Inspiration is a cheap substitute for work ethic.

Many artists follow the ethos that they need to be inspired in order to create art. If they're not inspired, they do not want to create.

Of course, we all want inspiration. To be inspired literally means to have breath put into you—feeling the spirit move through you, to be the oxygen revitalizing your soul. Who would say no to that?

The thing is, inspiration is not reliably reproducible. It doesn't always just come to you. And like a new crush or falling in love, it can happen fast and end fast, especially when you are working on a long-term project.

My artistic philosophy borrows from Steven Pressfield's The War of Art. Art is your job. Showing up even when you're uninspired is part of the work. Showing up even when you're not being paid is part of the work.

I have a friend and colleague who told me they need to be inspired in order to work on a project. They want to have fun with a project we've been working on. Of course, who doesn't want those things?

We struggled with setting goals and meeting them for a project. When we'd try an approach, there would be a pivot: he was not inspired by a tune, so we would abandon it.

There's nothing wrong with throwing art in the trash can—so much of what we do is work that won't see the light of day. But I found myself struggling to understand why it still didn't feel right to throw these away.

It was because they were half-baked. We didn't even get to a completed tune. We would start and then stop. We would never get to the finish line. We never got the practice of completion.

My creative philosophy values completion. Decide on a process and see it through to the end. Follow SMART goals and start small so you can complete and iterate quickly.

When inspiration is a prerequisite, you're not in control of the artistic process. Some artists like that. If you have the luxury of time, great. But I see creation as a craft—and the way you get better is through completion.

Inspiration is cheap, and it burns fast. There are always tough logistics that need to be pushed through to get a project completed. There are times when a project will not be fun, when there will be drudgery.

Are you committed to the project or to your whims? Choose one.

If you're in a creative practice, ask yourself: do you see through your artistic creation even when it gets tough? Are you choosing inspiration or dedication?

I'm biased, but I would privilege dedication over inspiration. Because here's a little secret: inspiration comes on the path that dedication puts you on—not the other way around.