William Wordsworth said it best: “To begin, begin.”
And, if I may, I’d like to expand on his pithy philosophy.
To begin, begin.
To continue, continue.
To finish a song, finish a song.
To write something new, write something new.
To write in a different genre, write in a different genre.
To learn something new about songwriting, learn something new about songwriting.
To keep going even though it’s hard, keep going even though it’s hard.
To keep going even though you worry you’ll never be good enough, keep going even though you worry you’ll never be good enough.
To turn off your brain long enough to let go and create a first draft full of imperfections, turn off your brain long enough to let go and create a first draft full of imperfections.
To improve your first draft even though rewriting is even more painful than writing in the first place, improve your first draft even though rewriting is even more painful than writing in the first place.
To rewrite that bridge for the seventh time on the off-chance this rewrite will be the one that cracks it, rewrite that bridge for the seventh time on the off-chance this rewrite will be the one that cracks it.
To write ten songs so you have enough material to choose the four best for your first EP, write ten songs so you have enough material to choose the four best for your first EP.
To reach out to that potential co-writer or venue or manager even though they might say no, reach out to that potential co-writer or venue or manager even though they might say no.
To keep moving forward even though it sometimes feels like it’s taking forever, keep moving forward even though it sometimes feels like it’s taking forever.
To get better at songwriting: keep going.
Keep going.
Photo by Lauren Peng on Unsplash.