First of all, do you keep a calendar? Do you stick to it? Is “songwriting” on there?
Every morning at the same time each day, “solo songwriting” is written on my calendar. I almost never write songs just because I feel like it. I do it because it’s on my calendar.
You might be thinking, “That seems so Type A. What about the muse, the inspiration, all the mysterious stuff about songwriting?” In my experience, muses tend to keep a tighter schedule when I do. I imagine them saying among themselves, “Hey, gang. Espe’s really showing up, let’s make sure we show up, too.”
Sure, they don’t show up every day. But when they do, I’m more prepared to connect. It’s like I’m standing in the batter’s box with my bat ready. I’m not in the dugout chewing bubble gum or still driving to the ball field.
But while I’m on the subject, let me ask you: What came first, the inspiration or sitting down to write? The chicken or the egg?
Correct. Neither. And both!
We assume people are in a good mood when we hear them start to whistle. But that’s not always the case. You can whistle to put yourself in a good mood. You can smile to make yourself feel happier. And the same is true with songwriting. You can show up without being inspired and find yourself becoming incredibly motivated.
Your calendar helps make that happen. It’s your cue to start whistling.
*Side Note: Don’t think you have to sit down for two hours and complete a song. Start with just five minutes. Set a timer. You’d be surprised how far you can get on a song or project in just five minutes a day. I wrote my latest album Up North in small increments over several years. I also distilled my time-management process into a step-by-step mini course.