How do our choices influence the creative process in shaping musical outcomes

Our motivations into artistic practice as a musician and composer come from various sources and input. One could be motivated by ego and make choices which please the masses. One could be submissive to personal tase and use the process of making art as a commentary. One can also use the artwork as a means of documenting a moment in time as a historical narrative. On the other hand, one could be driven by economy and success in the hope of making money from a creative product. Whatever the reason, our choices do shape the art work. How can one find inspiration which leads to the best outcome and choice in this process of creating?

Surely what one is exposed to leads to familiarity, which in turns leads to a judgement and opinion in shaping our creative choice? On the other hand, there is the sub-conscious which comes from memory and the unexplored realms of imagination.  In other words: the creative choice is intentional or intuitive. Either way, when one makes a choice in music-making, a direction is established and taken in the hope of completing and seeing through the outcome until the end. In other words, when an artist makes creative choices, they must decide to either abandon the journey (the composition, the improvisation, the novel, the sculpture, the painting) or see it through until the end. 

The creative choice comes from ‘space’. Space is necessary for one to create. A blank manuscript with musical staves, a blank canvas for painting or drawing, a large piece of clay for moulding and so on. It all starts from nothing but space. Within that space the creative product develops and grows with boundaries. Without boundaries our choices become limitless and the chance of completing a successful artistic outcome become slim.

When we are still and find ourselves in a quiet space, as artists, one can wait on an idea: the activation of the 'muse' . From silence comes our thoughts, our imagination rumbles and exploration takes place; a world of discovery where ideas infiltrate into a conscious place on the canvas, the musical stave, or in the creation of a dance and movement. This creative process cannot possibly be  planned and yet it can also be very intentional, with specific direction and purpose. Once again, it is our motivations and choices which sculpt the outcome. I would argue that both approaches are valid and necessary. At times one does not have the luxury of time to wait for a 'download' of ideas and creativity to manifest as a product. The again, there has been many a time when my best work has been developed through a marinating of ideas, almost like a subconscious, unintentional process which contributes to an outcome.