In reality, collaboration and outside influence are integral to any project reaching its full potential. We all know the feeling of having worked on something for too long. Like repeating the same word over and over until it starts to sound wrong, what started out as a song or riff you were excited about becomes alien and unrecognizable. These are the moments where someone with a fresh set of ears can come in and make sense of what to you now sounds foreign. It may be that they can hear what’s making the chorus feel funny or the bridge not quite work. Sometimes it’s even just that you need an outside influence to tell you to stop adjusting, that “you’re done.” When lamenting how a lot of the old famous studios have closed, I have often heard engineers and artists complain that part of what made places like that special was there was always someone else working on something cool right down the hall. People would overlap, come in to hang out and listen, or even just gather some inspiration to take back to their own session. By secluding myself, I was forgoing all of these potential benefits. I went to a new and amazing place only to close myself off to much of its potential influence.

The number of myths about art, artists and what it takes to make great art, are countless. The creative process is so amorphous and so vulnerable that sometimes a secret formula for success can be very appealing. Playing through the right amplifier, recording into the right kind of microphone (or even traveling to Copenhagen by yourself for a month and not talking to anyone, for example), can seem less intimidating than just making something and hoping people like it. Ultimately however, there is no secret. There is no magic in the right gear or in the right process. The right thing to do is whatever feels right to you, what feels comfortable and intuitive. Maybe you are the kind of person who would have thrived on a writing trip like mine. Unfortunately, I am not. I made what is already hard to do, even harder. That said, although it was a strange and trying month, my time in Copenhagen did end up being pretty formative. I haven’t been back yet since that trip but the next time I go, I’ll probably bring a friend.

Heed my example, do what works for you, and steer clear of the myths.