What does your songwriting practice look like? Do you sporadically sit down to write, only when the muse strikes you and you get a brilliant idea? Or, do you consciously, regularly sit down to create music – whether or not you are in the mood?
How is it working for you? Are you as prolific a writer as you desire, or do you find that you are writing only snippets before the pieces of songs begin to collect dust and that groovy vibe fades into a distant memory?
My own method for so many years used to be: wait for the inspiration, catch snippets here and there into my phone or scribbled on napkins, and then hope to return to these shining musical thoughts to complete them. In reality though, the majority of my song ideas were never completed. I am learning that for me, in order to consistently create (and finish) songs, what works best is to maintain a practice. I sit and I write, whether or not I feel like I have any good ideas. Usually, the “flow” will come and my projects will improve with each iteration.
It’s work. I love it. And I do it to create positive change in the world for people who care. The process takes time, and that is alright. I am extremely grateful to the teachers, authors, coaches and colleagues who have exampled how adhering to a practice can yield successes. Their generosity has allowed me to digest and integrate my custom practice into my lifestyle. These days, I create flow, I don’t wait for it.
If writing music is a hobby for you, and you desire to keep it in this more relaxed frame, that’s beautiful! Hobbies are fantastic. If you are a professional, and you desire to up-level your songwriting, consider consistently scheduling time in for songwriting. Watch and see how it affects your output. Then shoot me a note, and let me know how it’s going! 🙂
And have fun.