finding the time
how to make time for creative work
I used to believe that if I could just carve out more time, I would finally be able to make music the way I imagined—deeply, expansively, without interruption. I envisioned long, uninterrupted stretches in the studio, where ideas would flow effortlessly, and the half-finished tracks cluttering my hard drive would finally take shape.
But now, with more unstructured time than ever before, I’m realizing something:
Time, no matter how abundant, is only as valuable as your ability to harness attention, focus, and directionality.
Even though I am making more music, I suspect I wouldn’t be if I weren’t anchoring my time with other responsibilities—scaffolding that keeps creative inertia at bay. When there are fewer external constraints, you have to build internal ones—or else time just dissolves into nothing.
Musicians with day jobs often romanticize the idea of unlimited creative time, yet many full-time artists wrestle just as much—if not more—with discipline and productivity. The truth is, an overabundance of free time doesn’t automatically yield creative work. If anything, it can heighten procrastination, amplifying the difficulty of starting at all.
The goal, then, isn’t about accumulating more time. It’s about learning to structure, protect, and fully engage with the time you already have.
Unstructured Time and Attentional Autonomy
A lack of time isn’t usually the issue. What really holds people back is a lack of attentional autonomy—the ability to direct focus deliberately and purposefully, especially when engaging in deep creative work. Not all unstructured time is bad. In fact, activities like zoning out, walking in nature, or letting the mind wander can be powerful for creativity and mental well-being. The problem arises when time that’s meant for focused work becomes consumed by distractions or low-value activities.
Research in behavioral economics and cognitive psychology shows that people struggle with open-ended tasks. In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains how too much freedom—too many options, too much time—can lead to decision paralysis. Similarly, psychologist Roy Baumeister’s studies on self-regulation suggest that people are more productive when they set clear, structured goals rather than vague aspirations.
This is why musicians flounder when they sit down to work without a plan. Telling yourself, I’m going to work on music today is too broad. Are you writing? Mixing? Tweaking hi-hats for three hours? Without a system, open-ended time gets swallowed by distractions, second-guessing, or avoidance.
I’ve seen this play out in my own process. If I sit down without a plan, I’ll end up scrolling through sample packs, tweaking a synth patch, or aimlessly looping sections. But if I start a session knowing exactly what I need to do—“finish the second verse” or “arrange the bridge section”—I get into flow much faster.
Most people don’t need more time for music. They need a better way to structure the time they already have.
Blocks of Time
It is common to wait for inspiration to strike before sitting down to work.
It is tempting to think that creativity is something that just happens when the mood is right.
But relying on inspiration is a terrible long-term strategy. Creative professionals—from musicians to writers to filmmakers—know that creativity flourishes when it’s scheduled, not when it’s left to chance.
Neuroscientist John Kounios, who studies insight and creativity, found that while “aha” moments can feel spontaneous, they’re actually the result of deep mental engagement over time. If you only make music when you feel like it, you’ll have some exciting moments but little finished work to show for it.
The alternative? Time blocking.
In Deep Work, Cal Newport describes how setting aside dedicated time for focused work allows for deeper concentration and better creative output. This approach works because it removes the mental friction of deciding when to work—you just show up and do it.
The Smallest Next Step
One of the biggest creativity killers is not knowing where to start.
Psychologist Timothy Pychyl, a leading researcher on procrastination, found that people are far more likely to avoid tasks that feel vague or overwhelming. This is why writers often struggle to begin a new book and why musicians can sit in front of a blank DAW for hours without touching a single fader.
The best way to combat this is to always know your next step before you sit down to work.
I’ve noticed that when I end a session by defining exactly what I need to do next—“Fix the vocal EQ in the chorus,” “Write a bassline for the verse”—I get straight to work the next time. But if I don’t, I waste the first 20 minutes aimlessly clicking around.
I’ve also experimented with stacking habits to eliminate the friction of starting creative work. I have found that if I attach a music making session to something that I already automatically do as a course of habit, it makes it much easier. I don’t have to choose to get into the studio I have already decided that, for example, after I make coffee, I sit down to work. There’s a whole chain of habits I am working on developing that get me started in the creative process in the smoothest possible manner: making coffee is followed by sitting down at my desk, taking three deep breaths, turning off my phone ringer, deciding what I’d like to accomplish during this session and writing it down etc…
These small steps, when completed in sequence over and over again, create a kind of ritual that can signal to your brain that creative work is about to begin. This is the best way I have found to combat the issue of staring at a blank session. When creative work is embedded into a structured habit sequence, the question of where do I start? stops being relevant. You’re already moving forward.
Three Hours
I find that unless I’m really in the zone, three hours of focused work is where I get the best results. Any longer and my ears get fatigued, my decision-making slows down, and I start second-guessing things I was excited about earlier.
To make the most of that time, I structure my sessions like this:
Hour 1: Sound Selection & Initial Ideas
I don’t waste time digging through sample packs because I have racks and templates pre-configured in Ableton.
If I need new sounds, I limit myself to 5-10 minutes of browsing.
The focus is on quickly sketching ideas rather than perfecting anything.
Hour 1.5: Improvisation & Composition
This is where I let things flow. I improvise melodies, chord progressions, and drum patterns.
I loop sections and experiment, capturing moments that feel good.
I resist the urge to edit too soon—this is about getting ideas out.
45 Minutes: Arrangement
Once I have raw material, I start arranging it into a structure.
I duplicate loops, create sections, and establish a basic journey for the track.
The goal isn’t perfection—just getting from start to finish.
30 Minutes: Transitions, FX, and Rough Mix
I add automation, reverb throws, and other transition elements.
I balance levels quickly for a rough mix.
Before I end, I bounce a rough mix so I can listen back in other contexts.
This system helps me finish music instead of endlessly tweaking.
Attention is the Most Valuable Resource
Chris Hayes, the journalist and political commentator, has been making the rounds promoting his new book, The Siren’s Call, where he argues that our focus is under siege like never before. In interviews on major platforms, from NPR to The New York Times, Hayes has been unpacking how platforms, corporations, and algorithms aggressively compete to capture and monetize our attention. He frames attention as one of the most valuable resources of our time—one that’s constantly being hijacked by forces designed to keep us endlessly engaged, and even addicted, but rarely fulfilled.
This has real consequences for creatives. Social media overuse, information saturation, and algorithm-driven distractions corrode our ability to focus deeply on meaningful work. I’ve always been distractible, but the distractions are coming faster and harder than ever. If we don’t actively protect our attention, we risk losing not just productivity, but the mental space required for real creative breakthroughs.
Creative work is one of the best antidotes to this. Making music, writing, or engaging in any deep, immersive practice counteracts the corrosive effects of the attention economy. It’s an act of reclaiming ownership over your time, your focus, and ultimately, your creative identity. The more intentional we are about where we place our attention, the more we can resist being passive consumers and instead become active creators.
Creativity Moves at the Speed of Attention
It’s easy to obsess over time—how much we have, how much we don’t have, what we would do with more of it. But time isn’t really the critical factor. Attention is.
Every time you sit down to make music, you’re faced with a choice: to focus, or to drift. To be present in the creative moment, or to let your mind slip into distractions and anxieties about whether you’re good enough, whether the track is working, whether you even have the energy for this.
Creativity moves at the speed of attention. If you can protect your focus, the work gets done. If you can’t, all the time in the world won’t help.
And attention, like anything, is a practice. It’s built by showing up, by making music at the same time every week, by training your brain to enter flow state with less resistance. It’s not about finding the time—it’s about learning how to use it.
And the time you have? It’s enough.
If you're a musician or producer looking to carve out more space for your creative practice, my book 3 Hours Producer is a practical guide to reclaiming your time and making the most of it. It’s a manual for structuring your sessions, overcoming distraction, and building a sustainable rhythm of creativity—one that works within the reality of your life, not against it.
In other news: I have some new music coming your way over the next few weeks. I shared a version of a new song in last week’s letter. The track will be out everywhere this Friday. You can pre-save it here. That way your chosen DSP will alert you when it’s out.