Avoiding Information Overwhelm (Newsletter 02)
Originally sent on August 23, 2024.
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I've been there many times.
Overwhelmed with information and frozen in inaction. Analysis paralysis. Whatever you want to call it, it's an uncomfortable feeling that stifles creativity.
With the internet at our fingertips, information is abundant and readily available. This is, no doubt, a great thing.
The problem is that we often fall into gathering information without the action required to internalize that information.
It's natural to think that if we aren't achieving our goals (in music production or otherwise), it's because we don't have all the necessary information.
This is sometimes the case. But in my experience, I usually fall short of my goals because I either:
- Haven't built up my foundational knowledge
- Skipped or forgot creative ideas
- Haven't practiced what I've learned for long enough
This is true in every part of my life when learning something new. It could be:
- Music production
- Video production
- Web design
- Writing articles
- SEO
- Social media
- Nutrition
- Relationships
- Business
- Homesteading
- And much more
Any complex skill will have a web of concepts to understand. It's our job to build and strong foundation to build upon and connect the proverbial dots.
By the way, creativity is an infinite game. There will ALWAYS be new things to learn. That's kind of the whole point. Get comfortable with this and you'll make the music production process that much more enjoyable!
Potential Solutions
There are a few strategies I have for dealing with information overwhelm whenever I experience it (which is more often than you might think).
1. Take detailed notes on what I'm learning.
2. Put what I'm learning into action/practice immediately.
3. Shut off (or at least reduce) the flow of information to focus on practicing what I've learned.
4. Focus solely on the fundamentals until they're internalized.
As for point 3: I'm in the business of teaching music production and I realize I'm going against my “best interests” here. Sure that's my business, but it's ultimately my goal to help you as much as I can, not to sell courses.
Note Taking
How many times have you…
- read an article or a book
- listened to a podcast, lecture or audiobook
- watched a YouTube video
- taken a course
…and forgot the information almost immediately?
The brain is great at taking in information and having thoughts, but not so great at storing information. This is especially true if we aren't practicing the information.
And so we spend all this time taking in information and often fail to internalize it all. Taking notes, at least on the important or inspirational stuff, is my number one way to combat this.
I've recently started using Notion for my note-taking. It's a free app that's super customizable and syncs between my devices. It helps keep a digital notepad with me at nearly all times.
I've also been digging into the concept of building a “second brain”—an external, centralized, digital repository for the things I learn. I'll be writing about that in greater detail in a future newsletter (and may even have a template to share with you)!
Put It Into Practice
Taking notes is great, but if we really want to learn something, we have to live it.
In other words, don't just consume the information—actually use the information creatively. Put it into practice!
This is true of anything you're interested in. Though to keep things centred around music theory, some examples could be:
- Designing a synthesizer patch with a new technique
- Using a new rhythm or scale
- Trying out a new mixing idea
- Using a new software instrument or plugin
Putting it into practice could also mean teaching it to someone else. I like the Feynman Technique.
The Feynman Technique:
- Choose a concept to learn
- Teach it to yourself or someone else
- Return to the source material if you get stuck
- Simplify your explanations and create analogies
We have access to abundant information online (this newsletter included). Be diligent on internalizing what you learn by consciously putting it into action.
And whatever you do, stay out of tutorial hell!
Tutorial hell: the situation where a learner becomes stuck in an endless cycle of watching tutorials without ever moving beyond them to apply the knowledge independently.
Reducing Intake
One of the simplest (though it's not easy) ways to reduce overwhelm is to reduce our intake.
If we were to continuously take in more calories than we burn, we'd pack on weight and our health would suffer.
If we let water run into our sink with the drain closed, we'd quickly overflow the sink and flood our kitchen or bathroom.
Indeed, any open system is liable to experience overwhelm when its inputs exceeds the outputs. Our mind is no different, acting as a processor with informational inputs and outputs.
And while our mind is a powerful apparatus capable of internalizing information rapidly, it's important not to give it too much information in too short a time.
This is easier said than done (do as I say, not as I do), but it's best to focus on one thing at a time. Practice it, know it, and then move on. It's the slow-and-steady pace that allows us to win.
And that's just for the information that helps us achieve our goals…
What's worse is that much of the information we consume is irrelevant, unnecessary, and often negative.
This low-quality information quickly causes decision fatigue, anxiety, and a significant reduction in productivity.
I've recently gotten back on social media (Instagram and X to be more precise). From the start, I'm limiting who and what I choose to follow and keeping my feeds as focused as possible. When I do choose to engage, I only want to see things that will benefit my life and music.
Personally, this means cutting out:
- Politics and news
- Video games and sports
- Fashion and beauty
- Most short-form content (infinite scroll)
- Most “trending” content
Sure, I keep up with current events, I watch sports (MMA is my go-to), and I play games. However, I don't allow these things to infiltrate my working time.
For me, it also means reading one book at a time and taking detailed, actionable notes as I do so (see the previous section).
Distraction is the enemy of progress. Consume less low-quality stuff, and produce more high-quality stuff.
Focus On The Fundamentals
One of the easiest ways to become overwhelmed is to stretch yourself to advanced concepts without having a strong sense of the fundamentals.
Reminiscing on my time as a civil technician, it's imperative that the foundation of a house is properly set to build on top of it. It's essential to frame the house's walls, floors and trusses properly to put in plumbing, electrical, drywall, flooring, etc.
And then we can get fancy with paint colours, cabinetry, wall art, furniture, and more.
The point I'm trying to make is that we require the foundation (in this case, knowledge) before we can begin incorporating the advanced ideas.
In this newsletter, I want to break down the fundamentals into 3 areas of music production:
- Fundamentals of music theory
- Fundamentals of recording
- Fundamentals of mixing
My advice is to internalize these BEFORE getting into the advanced stuff. You'll have an easier time learning music production as a whole (and avoiding information overwhelm).
Beyond the mechanics, let's quickly go over the fundamentals of music production.
1. Fundamentals Of Music Theory
- Harmony: the combination of different musical notes played or sung simultaneously to produce a pleasing or structured sound
- Melody: the sequence of single notes arranged in a rhythmic pattern that is perceived as a coherent and memorable musical line
- Rhythm: the pattern of sounds and silences, defined by the timing and duration of notes and beats, that creates the flow and structure of a musical composition
A good song requires good harmony, melody and rhythm.
2. Fundamentals Of Recording
- Performance: the process of the musician playing the music through their instrument on record
- Capturing the performance: the process of recording sound waves and audio signals into analog or digital storage for processing and playback.
A good production needs good recording, which needs a good performance.
3. Fundamentals Of Mixing
- Balance: the relative levels and positions of individual tracks in a multi-track session.
- Serving the song: making mix decisions that bring out the best in the song itself.
A good production needs good mixing.
The Feeling Of Overwhelm
Sometimes you're supposed to feel overwhelmed. It's a sign that you're growing.
My advice is to push into this feeling and use it as a signal to metabolize the information you have. Take a step back, look over your notes and put the good stuff into practice.
Reduce your input and increase your output.
Focus on building on the fundamentals you've internalized.
You'll be alright.
In the light of this newsletter, I won't be plugging a course, though if you'd like to listen to my music, you can do so here!
That's it for now—I sincerely hope this helps you if you're feeling overwhelmed with information.
I'll catch you next week.
Cheers,
-Art
