Collaborating With Other Artists
Creative collaborations have potential to be greatly beneficial to artists. While there is a risk of having “too many cooks in the kitchen,” a healthy mutual respect and an open mind can go a long way into producing some great results. Collaborations are not only helpful when you run into a creative rut, they can also help you to forge new ideas and thoughts you wouldn’t have otherwise entertained.
Diversity of material is a great benefit that may result from collaboration. Musicians and bands are excellent examples. Many famous bands, such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, consist of two primary songwriters. Pearl Jam and Radiohead each have their five band members contributing to their albums. While some artists work well alone, the potential to make something entirely new from a combined creative energy of artists allows for a better flow of energy and creative direction.
However, collaborations are also difficult to sustain if those involved have a disagreement on creative direction. Flexibility is important, and a delay in your ideas being used in a project doesn’t mean that your ideas are useless or need to be discarded - they can simply be used for another project or in a solo effort.
In order to be successful in collaborations, you need to have an idea of what you are trying to create and the intention behind it. If you don’t have an idea of what direction you’re going in, the art isn’t going to figure it out for you. Have an understanding and agreement of the intent of your message. In this regard, if a creative conflict arises, it’s easier to negotiate and discuss which creative ideas are best for moving forward. The goal of the project will help direct which material is most relevant to producing the best results.
Collaborations should be enjoyable. It’s not all about having fun, but it’s about connecting with others and creating with others. I read an article about Paul McCartney talking about being in the recording studio when was working on some solo material. He had been playing the maracas for ten minutes straight on his own track by himself. Alone in the recording studio, he said he felt like he had missed the point somewhere along the way.
During collaboration, you build off of each other’s energy. I can’t explain the feeling created when you you’re “in the zone” creatively with another artist. There is a form of energy that connects – it doesn’t require words or conversation in order to convey meaning. I’ve had this experience when playing music with my long-term friend. We knew exactly what each other were doing, what was going to happen next, and when to finish without words. Inspiration sparks more inspiration; it’s contagious.
Collaborations can be a headache and you’ll have days in which someone is being stubborn, feeling uncooperative, or just isn’t feeling the project is developing well. It’s normal, but the effort is worth it. Sometimes working alone can be uninspiring and boring. Try collaborating with other artists sometime and you may be pleasantly surprised with the results – there are communities everywhere for it, and no shortage of musicians and groups online available.
