15. Is Decision Fatigue Killing Your Creativity? with Composer Xiao'an Li

Ever wondered how the sheer volume of creative decisions impacts musicians, composers, and educators? In this insightful episode of Decisions That Count, we're joined by renowned composer Xiao'an Li to explore how decision fatigue influences creativity, collaboration, and education in music.

From the nuanced choices behind every musical note to managing creative burnout, Xiao'an shares invaluable strategies for navigating cognitive overload in the creative industry. Discover how to balance intuition and deliberate decision-making, create efficient systems for enhanced productivity, and maintain artistic integrity while meeting commercial demands.

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

✅ Why decision fatigue is a critical factor in musical creativity

✅ How composers make thousands of micro-decisions—and why each matters

✅ Practical systems and tools to reduce cognitive overload and boost productivity

✅ Insights on intuition vs. deliberate decision-making in music composition

✅ The impact of technology and AI on human creativity

✅ Strategies for educators teaching music production and decision-making skills

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:15 The Volume of Creative Choices in Music

10:25 Managing Music Creation in the Digital Age

13:52 Understanding Decision Fatigue and Creativity

19:02 The Intersection of Math and Emotion in Music

21:31 Client Expectations and Emotional Storytelling in Music

26:33 Creating Systems to Combat Decision Fatigue

31:11 The Importance of Preparation in Creativity

34:06 Craftsmanship and Organization in Creative Work

36:09 Teaching Creativity and Efficiency to Students

38:03 AI's Role in Music and Creativity

40:07 The Human Element in Music Creation

43:11 The Future of Work and AI's Impact

46:36 Balancing Artistic Vision and Commercial Demands

49:10 Navigating Job Security in an AI-Driven World

54:54 The Value of Authenticity in Creative Work

If you’re a gamer, CEO, athlete, student, or anyone navigating high-pressure environments and seeking better mental clarity, resilience, and cognitive optimization, this conversation will change the way you think about alcohol and personal growth.

🧠 Hosted by neuroscientist Dr. Shawn Watson and marketer-mum-marathoner Michelle, Decisions That Count explores how science-backed insights can help you overcome decision fatigue and unlock peak performance.

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✨ Like what you heard?

✅ Subscribe to Decisions That Count for weekly episodes that empower you to beat decision fatigue and unlock peak performance.

💬 Drop your questions in the comments — we’ll get Xiao'an to answer them!

🔗 About Our Guest, Xiao'an Li:

Xiao'an is an accomplished composer for games and global brands, with clients including Tencent, Ubisoft, Ferrero, Samsung, and GlaxoSmithKline. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Xiao'an also teaches at Berklee and has been an adjudicator at the prestigious Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.

🎵 Visit Xiao’an’s website: https://www.xiaoanli.com/

🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lixiaoan/

💡 If you found this episode helpful, like, comment, and subscribe. Share it with someone who could use a reset on how they make decisions. Let’s build better brains together—one choice at a time.

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