This is where I share my process along with things I’ve found helpful.
Does the name Roald Amundsen ring a bell? He was an explorer from Norway. I hadn’t heard of him either until recently. He was known as “the Last Viking.” In 1911, no one had ever reached the South Pole. Amundsen decided to take on Captain Robert Falcon Scott of Great Britain to see who would […]
How to Make Steady Progress: A Lesson from the Last Viking Read More »
I was on my way to meet my friend Claire for our cowriting session one day when I drove past a billboard for Grey Goose vodka. The sign said, “Fly beyond.” Before I go any further, did you know titles are not copyrighted? Copyright law sees titles as too short and vague to be copyrighted.
A Lesson in Copyright Law from Grey Goose Vodka Read More »
Prioritizing songwriting is hard, especially when your to-do list is eight miles long and work has you exhausted. Scheduling songwriting on your calendar is a great first step in taking your craft more seriously and improving your chances of actually writing. But you’ll still run into what Steven Pressfield, in his book The War of
How to Maintain a Daily Writing Routine Read More »
In 2018, I hit a songwriting slump. I had trouble finishing work and felt the songs I actually completed were mediocre. The long-term solution, I would later realize, was a long rest. I had been writing nonstop for six years. Plus, our family was growing. With the added parenting demands, it was unrealistic to sustain
The Dress Up Hack Read More »
“Do you ever worry about burnout?” Theo S. Hi, Theo. That’s a great question. Burnout is something I think about a lot because I’ve had to deal with it over the course of my career, especially during my early days here in Nashville. In 2012, when I signed my first publishing deal, my calendar began
AMA: “Do you ever worry about burnout?” Read More »
One thing I love about songwriting is that everyone has their own perspective. It’s the Anaïs Nin quote: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” A tree isn’t just a tree. It’s your relationship to it. You might see an old birch along the boulevard, and someone else sees
Songwriting Prompt: Mother’s Day Read More »
When inspiration strikes, where do you store your ideas? Are they all over the place? Notebooks, your phone, the back of receipts, Word documents on an old laptop? If you’re like I was, you’re about as organized as a third grader. You’ve lost so many ideas that the inspiration fairies have you on notice. If
You’re going to have to set them. I’m sorry, but that’s pretty much the only way. Do you know why I’m writing and trying to finish this blog post right now? Because I set an arbitrary deadline to publish it for you today. Nobody told me to do that. Not the internet, not my dad,
Arbitrary Deadlines Read More »
I thought this Kevin Kelly quote was such a great reminder for us songwriters. It’s from this book.
Separate These Two Processes Read More »
Distraction is Enemy Number One. Use airplane mode as your default. Tell people to call if it’s urgent. Resistance is Enemy Number Two. So make songwriting convenient. Keep your guitar, pen, and paper close to a place you visit regularly (e.g., couch in the living room, next to your bed, beside your office chair). Do
How to Be a More Productive Songwriter Read More »