year and some change, and I've learned a lot in that time.

[@JordanSeal]

When I've done "song a day" projects, they end up turning into a very similar timeline. "OK, kids are asleep, I'm exhausted, but I need something. I give myself 1-2 hours." It's amazing what you can make within those constraints, esp. on the days when you really "aren't feeling it."

[@MartinRenner]

@@JordanSeal The thing with the days when you "aren't feeling it" is that you always surpass your expectations.

[@zaptronic]

Same here, except I give myself ten minutes to write, create, mix, master and finish a 10 minute song. I.e. it's 100% on-the-fly creation. Fun as hell, and SO MENTALLY SATISFYING. Best of all, when "done", I hit DELETE. That is the ULTIMATE liberation from pressure!!!

[@kwimms]

Who cares? Everyone is creative, you are not special.

[@Jaspertine]

@@kwimms oh, do feel free, nay, feel encouraged to tell me about your current creative projects. I'll be happy to check it out.

[@Turtlpwr]

One of the most underrated creators on this platform

[@lesslethalmusic]

You're a lifeline and a lighthouse for so many. Thanks for years of helping me keep my head up

[@lesslethalmusic]

also dammit i knew I'd be told to love time constraints in this video

[@thesattmims]

I've been using a Pomodoro timer and index cards. The timer sets smaller time limits (with much needed breaks). I have to write out what I'm doing on the index cards during a block of time. Once an objective is done, I cross out the items on the index card, or start a new one. A notepad would suffice but there is something that kind of magical about the small index card. It makes the biggest task feel smaller and manageable.

[@nathanielautomaton]

0:06

[@nathanielautomaton]

0:06

[@Aengus42]

I played guitar since I boi6s second hand Aria Pro II ZZ Deluxe in 1982. Seven years ago I contracted sepsis and lost both feet from half way down my shins. I could cope with the legs, it was the 3rd & 5th fingers on my chord hand that I really couldn't cope with. For the past seven years I couldn't listen to guitar music or even look at my guitar without tears. But then I saw a device for ukulele that let you play chords with one finger! I thought that with some pedals, a midi keyboard & some practice I could make music again! If i nailed the chords on a uke, I could play lead with two fingers in my guitar. So I gave it a birthday, found the best guitar tech I could in Kent (Adam Pinner, Arcus guitars) for a full setup. He rnded up giving it a bone nut, a fret level AND the full setup and now it sounds absolutely bloody amazing! It was Adam who told me about Django Reinhardt! Talk about inspiration! Django had the exact same hand injury as me! Thanks Adam, thanks Django! Both of you are bloody geniuses! 😎🎸

[@thetrashpanda9085]

I found this channel because of tutorials and free vst recommendations. I stayed for the deep, meaningful, philosophical like this.

[@K.KILLORAN]

Cameron, the production quality of your work is so damn impressive for so many reasons. Looks great, sounds great, edited well, and then of course the content itself is superb. I’m in awe and also slightly jealous of your profound talent dexterity.

[@nordicsoundchannel]

I really needed this. As a phd student, as a musician, as an independent journalist... thank you my friend.

[@jayneubauer3401]

One of the limitations I place on myself is when I start a project I choose 3 VSTi's that are my palatte, aside from Decent Sampler and Kontakt. AND, my wife, who knows nothing about how I do what I do gets to pick one of the instruments! Which can get interesting when you are doing a New Age/Ambient track using Vacuum Pro as one of your instruments! It really makes you get creative with the sound choices and programming, and I love it.

[@rayortiz313]

You can do mind-blowing stuff with stock plugins, but the software companies do not want you to know that.

[@lexruptor]

Omg, I absolutely LOVE Django Reinhardt, he's such an inspiration. I love his Minor Swing, and Honeysuckle Rose is amazing ngl.

[@Usul]

In my experience training is often at odds with creativity. Learning scales isn't very creative. After they have been drilled to the point they become second nature, they can be unleashed in creative ways. New tools often require extensive training before they can be used creatively. The more complex the tool, the more difficult it is to obtain mastery. As we gain mastery, our ability to express ourselves creatively with those tools faces fewer barriers. Perhaps this is why limitations work so well. They keep us inside the mastery zone. Thank you for the great video. The six-word story is brilliant.

[@alestra85]

THE HOMEWORK METHOD: (a super original creative framework by venus theory) 1. Reword your idea as an assignment, be reasonably specific 2. Figure out your goals with the idea 3. Break down the idea into smaller, actionable steps 4. Set the tools you have to use to execute the idea 5. Set a timeframe to complete the project

[@TocoaPuffs]

"Relying on your imagination isn't the same as actually using it" I love that. I've been most successful with my music writing when I was forced into restrictions. Love your videos. Keep it up!

[@cryptacular-me]

This is exactly what I've been struggling with. I was able to be so creative, week after week, when I was going to music lessons but ever since those lessons finished I've really struggled with creating. Thanks for this video

[@Ealron356]

I paused the video when you started making the list and typed out a full google doc. So many things I wanted about my next project were so clear in the back of my mind but not clear to my conscious. Thank you so much brother man

[@wandregisel6385]

Reminds me of a quote by minimalist pianist Harold Budd: "A studio gives you the freedom to do everything, and to me everything is a tyranny" This would have been the 80s, the possibilities now are even more endless

[@daviHuggMonster]

woaaaaa cinematic moustache, me love...even then unusual video format

[@VenusTheory]

Figured I'd fulfill my destiny and complete the hipster aspect ratio trifecta with a video in 2.39:1 - tis the way of the stache.

[@daviHuggMonster]

hehehe awesome@@VenusTheory

[@KosieRosie]

i liked the bit where he said “thats just a theory… a VENUS theory”

[@arcerionmusic]

and then he venused all over the place. truly the moment in all of musician youtube

[@KosieRosie]

@@arcerionmusic who up theorising their venus rn

[@bxyw]

We had an assignmnet in year 8 music class to create an instrument. Half of the marks went towards the instrument that you made and the other half went to presenting it. A guy in in the class hadnt done anything for the assignment, so he grabbed 2 sticks out of the bush on the way to the classroom and gave the best presentation ouf of everyone for the tapping sticks he had "made". While he only got 50% for his assignment (100% for presentation and 0% for the instrument) I think most people would agree his creativity in such a short time frame outdid everyone else.

[@RUR70]

The soundtrack at the beginning is one of the best soundtrack made for a film. It absolutely nails the different scenery of both locations. Bravo! Overall great essay as usual, but this time it's made somehow more cinematic than usual. Everything is perfectly synchronized. Awesome stuff, man!

[@afill471]

I must say, this is probably the most vital info I needed as I'm pondering though sounds in the plugins I'm intending to write and setting limitations is something I need to be constantly reminded to do, it creates a disciplinary task for yourself, its a goal setting technique in short. Sometimes, timeframe setting may be scary, but at least you get to discover more about yourself as you implement it more, you might become late at your own deadline and submit it a day late, keep doing it and you might end up doing things faster and more efficiently overtime, and that is the payoff. As an opera singer, we have long deadlines and short deadlines for ourselves and for whatever we are working on for who we work for, which this theory we end up applying in our everyday life.

[@larswillsen]

This guy is a hard working content creator - Even though I've watched a billion of his videos I get surprised every single time (yes, this is a review from me - 7 stars!) 🙂

[@zaptronic]

This is *precicely* what I excercise on my live stream, and it's super-freeing, and I've never been so creative, making like 10 songs a day... taking 10 minutes to write, produce, and mix a 10 minute song. And then, I DELETE IT, which is the ULTIMATE freedom. Never do I have to think about that track AGAIN. So liberating!!

[@zaptronic]

As for limitations, here's what I do: Each track is pre-set up. Track #1 has a drumkit where every white key is a kick and every black key is a snare. When I start a song, I pick a white key and a black key at random, and now these are the kicks and snares. And it's *immediate*, no poking around to test, just PICK ONE, and now it's commited. No do overs, no changing, no tweaking, no nothing. No matter how it sounds, this is now your snare and kick. Track #2 has upper half every white key is a closed hi-hat and every black key has a matching-y open hi hat. Lower half is random percussive stuff. One octave are all cowbells. Same rule as for track #1, pick something, go with it. No do-overs. Track #3 is my Korg Mono/Poly. This will be my bassline. No other synhs, ever, and never going beyond the sonic landscape that synth can do. Track #4 is my Roland Juno-60 Track #5 is my nord modular Track #6 is a "drumkit" where every key is a random drumloop, same rule as for track #1 and #2, pick something, go with it, no do-overs. Track #7 is my Syntecno TeeBee-303 Track #8 is my bass Track #9-16 is various random secondary synths (mostly crappy modules, some VST... again, use what has been set up on the channel before starting, no tweaking) Tracks above that is for recording voice loops and other stuff. I also have a custom made controller such that the cutoff of pretty much every synth in the room is along a row of knobs. I also have set of sliders that apply a "DJ mixer" to various submixes (i.e. going up = hipass, going down = lopass) There is also a partridge in a pear tree. And smoke and lasers, of course. It's fun as hell - stop by some day :)

[@rayortiz313]

Yeeeaaahhh... most people can't handle this. I'm making electro-acoustic/musique concrete style music for a short film... I have my DAW template setup with 6 mixer channels ( max- I never allow myself more than 6 channels/sound sources) and I use FOUR stock plugins. ONE reverb, ONE delay, ONE pitch-shifter, and ONE distortion, despite there being maybe 4 of each type in the software. Since I'm sort of emulating 60's era electro-acoustic, I allow myself ONE waveform, and 5 samples, TOPS. You're right. It works. You have to be past the beginner "excited by it all" phase and know enough about your art form to be able to make firm decisions about what you are trying to accomplish. Side note, I'm shooting the short and using... one lens.

[@T.Harry79]

My recent minimalist journey expanded my creativity tenfold. You’re more crafty when you have an extremely strict timetable in confined space.

[@timspencer1]

Totally advocate this. At film school some of our earliest lessons were to work with restrictions - like making 1 minute long films. Or creating a narrative only using abstract (or no!) images. It works too. At least for me. That's why beat battles and remix comps are so useful for music creatives. Having rules in place is an antidote to the fear of the blank page that so many writers have IMHO. Especially remixes. Stop caring about winning anything and see how far you can bend your remix without breaking it!

[@JamesonNathanJones]

What happened to the other 48 minutes of footage I sent you? This feels very limiting oh wait a second....

[@DJKennethA]

This was great and actually something I think I needed to hear. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the endless gear chase instead of looking at what you’ve already got what you can do differently with it

[@mrpzak]

I was literally just listening to a philosophy podcast talking about out Soren Kierkegaard. And this might sound familiar but he had a concept of “lost in the infinite” and “lost in the finite”. The former is what you talk about with constraints. The more options you have without taking a leap of faith and picking what feels right, you’ll never choose or do anything. (The latter if you’re curious is that you’ll simply do what society thinks you should do).

[@viridianloom]

I'm a part of an online community called Weekly Beats where you write, record, and release a song every week for a year. I've completed it twice and I'm currently 10 weeks into my third time around, for a total of 114 songs written so far. An added benefit to this whole thing too is that the more frequently you create, the more you learn and the better you get at it.

[@davidzamora9973]

The Homework Method: 1. Reword your idea as an assignment, be reasonably specific 2. Figure out your goals with the idea 3. Break down the idea into smaller actionable steps 4. Set the tools you have to execute 5. Set a timeframe to complete the project. "This part is really damn important."- Venus Theory dude

[@zguiguiz]

reading other comments, I can see some kind of breathing/cycle between 2 opposite and equally important dynamics : 1-When too much possibilities, restrict. 2-When too restricted, focus on/zoom in the infinite possibilities inside the given frame and repeat...

[@MemeSandwiches]

Right 👍 I'm getting up off the sofa, and I'm going to tackle the jobs I've got waiting.

[@RedPianist]

i don't really like calling it "the homework theory" because then it makes it sound like something you have to do, and not something you want to. making music play, not work. love your videos man

[@MoxieCat]

I think that's the point. If it's something you HAVE to do, it's something you'll do often, and not just "whenever inspiration strikes." Maybe you could call it "Project Theory" or "Assignment Theory" instead, since a lot of people see homework as something someone *else* makes you do.

[@uhhhclem]

I prefer Charles Eames's somewhat more positive version of the concept Parkinson's Law articulates. He said, "The best you can do by Tuesday is a _kind_ of best you can do."

[@gregortorrence8487]

You should explicitly call out Lars Von Trier's "The Five Obstructions". Every creative needs to watch that.

I’ve always been restricted to what I could do because I could never afford the really good instruments. I’m really thankful for that because it has teached me to do the most with what I have. And it has given me the opportunity to do higher quality music than I ever dreamed of.

[@kiersplat]

I really think that creativity is simply the act of navigating constraints

[@kovokkovariki]

Okay... A Venus Theory video that, not even 30 seconds in, makes me think of Panos Cosmatos. Neat!

[@VenusTheory]

I take that as a compliment of the highest order haha. Thanks!

[@johnchedsey1306]

While I'm absolutely just some dork goofing around on a DAW, I agree that setting parameters to work within are actually quite helpful. My method is to use random number generators to establish things like tempo, key, scales, and various other pieces of structure, and then work from there. I never know what how it'll turn out. (Often not great, but that goes with the territory) Same with photography. I have 60+ lenses at my disposal, but deliberately choose just a couple when I go out shooting so I have to work within their limitations. I mean, other than always having my telephoto lens handy for wildlife. "This is what I'm working with today" is a good motto.

[@Christiansmoviesnow]

You know how netflix documentary is nice to see cus of quality sometimes? This is thst quality

[@johnnycash5336]

" Relying on your imagination, and actually using it, are 2 different things" stfg sums a lot my problems up right there

[@michaeldennisguitarlessons]

So essentially what all these big time KZbin Content Creators are telling me is my “all in one take Guitar Tutorials” with not a single cut or edit [largely due to my lack of video editing skills] is actually “Totally Cutting Edge Creativity”! Why....Thank you for the Kudos! Much Appreciated!

[@Ben_R4mZ]

I just threw my hat into the ring of a passion project to make a Pinball Roguelite game as a music and sound designer. Hopefully the limitations inherent to the project will help funnel me into creative expression. Thank you for this video ❤

[@Johnny_T779]

Yeah, that is if you're not autistic! Deadlines paralyse me, if I want anything done I have to ignore them. Restraints? If I need a specific dound or tool, I really NEED it. I've abandoned projects for this simple reason... But what works for me is starting something with the idea of "let's play around", and fiddle happily with instruments and sounds, recording everything. No time constraints, no pressure. And when something interesting emerge , elaborate on that.

[@chrisienni8798]

"I love the deadlines, without deadlines I am useless." -Chris Franke, talking about working on 'Babylon 5'

[@Edu27615]

Not to be a party pooper or anything. Limitations DO breed creativity and they are important for most aspects of the creative process, but I found out that once you cap a certain threshold of experience, your actual creative needs are more demanding. My limitations when I started making my own music? I didn't know anything about music theory and could do a makeshift battery with markers and a desk. Then I recorded it with an early 2010's iPad Mini and it sounded like absolute garbarge to anyone who heard it, and it was extremely apparent. No one would say it straight to my face except one of the realest dudes I've met. Most of the time better equipment + more tools + more actual knowledge on the subject yields the best results, I'd argue that in order for you to actually surpass and innovate in your area of expertise, you have to know the rules in order to break them. And the whole deadline thing can be good for some people, hell, if you wanna do music as a full time paid job I'd say it's needed I agree with you on that. But most of the time I find that indie passion projects have that lightning in a bottle quality that you can't replicate with cold, repetitive tasks. Do they eventually upgrade and sound extremely good once they make it if they stick to those qualities? Most of the time I'd argue that yes, but only because they're actually massive music nerds and not necessarily looking to 'make it big' right away. Just look at Twenty One Pilots, Cage The Elephant or MGMT.

[@Mik3l24]

The way I see it, making art is about reducing entropy. Or in other words, iteratively limiting the possibilities of what that art can be. For context, entropy is the amount of chaos or possibilites. So, when you start a creative project - there are infinitely many possibilities, the entropy is high. When you add something to it though... well, there are still a lot of possibilities. But, some are more likely than others, as they better fit what's already there. As you fill out the project, it all begins to connect, its complete vision becomes more and more of a reality, slowly making more and more parts 'set in stone'. Till... you export the final master (or print the art piece, or whatever else). Then, there is no entropy anymore. What's there, that's it. There are no more possibilities of change. Except you. And other people.

[@chillydoog]

Complexity is the enemy of execution.

[@CheerUp111]

Embrace the constraints and let your creativity flow within those boundaries

[@thenewsilverwolf]

This is why I I love taking classes! Accountability helps SO much

[@neerajkumaryadav1460]

I love this. This video actually solved my problem that I have had for 2 years now. P.S. I couldn't complete a single project in past 2 years and ended up doubting my capablities.

[@MistyMusicStudio]

Self imposed limitations are bae. Love the homework method! Reminds me a little of Alphabet Superset without having to do 26 smaller projects lol. Great stuff 🤘

[@AlexSeesing]

Cameron, you're killing me. I was most creative because I was limited. Fok time. I ain't getting any more than anyone else. Next: Creating a song in a genre I never listened to. ^_^

[@ShallieDragon]

Big agree. I'm a software designer by trade. Constraints are the framework upon which you build a design. Without some kind of constraints, you end up getting overwhelmed by the possibilities, and you don't make anything.

[@framzoid]

With literally thousands of patches at my disposal I found I was only using 6 or 7 for every project so I focused on THOSE patches as a limitation and dammit, progress moves so much faster these days. Great video Cameron !

[@zloboslav_]

When I was a child playing with LEGOs I hadn't even heard of the concept of having limitations. But one day I decided to challenge myself to split the LEGO blocks by color and build only single color stuff. It was extremely fun and I did it many times after that! I did similar stuff with music later and when I realized that it's a thing that people do, it made me happy. :)

[@DJaycerOfficial]

On my game dev journey, I have yet to give myself any limitations, instead getting distracted from making actual areas to explore to make more mechanics or improve on current ones. Something I’ll probably do by the time summer comes around is give myself a number of rooms to have by the end of the week. Say 5 or 6 well thought out and planned rooms.

[@fortissimoX]

I've heard that Stravinsky's quote first time I guess a bit more than a year ago, and it immediately clicked with me, made a lot of sense. I think that quote is much more relevant today, when we have so so many options on our computers, and indeed, one of the challenges is to focus ourselves between all those choices. Thanks for the reminder!

[@rygelxv]

Whoa, the color grading, the breakdowns, even the fonts, absolutely on point and very special. Cool! Did you do a voice over or how did you get your voice outside sound so good? And on the topic: iĺl try. Really. Thank you!

[@VenusTheory]

Ayyyyyy thank you. It's a bit of a slog to get through but glad it comes across in the end! Outdoor scenes were done with an $11 amazon lav mic - used some body tape to tape it to the inside of my shirt, just below the collar line. One of these days I need to finally sit down and make a 'how I make my videos' course or something.

[@Art1stical]

I would add something else that is also important: The creative constraints must be "consensual", and they must be fixed. I, for one, have a terrible relationship with the word "homework". For me, school homework always was a set of arbitrary constraints that rewarded mediocrity and standardization, instead of them being a test of one's ingenuity. They were constraints that were imposed on me, and they were constraints that only resulted in doing things very inefficiently or, well, non-creatively. I could often see a myriad ways to do things better, or more efficiently along the main time constraint, but I couldn't because another set of constraints stopped me from doing so (like, "use the method in the book", or "repeat after me"). This, of course, is just me and the word "homework". But the point still stands: the limitations and constraints have to be something you agree with, and they have to be informed by your knowledge of your craft. Presenting a full movie score in a single week can be an interesting challenge or experiment, but if it's presented as a serious job offer with a week's work pay, I can guarantee that it won't be your best work. It can be something you like or enjoy, but "realistic expectations" has to be a concept always kept at hand, not only to avoid frustration, but to avoid exploiting yourself. The "fixed" constraints ties in with this previous points. Frequently, we engage with creative work, like commissions or creative projects, only to have the goalpost moved frequently. If I agree to do something with a delivery date of a month, and then, a week in, I'm informed I only have another week to finish the thing, it will put a lot of stress into the process. Perhaps you can pull it off, or perhaps you are prepared for it, but when the creative constraints are constantly moving, in ways you don't expect or plan, they can become deeply frustrating. So, yeah, I absolutely agree with the constraint list presented, but I would add those two in, particularly when engaging with creative processes at a professional level. Being cognizant of what you can pull off allows you to take on constraints as an interesting challenge instead of unsurmountable obstacles, and having them fixed in place and agreed upon, allows you to bring your entire creative arsenal to bear, without fear of shooting yourself in the foot with a particular decision.

[@T0xIcNigHtMarE]

Surprised you didn't mention Mac Miller. This God of music(in my opinion) locked himself in his studio " the sanctuary" it "the red room" and created soundscapes from the soul r.i.p. Loved the vid man I appreciate these more types of vids more than any bs on KZbin lately.

[@Ski-DooSafari]

Ok just a disclaimer this comment was originally gonna' be an example to add to the video but it turned into a yap session about my stance on my music "career". I _would_ just not post it, but it's a wall of text I've been itching to tell anybody who will listen. So whoever reads this, thanks for listening in advance :) For the reasons of limitations, and because I'd rather physically play around with knobs and sliders, I've been trying to forge some kind of DAWless setup. It's probably the most janky thing you could fathom making, but I call that my authenticity. I've got at least a zillion cords and adaptors for anything, all to be recorded straight into the mic input of a cassette deck running type 1 tape with DBX noise reduction. The first album I recorded with it I didn't even use a mixer, rather I digitized it and mastered it in a DAW. It was 2 channels of audio, sometimes stereo, sometimes utilizing both channels as mixer tracks, and my god it was noisy because all I have are RCA cables and 3.5mm aux adaptors to rig everything up. Sometimes things didn't work, sometimes things sounded horrible, and rarely there was nothing wrong at all. All said and done, I completed the album in about a month and put it on Bandcamp for it to get 27 total streams across all 20 songs. The thing with that is, I don't really care. When I started making music it was pretty much just because I wanted to see if anyone would listen, and very few did. The few fans I have (subbing out my friends and family) I really appreciate, and I'm glad I could make a few people happy with something I did. I don't look at it in the sense that I want to blow up every time I release an album. I look at it like I'm sharing my hobby to the world because I can, not because I have to. Make music for yourself, don't worry about what other people think of it, good or bad.

[@mauchkimberly]

Venus Theory credits Elta Music; I get my coffee cuz Solar 42 is AWESOME sounding (and I can't afford one so I'll listen to others and decide what to sell).

[@Tetrad10]

I can say this absolutely worked for me. I started posting my compact synth jams last August 2023 and have made an effort to produce and post something at least once a week since then. I knew if I wasn't willing to show my work I wasn't going to practice and prepare, I wasn't going to 'do another take' and I was never going to learn. I needed to be willing to post my mediocre jams, allow the thumbs-down and negative comments and continue to improve what I produced, even share what I am learning on the way so it sticks, you know? I can see you doing the same thing, and you do it well.

[@DavidSmith-ne1zp]

Thanks Venus, for making this the #1 most important channel to me in my transition from occasional music making to my full time obsessive music making experience. My mind loves your thinking!

[@cryn6519]

Venus, regarding restrictions, I'm sure the man has passed your timeline before, but when restrictions come to mind, the first one i think of is Koji Kondo, in specific the Ocarina of time music. also, i second the message in this video.

[@CryogenTheMusicMan]

Amazing cinematography as usual, and the visuals on this have to be some of the best that you've done. Thank you for being an inspiration.

[@VenusTheory]

Thanks! Got some new lens filters for a client video shoot and decided to give them a bit of a workout - very pleased with the results!

[@CryogenTheMusicMan]

@@VenusTheoryYou should be! Amazing work once again, and thanks for being a consistent source of musical inspiration for me! You have really refined the art of making videos as well as music, I don't think I have seen anyone on the platform do anything near what you do, both visually and in terms of thought-provoking content.

[@OscarUnderdog]

Gorgeous video, what an atmosphere. Nice work!

[@onlyrealnumber]

I've been setting deadlines regardless if I make them. I used to come up with excuses for 'not' doing things, such as life events or work but I started to take a critical look over how I was utilizing my free time when I had it. Production always seemed like this task that required a tremendous amount of energy. While there are definitely aspects that can be demanding, especially the earlier-mid stages, I've found tricks in my creative habits that can be done when you are absolutely drained. Now when I miss the deadline, it's not like a single loop of an idea that sounds fantastic but goes nowhere, it's a full track that is about 80% realized and just needs some extra TLC to make it to the finish line.

[@Szymks]

Finally something that can fill the whole screen when I'm watching on my phone

[@karakht]

Just one of the best advices newbies should get when they're about to want to make music

[@andrewdwilliams]

When lockdown started in 2020, it threw out my routine enormously. I didn't write anything for over a year. I'd been entering NaNoWriMo every year for a while at that point and 2020 was the first year I didn't even try. So when 2021 came around, I set myself a different kind of project: instead of a proper novel, I'd write a series of short stories based on the same characters in different settings, different genres, different styles. I had one major restriction - all but the first and last stories could be read in any order, so events in each couldn't influence any other. It could have been a disaster. It has instead turned out to be my longest and probably best work - and it was actually fun to write!

[@interstellarcastaway]

Easily my most ambitious project came to life when I limited myself to one location, one month, and one instrument. This has been an excellent reminder that it wasn't just practice for something else and now I can ditch the restriction. Rather I should keep up said restriction and make more ambitious projects. Thanks Mr. 'Stache!

[@danol5749]

Completley agree with this theory. I recently made a soundtrack only using a dish strainer and I was really impressed with how well it turned out. It was so cool to create an entire soundtrack with only a dish I found in my kitchen. I love creating with restrictions and this is the reason why I stay away from huge sample libraries.

[@kenkamonn]

I have autism and PDA, and this is pretty similar to how to get myself to work, but it's modified a bit for me. I need to tell myself and when working with others that they need a solution to things. part of mitigating the anxiety and fear I have around keeping autonomy. biggest fear in life is a sense of control and so, if any of you feel for what I said or have this condition, or even feel like many people don't want what's best for you. Follow your heart, care for your heart. you're an amazing person.

[@Vickorftron-]

Thanks for reminder, we sometime forgot about this simple work process. I would be curious to know how many peoples on this channel can finished and published a song.

[@justayoutubeaccount7671]

Here is my perspective: Restrictions and minimalism are extremely useful to drill and practice certain aspects and elements of your creative pursuit. For example a pianist might decide that today he will restrict himself to 4 bars of whatever composition, and to drill it until it is perfect. I 100% get behind the homework theory for this type of scenario. But in my opinion, when it comes to performing (making an actual fulfilling finished project all the way to the end), restrictions only limit one's potential. Note that this only applies to artists who make art for themselves and themselves only. Those who express themselves and have something to say to the world. If you create for other people, for money, for bigger artistic projects this doesn't apply because the goal is to create a product, not to express yourself with total authenticity. So take heed, artists who create to survive, to cope, to express themselves. Don't listen to the homework theory when you're trying to perform. If you truly have something in you that needs to be expressed, it will guide you. Your heart and your soul will align and guide your hand towards your goal. Fear not the idea that having too many options is paralyzing. The deeper spiritual powers of art, and the sheer need to express yourself will carve a path for you, and you just need to surrender to it. I mean no disrespect to anyone, but don't listen to content creators, popular artists, film scorers, etc... they don't truly understand the nature of art when it is in its full authentic form. When the goal is purely and merely to express oneself. They mostly understand art as a job, as means to make a living, a product. They don't truly understand the cathartic nature of art that some of us chase deep down. I've yet to see anyone on youtube properly discuss this side of art. It's almost as if it's still buried in the shadows.

[@justayoutubeaccount7671]

I will also add that the fear and paralysis artists are so familiar with when staring at a blank canvas is merely that. Fear. And anyone well versed in metaphysics knows that fear is just an illusion. So I raise this question, should artists find solutions to avoid the blank page paralysis, or should they face that fear with bravery and courage and shatter it?

[@SoleSpiritMusic]

spent 10 min to watch this short movie with the most insanely beautiful lights about “okay you have to stop wasting too much time you dumb@ss! get off the internetbox and make something cool!” i see what u did there Sir☝🏼👽 sorry i think this is a new lvl of video. this is CINEMA. lovely work 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 thank you.

[@ravenragnar]

I have lost all faith in building anything any more. Thanks for making this.

[@brianbergmusic5288]

Constraints are dope. *Stick to 80s styled sounds* >> Synthwave/Cyberpunk/Retrowave *2D pixel art AND/OR Low Poly 3D* >> Indie Games *Only the piano* >> The seeds of Maurice Ravel's orchestral genius [ *Bass, 2 guitars, drumset, vocals* ] >> Heavy Metal

[@ocardaugh]

When someone gives me an assignment, my first question is: "When do you want it done?"

[@demisemedia]

My new song writing/motivation process goes as follows: “I want to have one brand new song released by X day.” I don’t care what the song is going to sound like, what it’s about or what it’s going to be called. I just know that I need to get to work.. now!! I’ve been releasing songs a lot more frequently lately and it feel good!

[@TRXST.ISSUES]

I’m 1 minute in here and this hits off the bat much more. Great job.

[@TRXST.ISSUES]

4 minutes in, here’s a tip from a pacing standpoint, when highlighting examples in rapid succession typically things will resonate more if done in 3’s. Like when a did this, b did that, c did this. Reinforce, then continuation to next point. If you give 4,5,6,7 examples the pacing just gets muddied and the audience loses track of the initial point.

[@Aaron-rr3io]

Your videos are always inspiring. Thank you!

[@Naescent]

The first line just hit me hard. I’ve been trying to figure out why I don’t put in the work. It’s because I always make the work optional. Like you said, that’s it, nothing more to it. Really awesome video btw!

[@dreamstaticsounds]

Okay after that level of artistry, here's your homework, Cameron: make a short horror/scifi film where some ancient sound source (like maybe a hum? haha) is causing people to do evil things starring you, Benn Jordan as a redneck farmer, and Jeremy Blake as the evil mastermind behind it all, lol.

[@jackhollow]

Having written music for 20+ years, I strongly agree that limiting yourself to something, for instance specific hardware, expands your ability to produce with it. it's the problem with things like UVI Falcon - a great piece of software, but it can do so much, you don't know where to start. A year or two ago I bought a Modal Cobalt 8 and for a few tracks only used that (except for drums), which was great fun to do.

[@grammophone1]

Thank you. This video is not only informative but beautiful as well. Yes, I concur. When I started making music 25 years ago, I was very constrained to a hardware rompler with a hardware analog modeling plugin attached to it, all fitting inside my PC as an audio interface. And I was very productive in synthesis and sound design. When people started saying that I should expand my sound, I was carried away. It was one of the reasons I fell into a 17-year hiatus: Options paralysis. The other reason is that I also fell for the cliché that an artist expresses their own feelings. That was not what motivated me - I was storytelling during my active years; my own experiences are nothing to write home about. Picking up again, I had to remedy these two issues to get my voice back. First, reintroduce constraints. Working now for a concept album, I created a single template for all of the tracks, a finite palette of instruments that serves the story. Even the effects busses on the template are constrained: A 'near field' and a 'far field' as send effects, with all effects baked in the instruments stripped out. Another constraint is that I reuse the motifs in all of the tracks, and share them between 'good guy' and 'bad guy' themes. Second, I returned to narrating stories as an observer, seeing through experiences of other people. There is a constraint I usually fail to uphold though: Time limits. Music is not my profession, and time is scarce and unpredictable. Whenever I can't limit the time, I usually don't get things done.

[@candleman7393]

One of the few musicians I can trust in the age of clickbait. Your art is next level, thanks for helping us get off our ass.

[@Ofjkk]

>homework >proceeds to list things that can be done anywhere/has to be done anywhere else but home i get the idea but the name is swing and miss