Members grace_slick Posted March 24, 2011 Members Share Posted March 24, 2011 This is for once NOT a new song, but rather, a lament on the fact I appear to have completely lost my inspiration for songs... Over the past few weeks you might have noticed my lack of activity on here in terms of posting new song efforts...I HAVE been doing some songs, but none were good enough to be posted. And then today, for the first time in over a week I think, I tried to do a new song...and couldn't even get anything I remotely liked. Oh. Dearie. Me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DWD Guitar Posted March 24, 2011 Members Share Posted March 24, 2011 put the guitar down for a week and clear your head : ) sometimes the songs just don't come! inspiration will hit you soon enough, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stickboymusic Posted March 24, 2011 Members Share Posted March 24, 2011 Ahhhhh Gracie I go through this from time to time - and i really beat myself up about it Everything i play sounds rubbish and i cant sing and i convince myself i will NEVER do it again. You have had a few things to deal with of late and whether you think that has affected you or not in terms of your creativity.... i can assure you it will have. You posted on my "limiting yourself" post.... well things like this can help me get back on track.... just write a few little ideas... dont worry about finishing them , just get something out there.... eventually it will come back. Failing that ... just enjoy a few days/weeks/months (yes it can take that long) making the most of your emptiness.... go for walks , do a few new things... you will soon be itching to get back to the music Hope everything is ok your end x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grace_slick Posted March 24, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 24, 2011 Thank you so much! Things are...going to be ok...I think. And hope. Right now I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LeonardScaper Posted March 24, 2011 Members Share Posted March 24, 2011 Things are...going to be ok... Let go for a while. That river will continue to flow without you pushing it. I have found that the muse loves a vacuum. Just sit in your studio surrounded by your instruments and breathe for a while......clear your mind. When it comes back around it will most likely be very strong so you had best be ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Marshal Posted March 24, 2011 Members Share Posted March 24, 2011 Been in a rut myself. Haven't written anything worth while in months. I've got a nice musical pattern going for a song now. But I can't get going on a story line that fits the vibe. Motivation is lacking. Plus I haven't been playing much, other than in my weekly church band gig. I have hardly played out at all since December. Economy's tough. Probably mildly depressed. (Maybe I need to get seriously depressed so I can write something worthwhile. ). But I have been working on a recording project on-and-off. So that keeps me in the game. More like buffing and polishing already finished stuff. It does help me to listen and critique other's work like here. Mostly because it keeps my head in the game. I learn a lot myself by thinking about and examining songs youse guys are working on. Hope I'm not being overbearing. It's just my opinion. And I'm really trying to teach myself what's important. But I hear you about the not-writing thing. You've been quite prolific. It'll come back when it's ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted March 24, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 24, 2011 I've lost it for a year!!! And at one point, I lost it for a decade. But, as the others have suggested, when your intent is to continue writing, and you can't seem to, sometimes stepping away and being aware of that cycle of... inspiration, design, draft, correct, execution ...that cycle includes "refill" as well. Sometimes, because our tank is so full, we drive for months with great success and forward motion, without realizing we're going to need a refill soon. We're on a mission. "No stops kids! No one pisses. We don't need gasoline yet. We drive on through!" Of course. But you are going to need to refill at some point. You're cool, just relax and fill up the tank. Grab a coffee and a bag of chips. Relax. And once your tank is full again. Drive like a mother, just like you were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted March 24, 2011 Moderators Share Posted March 24, 2011 How do you refill? Listen to music. Read. And feel how certain art has something to offer your art. Try and see how Kubrick's symbolism might be used in a song. How Japanese toy pop culture might be used as a means of structure in one of your songs in progress. How Huck Finn's colloquialisms spilled over into the narrative. and how you might use that. Then again, just put on the phones and dig some Miles or Hendrix. Read some Poe or Lovecraft for fun and shut off all analysis. This all goes toward refilling your tank. You did this before your run of inspiration and just didn't realize you did. If you're ready to get back to it, learn to consciously refill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rhino55 Posted March 24, 2011 Members Share Posted March 24, 2011 When I get in fonk like that I take that opportunity to learn other people's songs. You might even try picking up a new style. Musically, you'll continue to improve and when you get back around to songwriting you'll be that much better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MrQuin Posted March 24, 2011 Members Share Posted March 24, 2011 I know the feeling. Step away from it for awhile, you mustn't force it. Read, watch movies, listen to some new music; get inspired. It will come to you eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TIMP3 Posted March 24, 2011 Members Share Posted March 24, 2011 I obviously do not have the quantitiy or quality of ......well anyone here. And I approach writing differently than most as well I believe (lyrics first with melody in head). And I certainly do not count on it for or ever being part of my livelyhood. But I have found that the more I push and "try" to write the worse it gets. I have gone months with nothing but I don't even think about it. Its like when I am writing 1 a day or 1 every other day, it just is. I never question it. I think the best advice has already been given- just relax and enjoy other parts of your life and other things. More than likely the spark will come back when you least expect it. And as you know, you never know what the catalyst of idea is going to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Oswlek Posted March 24, 2011 Members Share Posted March 24, 2011 Can't really add much in the way of advice that hasn't already been said (read, listen, relax), but I'm certainly one who can relate. I went nearly a decade without writing a new song, from 2001-2008. During the latter part of that, I rarely even touched the guitar. When the water started flowing again, it was pretty fierce - to the tune of me writing 20-30 songs that originated as soundtracks to dreams. It has gotten to the point that my wife will remind me to check back into reality for a little while. Even the occassional time I lack inspiration doesn't concern me because I have a backlog of well over 100 ditties that need to be properly recorded. And the times I don't even have inspiration to record already written stuff? That's just a sign to walk away for a little while. No one who was as prolific as you can completely lose the bug. You're just experiencing one of your first down times. Interestingly enough, when I went 8 years without writing I used to get neck strains and some minor back pain. Now that I'm writing again I get nothing of the sort. When the Muse wants to come out, she'll let you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rockinrobby Posted March 25, 2011 Members Share Posted March 25, 2011 [video=youtube;lhs3Rj71gpo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhs3Rj71gpo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grace_slick Posted March 25, 2011 Author Members Share Posted March 25, 2011 Oh wow, 8 years, a decade, without writing?! Now I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.