Every once in a while, it gets hard for me to find inspiration for my songwriting. Recently, I’ve been looking at my own habits and realised there are many ways I could have helped myself while I was feeling uninspired to pen something out!
I’ve gathered some of my list of go-tos/might-be-a-solution-to-your-problem-checklist. Maybe some of these tips will help you? Simple enough to do, just requires a little bit of effort or change in habit!
Always have a notebook or your phone with you:
Thought of a phrase while walking? Write it down! Sudden melody hit your mind? Hum it out and record it on your phone! Bring a notebook wherever you go. Preferably a manuscript with alternate blank pages so you can scribble lyrics or thoughts or ideas, and still have a place to note down all your melodies. You can download apps for voice recordings and this will serve the same purpose! Ideas you get might seem worthless or not enough for you, but just note them all down. They are going to be your little treasure trove to revisit whenever you need to.
Turn them into soft copies and store them somewhere:
Sounds like a lot of effort but this allows you to revisit all your ideas easily. It will be easier to listen to recordings of snippets of melodies than to read your manuscript and to figure out what you wrote. Keep storing and you’ll end up with a whole storage of potential material for your next big piece.
Get out of your work space:
Getting cooped up alone in your work space isn’t going to solve the issue! Give yourself a break (a timed adult recess!) and go to the kitchen for a snack, or head out and take a walk in the park! Visit your local café with a friend to catch up, whatever you prefer! Take a break, speak to people, go people watching. You’ll never know when the world around you will give you something to write about.
Keep a diary:
It is a good habit to keep, to write a diary. Keeping a diary helps you remember events, also how you feel for the day/week/month. Feel free to write down even the most mundane thing or habit! Eventually when you reread your diary, you’ll realise a pattern to your life, and maybe you can then switch things up a little and something good might come up for you to write about!
Challenge yourself to write about something other than love/family:
It can be about the current affairs, something really strange that happened like the bird that couldn’t fly against the strong wind. It might sound silly, but this helps you to think about things you normally wouldn’t think about. Once again, after writing all that, remember to save a copy somewhere so you can revisit it next time for inspiration!
Change your habit:
Are you used to writing in the morning? Try writing at night. You write your songs in bed? Try the living room. Write while listening to the radio? Try heavy metal or classical music! Getting used to your schedule might have made you associate writing at that time and place with procrastination and being uninspired. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Take a shower!
Haven’t you heard? Inspiration always seem to strike those taking a shower. Showering also helps to soothe your mind and body, maybe that is what you need!
This isn’t all. The list goes on! If you have something that works for you, feel free to share it with us!
p.s. tips work for any type of writer/songwriter/creative artist J I’d love to see your works!