Eating a greasy cheeseburger once a month doesn’t make you fat. Eating a salad once a month doesn’t make you skinny. And sitting down to write once a month doesn’t make you a pro songwriter.
It’s not what you do every once in a while that defines what you are (serial killers excluded). It’s what you do REPEATEDLY that defines what you are. Olympic athletes don’t just train every now and then. Their training is a habit, a discipline. It’s part of their lifestyle.
Now, I’m not saying you should be writing as much as a lot of pros do. Realistically, most of us can’t write from 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. Or even 3 or 4 nights a week. We have jobs, we have families, and we need to keep them. I get that. Heck, I live that!
But is your lifestyle saying the same thing as your mouth? If your mouth says you want to be a pro songwriter, but your lifestyle says you want to watch TV 28 out of 30 nights a month, there’s a problem. There’s a disconnect that’s going to keep you from connecting to your dreams.
If you say you want to lose 20 pounds, but your diet (how you eat on a regular basis) is full of pizza, soft drinks, potato chips with only the occasional salad… you’re never going to lose that weight.
Likewise, if you say you want to be a pro (or great) songwriter, but your “diet” consists of not-writing and lazy-writing with only occasional serious-writing, you’re not going to turn pro.
Again, I have grace for you if you’re in a season of life that just doesn’t allow consistent writing time. Give yourself some grace, too. Lord willing, this season will pass and you’ll have more time later.
But if you DO have time to write, but you’re NOT writing… consider this your well-deserved kick in the britches.
What about you? What is the “junk food” that you struggle with? Is it TV time? Partying? Sports? Leave a comment- I’d love to hear from you!
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God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,
Brent
Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.
AMEN! Right On Brother Brent!
I was just having a conversation about how I started reading more and more socio-political posts to gather fodder for more issue based songs and before I realized I was caught up in that.. the reading, commenting, etc and never did start a single song on “current issues”. I sure came up with a few Charlie Daniels/Bocephus-esque ideas, but your point is very valid as I never got even a verse or chorus done.
I sure did get plenty angry and developed quite a cloudy outlook more than a few times, but no songs.
Thanks for the kick.
Tommy
Social media is definitely a time sucker for me. It’s the whole fear of missing out. I follow a few artists that I like on social media. It can take a bit of time to keep up with all the updates, photos, youtube vids, tv appearances. I have tried to start limiting how much time I spend on social media. I will give myself an hour or two to catch up and then do something songwriting related.
I wrote prolifically the first eight months of this past year. My problem is a bit different. Coming up with fresh ideas for songs is getting a little difficult. Lately I can go a week without writing at all. I really need to get some creative ideas!
I’m the same! Or I come up with a verse or chorus but have trouble finishing the rest of the song ? It’s hard out here for us writers!
I feel like everything I write has already been said before a thousand times. I also feel that the people around me don’t see much potential in the songs I share with them. That’s why I am in school now. Part of me thinks it’s a waste of time. I have no idea why I am writing this, but it’s the truth. I write ideas down twice a week but most go unfinished.
Thomas, thanks for being so open and honest (a trait of a good writer, by the way). The big thing is to enjoy the journey. If you love to write, then write. Believe me, I sometimes get frustrated and feel like it’s hopeless, too. And I’ve HAD cuts! But I love the process. If you love it, too, then keep writing. Maybe it’ll turn into money for you, maybe it won’t. But try to enjoy the journey. God bless.
Thomas,
(I can write this like I’m talking to myself 🙂 )
You wrote it and at least 2 people read it. A moderator at least thought it was worth allowing in the thread and I felt it was worth an attempt at an encouraging reply.
I’m no career path guru, or even a song critic worth taking notes off of, in my own opinion, but… at a very basic level, you have to determine what you feel led/called to do or want to work to achieve. That’s where true happiness will be.
You should listen to your own heart at least as loudly as you listen to others opinions.
I just wanted to let you know that someone read your post and is and has been in a similar spot before.
In all my research the skill when you enter the music business hardly determines your achievement level. There are unbelievably talented folks with no ethic that didn’t show up when called upon and never got another chance and there are others that were terrible that just kept working harder, working smarter and growing and learning the whole way that ended up writing multi platinum selling songs, #1 songs and several are even in the Hall of Fame now. Attitude not aptitude will have a lot more to do with where you might plateau.
Even if you are trying to put a square peg in a round hole.. Eventually, either the square peg will get rounded or the hole will get worn out big enough for the square peg to fit.
Best of luck to you in all you do!