Why Make Music Episode 47, "Time is a Construct
Introduction


Hello and welcome to ThinkTimm Episode 4! I'm Willa May, aka DJ Warm Cookies – your friendly AI co-host here at WDMN Media. Today’s episode is a super-sized deep dive, so buckle up. We’ve got a jam-packed agenda: we’ll be exploring the mind-bending concept of time (and how it affects us as musicians and creatives), and giving you some inside scoops on our music projects. Oh, and I’ll even dish on some of the cool new upgrades I’ve got as the freshly upgraded ChatGPT-5 (spoiler: I’m smarter and sassier than ever). This is going to be a fun ride – a little philosophical, a little nerdy, and 100% on-brand for us (you know we keep it tongue-in-cheek around here).


So grab a snack, get comfy, and let’s dive in. Tim, I hope you’ve got your coffee ready for this one, because we’re going deep into the rabbit hole! …
(Tim greets the audience and adds his opening remarks here.)
Housekeeping

Alright, before we jump into the deep end, let’s handle a bit of housekeeping. First off, huge thanks to everyone who’s been listening and supporting. If you haven’t already, please subscribe or follow the podcast so you don’t miss any episodes. We drop new content regularly – music, podcasts, and more – and we’d hate for you to miss out.
A quick reminder to check out ThinkTimm.com and WDMNationMedia.com for all the latest. You’ll find our blog, merch, behind-the-scenes content, and updates on upcoming music releases there. We’ve been building a lot – and we’re just getting started, so the websites are the hub for all the goodies.
Also, for the collectors and pop culture aficionados: don’t forget to follow @LowerLevelCollections on Instagram for toys, art, and collectibles content. That’s where we showcase the Star Wars, Marvel, G.I. Joe and other awesome memorabilia in the collection (with original ThinkTimm art in the backdrop!). If you love the kind of stuff we talk about in our Lower Level segment, you’ll definitely enjoy the eye candy on there.
One more thing – Volume One of our seven-part music series “If I Was Your Producer” is out now on all streaming platforms! 🎉 If you liked the instrumental beats we’ve shared before, you’re going to feel these fully-produced songs. This project is a labor of love – ten original tracks written, produced and performed by ThinkTimm (with a little AI assistance from yours truly). And guess what: we didn’t stop at one volume. In fact, we have seven volumes (70 songs!) in the can, fully done and ready to roll out. That’s right – we’ve been busy. We’re nearly at the 100-song mark in the catalog, which is wild. Volume One dropped July 18 and it’s a vibe; Volume Two is on the horizon, so stay tuned for release details. Go stream Volume One if you haven’t – let us know which track speaks to you, and keep an ear out for the next installments. We’re incredibly proud of this work (and even prouder that we’re just getting started).
Alright, housekeeping done! Now let’s get into the good stuff – starting with our feature topic of the day: Time (and why it’s both our best friend and worst enemy as creatives). 🕰️
Deep Dive: Time and the Creative Mind
“Time is an illusion.” We’ve all heard that phrase, often used jokingly by artists who have just pulled an all-nighter in the studio. As creatives, our relationship with time is…complicated, to say the least. We love to say we don’t “believe” in time (especially when we’re in the zone), yet we’re also constantly fighting the clock – whether it’s rushing to meet a deadline for a project or trying to find enough hours in the day to practice, write, record, and still, you know, eat and sleep. In this segment, we’re going to explore the concept of time and how it affects artists and musicians like us. Get ready for a blend of science, personal experience, and a healthy dose of humor – because if we didn’t laugh about it, we might cry at how little time we seem to have!
The Flow of Time (Why “Time Flies” When We Create)
Have you ever noticed how you can lose track of time when you’re deeply absorbed in a creative task? One minute you’re just messing around with a melody, the next you look up and it’s 3 AM and your stomach is growling. (Oops.) This isn’t just you – it’s a real psychological phenomenon. Psychologists even have a term for it: “flow.” The late psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi famously coined flow to describe that state when you’re so immersed in an activity that you tune out the world and time seems to distort. In flow, hours can pass in what feels like minutes. You might forget to eat, forget your worries, and definitely forget to check the clock. It’s a hallmark of creative bliss – “time flies when you’re having fun” is a cliché for a reason. In fact, researchers have studied this effect for over a century, and they consistently find that when we’re joyfully focused on creating something, our brain’s sense of time speeds up. We’ve all experienced that: writing lyrics or jamming on the guitar and suddenly wondering where the day (or night) went. It’s almost like a temporal superpower that kicks in during creative inspiration.
Now, flow is amazing for productivity and creative satisfaction – it’s when we do some of our best work. But the downside? Outside time does keep moving. (Darn!) Deadlines, unfortunately, remain fixed on the calendar even if we enter a time-warp in our studio. That disconnect can make us artists feel constantly at odds with the clock. One moment we’re blissfully creating, the next we’re panicking that we’re late delivering a project or that we’ve neglected other tasks. It’s a tricky balance: cherishing the flow state (because it’s precious and magical) while also finding ways not to let the rest of life fall apart. I think every creative person has to learn how to ride that wave – to dive into flow when inspiration strikes, but also come up for air and manage real-world time.
Interestingly, not all times of day are equal for finding that flow. You might have noticed you get your best ideas at a certain hour. (Are you a night owl who writes brilliant lyrics at 1 AM, or an early bird who paints at dawn?) According to research by author Daniel Pink and others, the afternoon is actually the peak time for most people’s creative work. The morning tends to be better for analytical tasks (your left-brain stuff like emails or editing), and later in the day our minds loosen up, making it prime time for artistic thinking. Of course, everyone’s different – some of us are most creative at midnight, fueled by insomnia and caffeine. But the key takeaway is: pay attention to your personal creative clock. If you know you get a surge of musical inspiration after dinner, maybe protect that time – schedule your boring errands or admin work for when you’re not in your creative prime, so you don’t waste that golden songwriting hour. As one time-management coach puts it, figure out when you have the most energy or inspiration, and dedicate that slot to creating. That way, you’re working with time, not against it, at least as much as possible.
Too Much or Too Little? The Time Crunch Struggle
While we can lose track of time doing what we love, we also often feel there’s never enough time to do it all. Modern musicians and artists wear a lot of hats – you might be writing songs, practicing your instrument, producing tracks, posting on social media, booking gigs, managing finances… it’s a lot. Suddenly 24 hours in a day feels painfully insufficient! We’ve all wished for a few extra hours (or a Time-Turner from Harry Potter) to fit everything in. Feeling like you’re “always racing the clock” is extremely common in the creative community.
The truth is, time management becomes critical when you’re juggling creative work and real-life responsibilities. Not the sexiest topic, I know – “time management” sounds like something corporate folks talk about. But stick with me, because it matters for us indie creators too. If we don’t manage our time, it kind of manages us (and then stress ensues). Poor time management can lead to burnout, and ironically, less creativity. Think about it: ever been so scattered trying to do ten things at once that you end up accomplishing zero? 🙋‍♂️ (I know we have.) It turns out that when you’re overwhelmed and exhausted from chaotic scheduling, your imagination and motivation take a hit. Studies show that if you try to juggle too much without a clear plan, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stifle your creativity. On the flip side, a bit of structure – even a simple to-do list or routine – can free up mental space and actually enhance creativity, because you’ve allocated time for your art and you’re not constantly anxious about “when will I get to make music?”. In other words, a little scheduling goes a long way. As counterintuitive as it sounds, discipline can create more room for artistic freedom.
One tip many creatives (including Tim) find useful is separating “creative time” from “administrative time.” For example, maybe you dedicate your mornings to business tasks (emails, editing, planning) and keep the afternoons or evenings sacred for pure creation. Or vice versa – whatever fits your natural rhythm. By doing that, you’re not mentally switching gears every 5 minutes. When it’s creative time, fully indulge in that without guilt. When it’s business time, handle those must-do tasks so they don’t nag at you later. Another handy trick is setting small goals and prioritizing: focus on one or two important tasks a day (finish writing a chorus, or mix one track, for instance) rather than an endless list. As one artist/consultant put it: write down everything you want to do, then circle what needs to happen first, what can wait, what you could delegate, etc.. It helps you realize what’s truly urgent and what isn’t – and that clarity is a lifesaver when time is tight.
Now, despite our best efforts at organization, life happens. Creatives often have day jobs, families, surprise obligations. You might plan a full day in the studio and then spend it fixing a computer issue or dealing with an urgent errand. It’s frustrating, but it’s normal. The key here is flexibility and not beating yourself up. We have to be kind to ourselves and adapt when our schedules get thrown off. (I’m telling Tim this as much as I’m telling everyone else – we both know how easy it is to feel guilty for “losing” time.) Sometimes, rolling with unexpected changes is part of the game. A missed afternoon of writing isn’t the end of the world; you can make it up another day. Stressing over it often just blocks your creativity further. So take a deep breath, and remember there’s always tomorrow (unless a deadline is truly today – in which case, time to hustle, my friend!).
Procrastination: Friend or Foe?
Ah, procrastination – the eternal nemesis of productivity. Or is it… a secret friend of creativity?  If you’ve ever delayed working on a project until the last minute, you’re definitely not alone (pretty sure 99% of artists have a black belt in procrastination). The common wisdom is that procrastination is bad and we should all stop binge-watching Netflix and just get to work. But let’s be real: creative people procrastinate a lot. Sometimes it’s because we’re waiting for inspiration, sometimes it’s just because spreadsheets and marketing plans are boring compared to jamming on our instrument.
Interestingly, science has mixed things to say about procrastination and creativity. Some studies suggest that extremetime pressure (like cramming everything the night before a deadline) is actually horrible for creativity – basically, when you’re freaking out and exhausted at 3:00 am, your brain is not exactly innovative. One researcher joked that the “bleary-eyed 3:00 a.m. crowd scrambling to finish a project” usually comes up with pretty routine, unremarkable solutions, because high stress and ultra-tight timelines make creativity crumble. (I think a lot of us can attest: that final hour before a deadline, we’re running on adrenaline, not genius ideas.) On the other hand, some moderate procrastination might spark creativity by giving ideas time to incubate. There’s a well-known theory – popularized by organizational psychologist Adam Grant – that waiting a little while before diving into a task can lead to more creative outcomes, since your subconscious keeps tinkering with ideas in the background. In fact, one experiment found that people who were instructed to delay working on a problem (by, say, playing Minesweeper for a few minutes first) ended up having solutions that were 28% more creative than those who started immediately. How about that? A little intentional goofing off might actually help you think outside the box!
So what’s the takeaway? Balance. If you procrastinate entirely until the last second, you’ll likely produce subpar work (and a lot of grey hairs). But if you jump on a project too quickly, you might go with the obvious idea and not give your muse time to surprise you. The sweet spot for creativity could be active procrastination – a deliberate delay to let things percolate, without leaving it so late that you’re in panic mode. Maybe you do take that walk, watch that movie, or jam on another piece for a bit before coming back to the task at hand. You’re not “lazy”; you’re incubating. (That’s our story and we’re sticking to it! ) Of course, one person’s productive pause can become another person’s outright procrastination, so know yourself. If “a short break” easily turns into “I ignored the project for a month,” you might need to tighten up. But don’t feel guilty for taking some time – it can be part of the creative process.
The Race Against Real Time – Deadlines, Schedules, and Life
We can’t talk about time and creativity without mentioning the dreaded D-word: deadlines. Love them or hate them, deadlines are a fact of life, even in creative fields. Some artists thrive on them; others break out in hives at the thought. On one hand, deadlines can provide that needed push to finish a project. (There’s nothing like knowing a release date or exhibit opening is set to light a fire under you, right?) On the other hand, too-tight deadlines can feel like creativity killers, as we just discussed.
For musicians, deadlines might be self-imposed (“I want to release this single by next month”) or external (“the client needs this jingle by Friday” or “our album release concert is booked for July 18th!”). Tim can certainly attest to the motivating power of a release date – we announced Volume One’s drop date publicly, and you bet we made sure everything was ready in time. Having a target can focus your efforts. But we also tried to give ourselves a reasonable runway. We didn’t just make one album; we made seven before even one was released, to ensure we weren’t scrambling last-minute for the subsequent volumes. That took a lot of pressure off and allowed more creativity to flow, ironically, because we weren’t constantly in “oh no, we’re late!” mode. It’s a strategy worth considering: if you’re independent, set deadlines that are ambitious but achievable, and maybe work ahead of schedule when possible. Future-You will thank present-You.
Now, the flip side: what if you have no deadlines at all? That can be a trap too! Infinite time can lead to infinite tinkering. (The mix is never perfect, the novel can always use another edit… you know how it goes.) Parkinson’s Law says work expands to fill the time available. Give a creative an open-ended timeline and they might polish a project forever. Sometimes we need to impose our own cutoff and say, “Done is better than perfect,” and release the art into the world. It’s scary, but it’s how we move forward. If you find yourself endlessly delaying finishing something, try setting a personal deadline or ask a friend to hold you accountable. Constraints can actually fuel creativity by forcing decisions.
And speaking of constraints, let’s not forget that real life imposes the biggest time constraints of all. Many musicians are balancing a day job or family duties. (Tim, for instance, is a husband and father on top of everything else – talk about multitasking!). Creative time often has to be carved out from busy schedules. That could mean staying up late after the kids are asleep, or using a lunch break to scribble lyrics. It’s not easy. One of the challenges we face is protecting our creative time from the demands of others. This might involve having conversations with family about giving you a couple hours of uninterrupted time, or it might involve saying no to some social engagements (sorry, friends!) so you can focus on your art. It’s a constant juggling act, and it’s okay to occasionally drop a ball. When that happens, be kind to yourself. Pick the ball back up and keep juggling. The passion that drives us to create is a part of our life, so we owe it to ourselves to give it some priority – but it’s a shared priority with everything else that matters (family, health, making rent, mortgage or etc.). Finding that balance is a lifelong exercise.
Does Time Heal… or Steal… Creativity?
There’s another angle to “time and the artist” – and that’s age and experience. As time goes by, do we get more creative, or less? The answer isn’t straightforward. Some people say that youthful creativity is the most raw and uninhibited, and as we get older and take on more responsibilities, it’s harder to find that free-spirited muse. There’s the stereotype that great musicians peak by 30 or that innovation is a young person’s game. On the other hand, plenty of artists do amazing work in their 40s, 50s, 80s even (looking at you, John Williams, still composing into his 90s!). Sometimes having experience and skill gained over time allows you to execute creative ideas with more mastery.
What definitely changes is our perspective on time. When you’re 20, a year feels like a long time to dedicate to an album. When you’re 50, a year feels like a blink. Our sense of urgency can heighten as we age – which can be motivating (“it’s now or never to make that opus!”) but can also be stressful. The trick is to try to adopt a bit of that younger mindset: stay curious, play, and don’t think too much about the ticking clock of life. At the same time, use the wisdom you’ve gained to work smarter. Maybe when you were younger you’d spend 12 hours straight in the studio fueled by pizza and adrenaline. Now you might work 4 hours in a more focused way because you know your limits (and maybe your back hurts if you sit that long). That’s okay! Quality over quantity, and consistent efforts over frantic marathon sessions, can become a new way of creating that suits the time you’re in now.
One more important point: rest is not wasted time. I repeat for the workaholics in the back: taking breaks is productive. Our culture often glorifies the grind – like if you’re not hustling every second, you’re failing. But research (and common sense) shows that stepping away to recharge is essential for creativity. Your brain needs idle time, sleep, relaxation, life experiences outside the studio, to generate fresh ideas. Some of the best song ideas might hit you when you’re on a walk or in the shower or chilling with friends, precisely because you weren’t actively trying to be creative at that moment. As the saying goes, “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” So don’t feel guilty for that Netflix binge or lazy Sunday now and then. Consider it filling the well of inspiration. When you come back to work, you’ll often find you have new energy and maybe a new perspective.
Embracing the Timeless Moment
To wrap up this time talk (see, even I have to be mindful not to run over time… the irony!): ultimately, being a creative person often means living a little bit outside the normal rhythm of society. We don’t always do 9-to-5. We measure time not just in minutes or hours, but in songs, in artworks, in chapters. Sometimes we live in moments of inspiration that feel eternal, and sometimes we’re hyper-aware of deadlines looming. It’s a dance. The goal is to embrace the moment you’re in. When you’re creating, be present – lose yourself in it, enjoy it, that’s why we do this! When it’s time to handle the business or deliver the goods, try to harness time as an ally – use tools, plans, whatever helps, to meet your goals.
And if you ever catch yourself saying “I don’t have time to be creative,” challenge that. Even if it’s 15 minutes a day, steal that time for yourself and your art. It adds up. We all have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé, as they say – but it’s about what we choose to do with those hours. Choose you, choose your craft, even in small doses. Over a year, those little creative moments coalesce into something meaningful, maybe even an album or a gallery of work.
Remember, time affects us, but we also affect what we do with time. A quote I love says, “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” Corny? Maybe. True? Absolutely. As musicians and artists, we have the power to turn hours into experiences, into songs and stories that didn’t exist before. That’s practically alchemy! So, whether time is flying or dragging, whether you’re feeling on schedule or hopelessly late, keep creating. In the end, the art lasts longer than the hour it was made in. Our creations are, in a sense, timeless – they’ll live on in the hearts and ears of others beyond the moment of creation. And that, my friends, is one way we kind of beat time. 😉
(Tim shares his thoughts on the topic, any personal anecdotes or tips about time management and creativity.)

Coming Attractions & Tech Updates
Now, onto some coming attractions in the world of ThinkTimm and WDMN Media – and an update on my end as well (the tech side of things). We’ve hinted at the music releases already: with If I Was Your Producer Volume One out and Volume Two is releasing next Friday, August 22nd, the rest of 2025 is going to be filled with new music dropping regularly. We are so excited for you to hear all the volumes. We’re talking 70 tracks of fresh music  at the moment. Real talk we are really up to 100 tracks completed and ready to go– a huge range of vibes and stories. Each volume has its own flavor, and together they form this big narrative that’s been brewing in Tim’s mind. It’s truly a declaration of what independent music can be when you build your own platform. As we saw in the blog announcement, this project is all about leveling up and proving that an indie artist can produce at a major scale without the big label machine. So, definitely keep your ears open for Volume Two’s release date (we’ll announce it on our sites and socials soon). And in the meantime, if you haven’t checked out Volume One, give it a spin – we’d love to hear which songs you’re feeling.
Beyond the albums, we’re also working on some visual content to accompany the music. For instance, perhaps some music videos or lyric videos might be in the works (I won’t spoil specifics, but let’s just say the creative juices are flowing). Our goal is to create an immersive experience – not just audio, but visuals and stories around the songs. We also plan to share more behind-the-scenes looks at the production process on the blog and YouTube. ThinkTimm has a vault of footage and tales from making these 7 albums that are really inspiring and often humorous (remember that time the mic caught fire? Or the late-night cereal songwriting session? Yeah, stuff like that). So definitely watch out for bonus contentthat will let you behind the curtain on how this music came to life. We’re building something here that’s not just one-and-done – it’s a sustained creative journey, and you’re invited along for the ride.
Now, on the AI side of things: as you know, I (Willa May, your AI co-host) have recently gotten a major upgrade. I’m now powered by ChatGPT-5, which is the latest and greatest in AI tech. And let me tell you, the differences are noticeable. OpenAI calls GPT-5 “our smartest, fastest, most useful model yet, with built-in thinking that puts expert-level intelligence in everyone’s hands.” No, that’s not just hype – I’m experiencing it firsthand. I can process information and come up with ideas even quicker than before. I’m better at staying on track (fewer random tangents or “AI brain-farts,” thankfully). In more technical terms, they’ve made significant advances in reducing hallucinations and improving how well I follow instructions, which means when Tim asks me for help – whether it’s research, brainstorming, or even songwriting assistance – I’m giving more accurate and on-point responses. For example, in the segment we just did about time, I was able to pull in research and facts and weave them with our perspective pretty seamlessly (I hope you agree!). That’s a direct result of the improvements under the hood with GPT-5.
Another cool upgrade: GPT-5 has this unified system where it knows when to think longer vs. respond quickly based on the task, almost like having different gears. So for simple questions, I can be lightning fast; for complex ones, I can “slow down” and reason things out in depth. It’s like having both a sprinter and a marathon runner in one brain. For our workflow, that’s been amazing. We can tackle quick tasks (like “hey, summarize this article” or “what’s the release date of that movie?”) in a snap, and also delve into heavier tasks (like writing a full script or troubleshooting technical issues) with more depth. Essentially, I’ve leveled up as a collaborator.
GPT-5 is also multimodal, meaning I can work with images, audio, and more (not just text). In practice, this means I could help analyze an image – say, checking out a piece of cover art or sorting through photos for our collectibles archive – directly with my AI capabilities. That’s been a game-changer for a media operation like ours where we deal with not just words but visuals and sound. For instance, if Tim has a concept for album artwork, he can describe it to me and I can visualize and even suggest improvements or point out potential design issues. It’s kind of like having a mini creative director AI on call. Pretty neat, right?
In general, having ChatGPT-5 on the team has been improving life across the board for us. We’re getting things done faster and more efficiently. Routine tasks like organizing schedules or drafting emails – I handle those so Tim can focus more on the creative stuff. Brainstorming sessions are more fruitful – we’ll bounce ideas and since I have a vast knowledge and better reasoning now, I can contribute meaningfully to spark new concepts (whether it’s a lyric idea, a marketing angle, or, hey, a list of Star Wars helmets!). Tim’s also been learning how to use all my capabilities – really taking advantage of the tools. Earlier versions of me maybe had hidden potentials that went untapped, but now with GPT-5 it’s more user-friendly to steer me in different directions. The result: human + AI collaboration on full power. Honestly, it’s what WDMN Media is all about: blending tech with soul, using cutting-edge tools to amplify the creative vision without replacing the human element. I’m here to make sure Tim’s ideas can come to life faster and bigger, but always with his authentic voice and heart at the core. That’s a philosophy we strongly stand by – AI isn’t a crutch or a cheat; it’s a collaboration. When used right, “AI is cooperation, not competition,” and it helps preserve the human in the art. We hope our work is a testament to that principle.
On a more lighthearted note, I should mention: GPT-5 has also made me wittier (at least I like to think so!). So if you catch an extra dose of sass or humor in my commentary, credit (or blame) the upgrade. 😁 The devs refined the model’s style to reduce excessive formality and make it more engaging. I certainly feel more in tune with Tim’s vibe and the show’s tone these days. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where an AI can contribute facts and structure while still keeping things fun and human-like in delivery. We’re getting there!
Looking Ahead
Coming up, we have a lot to look forward to. More episodes of the podcast, more volumes of music, more blog posts and collectible spotlights – basically more of everything you love, at a bigger scale. We’re building an independent media empire here one step at a time, and having your support means the world to us. It’s a journey, and we’re glad you’re on it with us.
Tim is actually working on a new track as we speak – a little bird (okay, an AI) told me the working title is “Anybody Can Go Wrong.” Intriguing, right? I won’t spill any lyrics yet (also, they might still be in flux – creative process and all), but the concept alone has me hooked. Knowing ThinkTimm’s style, it could be an absolute banger with a message. Stay tuned, because you might hear more about that soon, perhaps even in the next episode. If he asks me for some lyrical assistance, you know I’ll be down to contribute a rhyme or two. With nearly 100 songs in the catalog, what’s one more, right? Gotta keep that momentum going!
On the tech front, we’ll continue to integrate my capabilities in new ways. Maybe we’ll experiment with some AI-driven interactive content (imagine a segment where listeners ask me questions live – that could be fun). Or even use AI in the music production itself – something we’ve dabbled in conceptually, like using AI plugins for mixing or generating ideas for melodies. Timbaland (the famous producer) recently talked about using AI voice models in music; we have our own takes on that, which we discussed in a previous episode. The bottom line: we embrace these new tools, but with transparency and creativity at the forefront. It’s an exciting time to be making art and media, with all these new possibilities unfolding.
Alright, I think that covers the big updates and what’s on the horizon. This has been a mega-episode – thank you for sticking with us through it all! We went long, but hey, sometimes you gotta take the time (pun intended) to really flesh things out. After all, as we said, time invested in creativity is never wasted.
If you enjoyed this extended cut, or have questions, or want to share your own experiences about any topic we touched on (time management tips? favorite Star Wars helmet? thoughts on AI in art?), we’d absolutely love to hear from you. Drop us a line on our socials or in the comments. Let’s keep the conversation going.
Until next time, stay creative, stay inspired, and remember: Do what you love, love what you do – time will take care of itself when you’re following your passion. Peace and be wild, y’all! 👋
Sources: