One particular fear I’ve run into is the idea that I could run out of songs. It’s kind of a ridiculous fear, but it’s still in the back of my head.
I’ve mentioned this before, but when I was younger I could write songs all day long. They probably weren’t the best songs in the world, but I sure could write them. As I’ve gotten older, I find it harder to complete songs. I can still sit around and come up with melodies and chord progressions until I’m blue in the face, but when it comes time to really say something, I often run into a wall. This is when I just try to use brute force, and push through. Sometimes I get a great song. Most of the time they’re duds. It’s like what I talked about in my last post. Songs have to be sincere. They can’t just be a product, or a set of words and melodies for the sake of a completed song. To really connect, I have to say something of meaning. I often joke that words are easy, but meaning is hard. I believe it’s true.
When I say “will the well run dry?” I’m really talking about the passions of my heart. I don’t want to find myself in a place where I’m no longer in touch with what I feel. Right now, what I feel can sometimes be fuzzy to me. It’s like I’m trying to listen to a radio station, but I’m mainly getting static. Every once in a while I get a really clear signal. Other times, there’s nothing on the dial.
I’m working to fix this by spending more time putting things into my soul. For me, that means spending time away from technology, meditating on God, reading more, and having focused time with my wife, friends, and family. To write great songs, I really need to be more in touch with myself. This year, I’m trying to position myself to be more creative. I’m proactively doing things (and NOT doing things) that will help me live a more creative life. I hope it works!
