We’ve all been there; freshly made teacup, paper and pen at the ready, expecting our best creative idea to instantly materialise. But as we wonder what to write about, that small slither of disappoint begins to wedge its way in and we end our planned songwriting session early with the excuse ‘I must have writer’s block’. But how can we avoid this and generate incredible song ideas every time?
Well the first truth is this: We can’t have our best idea every time. So why try for ‘our best’ every time only to disappoint ourselves because it wasn’t as good as our last? Embrace honesty over the idea of ‘best’ and you’ll find your creative ideas begin to flow much more naturally. Also, you may even find listeners respond much more positively to transparency via honesty in your songwriting over ‘best’ via ambition.
The second truth is this: Don’t be caught up in what you think people want to hear, focus on what you need to say. If there’s one thing we know, it’s incredibly hard being honest when your focus is on trying to please others, not to mention how much of a creative block it is also. If you shift your attention to thinking about what you feel and what you feel the need to express, you will find that your songwriting will feel much more organic, vulnerable and ultimately able to be empathized with by listeners.