Finding the balance point between creativity and discipline is trying to bottle lightning especially when your office space is the living room, kitchen table, or garage corner. For Hrishikesh Hirway, the creative genius behind Song Exploder and seasoned remote worker, creativity is not an ephemeral muse but merely him. He explains creativity as that which pleased him most as a child, a way to craft his own island within a world that sometimes didn’t share his inclinations.
But as anyone who’s ever tried to corral their creative spark knows, inspiration isn’t always on tap. Discipline steps in. Hrishikesh has found that imposing structure something that can sometimes go against the grain of the wildness of creativity is actually requisite for getting worthwhile work done. He’s learned strategies from other creatives, like committing to one day a week of strictly working on music, shutting off email and social media in order to do so. This kind of routine doesn’t guarantee a creative breakthrough every time, but it does create the right conditions for those moments of magic to happen.
Of course, not every creative spark arrives when you’re sitting at your desk. Sometimes, the best ideas come when you’re driving, walking, or just humming to yourself. Hrishikesh is an enormous believer in capturing those rough, unfiltered moments on his phone voice memos of songs or bits of lyrics that sound like they’re complete madness at the moment, but can turn into something beautiful with a little bit of concentration later on. It’s about catching those brief flashes before they vanish, then going back over them and refining them.
Remote work has its disadvantages and advantages. For Hrishikesh, distancing himself from his workspace either stepping out briefly outside or just circulating around the room can be paramount in a sense of clearing his head and not losing energy. A physical distance from the issue at hand has a tendency to induce mental sharpness, and it becomes easier to return with new focus.
Cooperation is also a gigantic role in the creative process. Hrishikesh references the example of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails, who take turns working on grimy ideas, each bringing their own intelligence and instincts to it. Sometimes, though, you need someone else’s analytical mind to help you cut through the mud and get at the gold. It’s an intuition/analytics dance listening to your instincts but recognizing when you need to hang back and take a good hard look at what’s playing.
In the end, discipline and creativity aren’t enemies; they’re allies. The best work occurs when you allow intuition to run rampant, then harness it with a splash of organization and reflective thought. Whether you’re a musician, writer, or just a person wishing to infuse the daily routine with a bit more creativity, finding that equilibrium is most important especially when your office is wherever you happen to be.
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