TME Tuesday: Feeling the End of a Creative Slump and Working Through It

Making time is something that I struggle with on a regular basis. Making time to practice or to write things down or compose stuff for my clinical interactions with my students or...well, you get it. It's not that I don't have time, it's just that I don't always use my time wisely. My brain stops functioning well about 2pm, and that's when I have the time to sit down and do these types of tasks. It's a quandary, so I try my best to push thoughts into and through my head. I am currently in a TME type of creative slump. I stopped doing some monthly creation and have slipped out of the habit of writing my TMEs down. I haven't been trying to change this as of late, but I think that it is time to get back into the habit of writing TMEs and designing stuff for my clinic again.

I wrote two TMEs last week. One was inspired by my intern's TME and the other was an idea that I started a long time ago and I was finally able to finish up. I had such a feeling of accomplishment as I moved those two files into their storage folders on the database. It was wonderful and something that reawakened a spark.

I have written about my techniques for breaking out of a creative slump before on this blog. I also have some time this week to do some composition. I finished up several task boxes and delivered them last week, so I can focus on music therapy things this week. It seems like a good time to work on my creative process and get going with some more TME development. I have a good idea for something to offer, but I need to spend some time on it.

So, I am planning to spend some time at the keyboard this morning, doing some free improvisation and then refining things that sound good to me into formal plans. It is time to take out my composition kit and get going.

What is in my composition kit, you may ask?

Well, thanks for asking.

My composition kit includes a pencil, an eraser, a stack of index cards (I prefer 4X6 cards to any of the other sizes), and that's it! Once I figure out a song - melody line notated in solfege and rhythm indicators and chords - I transfer it from the index cards to the computer.

I have a notation program that I use here at home - I have a copy at work, but it doesn't work well with our network, so it is easier to do here at home. Once the music is in sheet music format (I always write my compositions in C major because it is easier, but I rarely play in C major because, well, F chords), I insert it into my TME format. Once the TME is completely finished, I move things into my database. The composition kit is the first step because, at the moment, I find myself needing more musical stimulation in my life. I am almost out of index cards at work, so I need to set a couple hundred on the stairs before I leave this morning. (When I put things on the stairs, then I remember to bring them upstairs and take them with me to work!) Done.

My creative process does not always produce TMEs that are useful or interesting or something that my clients seem to get a benefit from, but it is something that helps me reconnect to my first love in music therapy - music! 

I have times in my life where I am ridiculously productive - where songs just fly out of my mouth and enter the world completely whole. There are many more times in my life where TME development is more of a chore than a joy, but I still strive to incorporate some practices into my routines so I can make this a common practice and be an okay example for my interns. This is something that I have not spent much time focusing on lately - mainly because I have had lots of interns, less active session work, and little interest in doing much of anything. My interest in returning for lots of reasons (hello, winter!), so it is time to get back into my pattern of composing and writing TMEs.

I am looking forward to it. I have put my index cards on my stairs, I have a funny picture to put on my music therapy door, and I am ready to go into the world to do music therapy things. Last night, I got new tires on my car so I can head out into the wet world with a bit more confidence. Time to get going. I hope that you can have some time to be creative in this day. Make some time, okay??

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