Sometimes as a songwriter you think you lack good ideas. The thing you might not realize is that you probably already have a lot of good ideas, you’re just looking in the wrong places. Here’s what I mean.
Let’s talk about filters. You’re using filters everyday to hang onto ideas you think are worth remembering.
One of the best and most obvious filters you have is your smartphone camera. How many pictures did you take last week? Now, think about something. In order for you to have taken a picture, a moment must have happened that you felt was significant, right? The degree of significance varies, sure, but the point is that there’s a threshold. Because, correct me if I’m wrong, you didn’t take a picture of every moment you had last week. Just some.
Here are some other filters to consider:
- a journal
- the last phone conversation you had
- an email you wrote
- memories you often think of
- a story you told at a party
When I’m struggling to come up with an idea for a song. One of the best places I turn to is my Photos app on my iPhone. Because I know the subject of the photo will already be something I’m interested in or curious about. Otherwise it wouldn’t be there.
I hope this helps you find your next great idea!
Love,
Aaron
P.S. If you want to learn my exact process for finding the photo I want to write about, just email me with the subject line: “Process”