Creativity is something we are born with. Everyone has it. But not everyone uses it. In fact, many people believe they are not creative. By holding this belief, they are blocking it. It’s easy to block yourself. And the prevailing culture will encourage you to do so. If you say “I can’t do it” often enough, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy, whether you’re talking about riding a bike or writing a song. You are getting in your own way.
On the other hand, if you say “I can do it,” there is great power in that. If you say it and believe it, it is even more powerful. Get out of the way and let your true self shine through.
Despite what your friends tell you, your teacher tells you or the media tells you, you are a creative being, full of good ideas and everything else you need to be a good songwriter can be learned through study, practice and working on your craft.
Unblock your creativity and everything else can be learned. So how, you ask, can I unblock my creativity? There are many ways. And it probably won’t be a single, once and for all unblockage, but an ongoing process. The good news is, the more you unblock, the easier it gets.
Many people meditate. It clears the mind of all those extraneous thoughts and opens it to things like creativity. Some people jog with similar results. Others take a walking meditation. Some people just get out in nature to get the juices flowing. Sometimes a good, thought-provoking movie, book or conversation will do the trick.
Negative or self-critical thoughts will block creativity every time. So that’s something to watch out for. When you are just starting to write a song, it is not a good time to be self-critical or self-judging. Later, when you’re in the middle of editing or rewriting a song, self-critiquing is called for. Just remember, you are not criticizing yourself, you are critically analyzing the work.
What is your favorite way of unblocking?
Songwriter's Tip Jar 