I like to stay away from my DAW for as long as possible. I find if I try starting something from scratch in Fruity Loops that doesn't come together quickly, I tend to get discouraged and struggle to see the bigger picture. I'll try to edit and micromanage as I go along, but unless an extremely happy accident occurs, nothing exciting usually comes out. Instead, I'll sit at the piano to figure out my more poppy songs from beginning to end, where I find the process is more fluid. Once the composition is done, often I'll have a clear idea of where I want to go with the production. With my more experimental stuff, I'll spend a few days daydreaming and brainstorming a core concept before taking it into the studio – like, what if there was only one sound playing in the mix at any given time? Can I follow through on some stupid idea no one has bothered exploring before?