Creativity Squared: Leaning into Your Innate Creative Instinct with Ethan Myers

Ethan Myers is a music composer, sound designer, and creative director at Vapor Music in Toronto. He studied music at Humber College completing a Bachelor’s of Music specialising in Jazz Percussion. He has worked on national and international advertising campaigns, films and award recognized music videos over the last decade of his career. His background in music and sound is as diverse as it comes. From touring with bluegrass and jazz groups as a drummer, to creating soundscapes for video games, to writing and scoring music for film and advertising. He doesn’t plan on taking the traditional path anytime soon. 

Person

For me, creativity at its core is a feeling. It is a gut instinct that guides you. I believe that this instinct is both innate and acquired. It's a muscle that you train and refine as you learn from, and get exposed to works of other creatives, past and present. It takes dedication, an open mind, and ultimately sheer stubbornness of what you envision to find your voice. It’s a constant moving goal post. Every project, big or small, offers a new challenge, a new approach, a new experience. It’s what makes me excited to wake up and work on my craft every day.

Product 

I used to judge the creativity of sound predominantly on a technical level. I would sit back wondering, if a sound effect was too loud, if the VO was cleaned up enough, if there was enough room tone or background walla for a scene. Now, the most important thing I look for is the effectiveness of the narrative and how sound can support it, by evoking an emotion. Sound plays a huge role in how we feel when watching a film, an ad, or simply when going for a walk. We hear before we see, and whether we’re aware of it in the moment or not, there is a subconscious effect at play. When judging a creative piece of work, I ask myself, how does the sound support the narrative, is it effective, and does it make the story more impactful.

Process

In my process I find the smallest detail of equal importance as the overall piece. I iterate a lot and constantly switch between focusing on the smallest sounds buried deep in the mix and pushing back to view the overall picture until I’m happy with the result. I see every project as a puzzle where each piece has its purpose. My job is in refining the pieces, finding the right combination, and removing the clutter. One technique I’ve been practicing recently if I’m stuck, is to step away from the process and give myself space to allow my mind to process and wander. I have a habit of not allowing myself to step away when I’m invested in a project. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the details and the sense of urgency to fix them right in that moment. But eventually, if you trust the process and step away, the pieces will settle in place. Inspiration and creative solutions can come when your mind is at rest. And also, get your sleep. Staying up all night has never helped. 

Press

Appreciation for artistic expression in all its shapes and forms, is something that my family instilled in me growing up. My parents introduced me to fantastic works of art and literature, which at their core were great stories. I think this is where my passion for storytelling comes from and I express it whenever possible in my work. I believe the strongest projects emerge when the teams have the dedication and courage to stay true to their vision, despite doubts or challenges. That’s where honest work with intention come from. It’s an extension of you and your experiences.