over the years realize that can put
myself in places where it’s more likely
to occur inspiration that is to keep up
with something that you can’t catch up
with but to be inspired by it I just
want to do this I don’t I don’t need to
approve it by anybody I just really need
to do this thing knowing the right way
to do things or understanding the
need motivation watch top 10 with
he’s Trent Reznor and here’s my take on
okay let’s kick it off with rule number
one
express yourself years ago when I did
the music that was gonna be pretty a
machine I’d always wanted to be in a
band I thought I wanted to do this
I thought and when I finally had the
courage to sit down and try to write
music um first I just tried to write
lyrics just to have lyrics to put in a
sauna and mean anything and they were
they were bad and it wasn’t until I had
the courage to kind of realized I was
keeping a journal like things that I
wouldn’t show anybody the things I
wasn’t proud to feel that I had to get
it out somehow and so when I am
incorporated them into a few songs and I
realized that I just struck something
that made me feel better to get it out
and it had an honesty and integrity to
it that I think can only come from
meeting something instead of pretending
that you’re a character doing something
so I kind of used that as the framework
for Nine Inch Nails where every record
I’ve done
really expresses where my head’s been at
when I’ve done it and I think it has a
truthfulness to it and a integrity or
sincerity that I think that’s where it’s
gone I know that I mean now I’m faced
with some hay the fragile doesn’t sound
like the upper spiral in America it
hasn’t sold as well as downward spiral
did know they do think it’s a failure
and no I don’t
it reflects where I’ve been
when I did it and that’s the record I
had to make n and very proud of rule
number two seek inspiration what I’ve
learned about inspiration over the years
is I used to live in constant fear and I
was afraid of writing and I was afraid
of
I love playing live I loved executing I
loved that side of it but that blank
piece of paper was a my worst fear and I
know now that staring at that piece of
paper saying I’ve got to write the best
song in the world how did I ever write
that song what was I thinking of am I
ever gonna be able to write something as
good as that was that an accident you
know that I subconsciously steal that
from someone and I don’t realize it you
know all those things and I’ve kind of
over the years realized I can put myself
in places where it’s more likely to
occur inspiration that is I can cut time
out of my day and go for a walk or I can
ride in the car with a tape deck on my
pot a little recorder and if I’m
thinking about something capturing or
fun in a place where I can lay in bed
for an extra 20 minutes in the morning
which is when I get most of my ideas and
if I cut that if I set that time aside
those ideas are out there I just have to
tune in to have to be in the right frame
on if I’m living in a head down execute
million things to do today world doesn’t
come to me as much rule number three be
creative have you found over the years
that if we put up creative creative
limitations and rules for example with
the how to destroy angels record that we
did we we focused on it having a very
synthetic rhythmic section we wanted it
to feel kind of dark and a little bit
dirty but we wanted it to have a beauty
to it not be abrasive but have a kind of
sexiness and that tells us in the
language of instrumentation that we’ll
probably use these instruments and start
that way and then when we start actually
working on it we might find that and we
often do that hey this isn’t as exciting
as playing on the piano
for example and then we modify that rule
to go that direction again when Atticus
and I we’re doing we’re thinking okay we
need something that sounds like the
spark of creativity you know of
acceleration of that you’ve got a good
idea and you want to follow it to its
course and that excitement of for
example rule number four evolve I’ve
worked with I’ve certainly embedded
myself and watched how some people have
done stuff I have younger friends and
newer bands i watch how they I’m
inspired by how they put things together
I very much do that listening to music
you know I’ve unashamedly have studied
production techniques and records and
try to keep up to keep up with something
that you can’t catch up with but to be
inspired by it you know to be to hear
something like my favorite records are
the ones that I don’t usually don’t like
it first because they don’t I don’t get
it but I’m intrigued enough that all
this into a second time it starts to
reveal itself and I can think of records
it after 10 listens
I’ve changed me as a past 100 lessons if
now I understand I have a new vocabulary
I didn’t have you know before it went
I’m gonna try to balance that out with
my nature is to be insular and just hide
in a cave somewhere nothing
not interact with the outside world so
it’s hard to be a rock star rather than
hiding the cave it can be done
that’s the candidate I lived in a cave
in New Orleans for 12 years you know
then it’s because it’s a weird world in
itself you know and but the only thing
that matters to me throughout that is
trying to do the best work I can do you
know and trying to continue to evolve
into whatever my final form is infinity
right now rather than getting stuck it’s
a comfortable spot Illinois also if you
want to learn how to have more
confidence check it by 254 series it’s
free the link is in the description
below I’m not exactly quitting but
here’s this thing that happened and he
said it’s your shot I said yeah he said
take it and we have trouble did you want
to give up did you ever feel like that
all the time all the time and then you
push through it
rule number five do it your way I
started this record off really pretty
afraid to see if I could write you know
I was afraid to kind of test that out in
my new world in life I was living and
I’d started talking to Rick and Rick’s
been a friend of mine for quite some
time and it was really a good a good
thing too good person good amount of
input to have around and kind of as a
mentor when I came out to LA after that
to start writing I would check in with
him and send him songs and start with
feedback on that and there came a point
when a part of me just felt like every
my confidence had grown my I’ve never
felt more strongly than I did at the
time about what I was working on and I
felt like I needed to just do this my
way my I need to see it through the way
I would see it through for better for
worse and it wasn’t against me ideas
Rick had it was just every cell in my
body the of an artist said just do this
record the way you would do it no
because I didn’t feel
sort of ideas and I felt like I had a
plan and I felt like I just want to do
this I don’t I don’t need to approve it
by anybody I just really need to do this
thing and I’m happy without her or not I
don’t know how it would have turned out
I know and I never will but it was I
feel like is what I needed to do we’re
number six limit your options limiting
your options can be a very inspiring
thing and we do that to some degree on
every project we do there there’s a
tipping point where it probably isn’t
fun and it’s just frustrating but you
know often we have option anxiety
because we’ve spent our lives collecting
this room full of stuff you know the
exotic thing that does this one thing
great and then you sit in that room and
you’re looking it’s you’re not sure
where to start because there’s infinite
amount of places to start you know so
limiting options you know creating rules
making yourself work a certain way
initially feeling uncomfortable I think
has great value in terms of from for us
sparking an idea that you wouldn’t have
come up with left to the comfortable way
to do it rule number seven keep pushing
yourself to me I feel like I have a long
way to go as a songwriter and I have a
long way to go in terms of learning out
sound works and how arrangements can be
can achieve something in the listener
and my goal really is trying to evoke
emotional response from the listener
whether it be happiness or dread or
anger or goosebumps whatever that means
to people but by no means so I feel like
I know how to do that really well I feel
like I’ve got a lot to learn so I try to
keep pushing myself into getting better
at things rule number eight go with your
gut knowing the right way to do things
or understanding the process behind or
the technique you know I’ve practiced
long and hard on several instruments you
know I know how to read music
I’ve studied music theory I have that
knowledge I tried too often not pay
attention to it and try to go just with
gut and not try to overanalyze oh I’m
playing with this and that should
resolve to that just find my way in and
in later years and it might just be loss
of memory being old but I think I’m can
pretty successfully kind of feel my way
from my soul into a place and then have
the ability though to switch and go oh I
understand this that might lead to this
thing and use that tool of technique
rule number nine just keep doing it the
other thing is just to not think you
have to write the best thing in the
world just write keep writing
you know Fred dad and I listen someone
told me that years and years ago but I
couldn’t you know I knew better I
thought I did and now I just keep at it
and I have the confidence to try things
and I hope I have the editorial have to
put on later to stop you from hearing
most of the stuff that doesn’t reach the
quality control level and rule number 10
the last one we for a very special bonus
the speech
I’ve got a special bonus clip from the
trends on why you shouldn’t be doing it
for the money that I really think you’re
going to enjoy before that it’s time for
the three-point landing questions let’s
go from just watching a video to taking
action here we go question number one
what do you need to just go with your
gut on number two where do you need to
better express yourself and number three
what can you do to seek inspiration
daily bands that I find that I like
I didn’t harem they have a sense that
they mean it and that matters to me I
don’t know if I think somebody’s just um
following the trend because that’s what
you do today do you think it’s like the
industry that kind of makes or that
artists choose to sort of buff the edges
because they think they’re gonna sell
more or I think it comes down to an
artist decision which is independent
which is specific to each artists of why
they’re doing it if they’re doing it too
long I mean I can sound I’m trying to
put my own you don’t want the Garrity
censorship at shipping I can sound
fooling myself but I can tell you that
I’m glad to make money doing this but
I’m doing it because I love music and
this is what I would do anyway I decide
to work at McDonald’s to make music at
night that’s what I would do but I think
a lot of people now are doing music just
to make money and trying to
could wink people into believing that
there’s already there that’s just my
opinion on it yeah but I think when
you’re in a climate where you be much
more um congratulated on your business
sense than your your talents that
something’s not quite right with the
if you like this video check out the top
10 I did on Henry Rollins the link is
right there next to me I think you’ll
enjoy it continue to believe and I’ll
see you there and I go at everything
with that amount of fury every damn
person who said I wouldn’t be anything
I’m crushing them every day what are you doing tomorrow
myself in places where it’s more likely
to occur inspiration that is to keep up
with something that you can’t catch up
with but to be inspired by it I just
want to do this I don’t I don’t need to
approve it by anybody I just really need
to do this thing knowing the right way
to do things or understanding the
need motivation watch top 10 with
he’s Trent Reznor and here’s my take on
okay let’s kick it off with rule number
one
express yourself years ago when I did
the music that was gonna be pretty a
machine I’d always wanted to be in a
band I thought I wanted to do this
I thought and when I finally had the
courage to sit down and try to write
music um first I just tried to write
lyrics just to have lyrics to put in a
sauna and mean anything and they were
they were bad and it wasn’t until I had
the courage to kind of realized I was
keeping a journal like things that I
wouldn’t show anybody the things I
wasn’t proud to feel that I had to get
it out somehow and so when I am
incorporated them into a few songs and I
realized that I just struck something
that made me feel better to get it out
and it had an honesty and integrity to
it that I think can only come from
meeting something instead of pretending
that you’re a character doing something
so I kind of used that as the framework
for Nine Inch Nails where every record
I’ve done
really expresses where my head’s been at
when I’ve done it and I think it has a
truthfulness to it and a integrity or
sincerity that I think that’s where it’s
gone I know that I mean now I’m faced
with some hay the fragile doesn’t sound
like the upper spiral in America it
hasn’t sold as well as downward spiral
did know they do think it’s a failure
and no I don’t
it reflects where I’ve been
when I did it and that’s the record I
had to make n and very proud of rule
number two seek inspiration what I’ve
learned about inspiration over the years
is I used to live in constant fear and I
was afraid of writing and I was afraid
of
I love playing live I loved executing I
loved that side of it but that blank
piece of paper was a my worst fear and I
know now that staring at that piece of
paper saying I’ve got to write the best
song in the world how did I ever write
that song what was I thinking of am I
ever gonna be able to write something as
good as that was that an accident you
know that I subconsciously steal that
from someone and I don’t realize it you
know all those things and I’ve kind of
over the years realized I can put myself
in places where it’s more likely to
occur inspiration that is I can cut time
out of my day and go for a walk or I can
ride in the car with a tape deck on my
pot a little recorder and if I’m
thinking about something capturing or
fun in a place where I can lay in bed
for an extra 20 minutes in the morning
which is when I get most of my ideas and
if I cut that if I set that time aside
those ideas are out there I just have to
tune in to have to be in the right frame
on if I’m living in a head down execute
million things to do today world doesn’t
come to me as much rule number three be
creative have you found over the years
that if we put up creative creative
limitations and rules for example with
the how to destroy angels record that we
did we we focused on it having a very
synthetic rhythmic section we wanted it
to feel kind of dark and a little bit
dirty but we wanted it to have a beauty
to it not be abrasive but have a kind of
sexiness and that tells us in the
language of instrumentation that we’ll
probably use these instruments and start
that way and then when we start actually
working on it we might find that and we
often do that hey this isn’t as exciting
as playing on the piano
for example and then we modify that rule
to go that direction again when Atticus
and I we’re doing we’re thinking okay we
need something that sounds like the
spark of creativity you know of
acceleration of that you’ve got a good
idea and you want to follow it to its
course and that excitement of for
example rule number four evolve I’ve
worked with I’ve certainly embedded
myself and watched how some people have
done stuff I have younger friends and
newer bands i watch how they I’m
inspired by how they put things together
I very much do that listening to music
you know I’ve unashamedly have studied
production techniques and records and
try to keep up to keep up with something
that you can’t catch up with but to be
inspired by it you know to be to hear
something like my favorite records are
the ones that I don’t usually don’t like
it first because they don’t I don’t get
it but I’m intrigued enough that all
this into a second time it starts to
reveal itself and I can think of records
it after 10 listens
I’ve changed me as a past 100 lessons if
now I understand I have a new vocabulary
I didn’t have you know before it went
I’m gonna try to balance that out with
my nature is to be insular and just hide
in a cave somewhere nothing
not interact with the outside world so
it’s hard to be a rock star rather than
hiding the cave it can be done
that’s the candidate I lived in a cave
in New Orleans for 12 years you know
then it’s because it’s a weird world in
itself you know and but the only thing
that matters to me throughout that is
trying to do the best work I can do you
know and trying to continue to evolve
into whatever my final form is infinity
right now rather than getting stuck it’s
a comfortable spot Illinois also if you
want to learn how to have more
confidence check it by 254 series it’s
free the link is in the description
below I’m not exactly quitting but
here’s this thing that happened and he
said it’s your shot I said yeah he said
take it and we have trouble did you want
to give up did you ever feel like that
all the time all the time and then you
push through it
rule number five do it your way I
started this record off really pretty
afraid to see if I could write you know
I was afraid to kind of test that out in
my new world in life I was living and
I’d started talking to Rick and Rick’s
been a friend of mine for quite some
time and it was really a good a good
thing too good person good amount of
input to have around and kind of as a
mentor when I came out to LA after that
to start writing I would check in with
him and send him songs and start with
feedback on that and there came a point
when a part of me just felt like every
my confidence had grown my I’ve never
felt more strongly than I did at the
time about what I was working on and I
felt like I needed to just do this my
way my I need to see it through the way
I would see it through for better for
worse and it wasn’t against me ideas
Rick had it was just every cell in my
body the of an artist said just do this
record the way you would do it no
because I didn’t feel
sort of ideas and I felt like I had a
plan and I felt like I just want to do
this I don’t I don’t need to approve it
by anybody I just really need to do this
thing and I’m happy without her or not I
don’t know how it would have turned out
I know and I never will but it was I
feel like is what I needed to do we’re
number six limit your options limiting
your options can be a very inspiring
thing and we do that to some degree on
every project we do there there’s a
tipping point where it probably isn’t
fun and it’s just frustrating but you
know often we have option anxiety
because we’ve spent our lives collecting
this room full of stuff you know the
exotic thing that does this one thing
great and then you sit in that room and
you’re looking it’s you’re not sure
where to start because there’s infinite
amount of places to start you know so
limiting options you know creating rules
making yourself work a certain way
initially feeling uncomfortable I think
has great value in terms of from for us
sparking an idea that you wouldn’t have
come up with left to the comfortable way
to do it rule number seven keep pushing
yourself to me I feel like I have a long
way to go as a songwriter and I have a
long way to go in terms of learning out
sound works and how arrangements can be
can achieve something in the listener
and my goal really is trying to evoke
emotional response from the listener
whether it be happiness or dread or
anger or goosebumps whatever that means
to people but by no means so I feel like
I know how to do that really well I feel
like I’ve got a lot to learn so I try to
keep pushing myself into getting better
at things rule number eight go with your
gut knowing the right way to do things
or understanding the process behind or
the technique you know I’ve practiced
long and hard on several instruments you
know I know how to read music
I’ve studied music theory I have that
knowledge I tried too often not pay
attention to it and try to go just with
gut and not try to overanalyze oh I’m
playing with this and that should
resolve to that just find my way in and
in later years and it might just be loss
of memory being old but I think I’m can
pretty successfully kind of feel my way
from my soul into a place and then have
the ability though to switch and go oh I
understand this that might lead to this
thing and use that tool of technique
rule number nine just keep doing it the
other thing is just to not think you
have to write the best thing in the
world just write keep writing
you know Fred dad and I listen someone
told me that years and years ago but I
couldn’t you know I knew better I
thought I did and now I just keep at it
and I have the confidence to try things
and I hope I have the editorial have to
put on later to stop you from hearing
most of the stuff that doesn’t reach the
quality control level and rule number 10
the last one we for a very special bonus
the speech
I’ve got a special bonus clip from the
trends on why you shouldn’t be doing it
for the money that I really think you’re
going to enjoy before that it’s time for
the three-point landing questions let’s
go from just watching a video to taking
action here we go question number one
what do you need to just go with your
gut on number two where do you need to
better express yourself and number three
what can you do to seek inspiration
daily bands that I find that I like
I didn’t harem they have a sense that
they mean it and that matters to me I
don’t know if I think somebody’s just um
following the trend because that’s what
you do today do you think it’s like the
industry that kind of makes or that
artists choose to sort of buff the edges
because they think they’re gonna sell
more or I think it comes down to an
artist decision which is independent
which is specific to each artists of why
they’re doing it if they’re doing it too
long I mean I can sound I’m trying to
put my own you don’t want the Garrity
censorship at shipping I can sound
fooling myself but I can tell you that
I’m glad to make money doing this but
I’m doing it because I love music and
this is what I would do anyway I decide
to work at McDonald’s to make music at
night that’s what I would do but I think
a lot of people now are doing music just
to make money and trying to
could wink people into believing that
there’s already there that’s just my
opinion on it yeah but I think when
you’re in a climate where you be much
more um congratulated on your business
sense than your your talents that
something’s not quite right with the
if you like this video check out the top
10 I did on Henry Rollins the link is
right there next to me I think you’ll
enjoy it continue to believe and I’ll
see you there and I go at everything
with that amount of fury every damn
person who said I wouldn’t be anything
I’m crushing them every day what are you doing tomorrow
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