That all my conventional-sounding musical ideas are easily captured by basic music theory. Even though banging your head against the wall has been useful in developing the ear, avoiding music theory doesn't make any sense since you keep repeating those well-known patterns, and in the end you have to start developing that pattern against pattern type of thinking instead of composing note against note & note after note.
> in the end you have to start developing that pattern against pattern type of thinking in favor of composing note against note & note after note.
I think there is a typo, or this is ambiguous. Are you saying you should use "pattern against pattern type of thinking" (and what is that?) or that you shouldn't? You should use "note against note & note after note" or you shouldn't?
Sorry, meant to say "instead of" not "in favor of". I'll edit.
What I meant to say that if you haven't learned the proper classification system that we now have in general music theory (dominant & tonic chords, sus chords, and let's say basic modulation principles), you might walk a long time in the dark looking for "that feeling" or "that continuation".
Edit: "in favor of" -> "instead of"