Songs don’t start with inspiration, they start with action, and that is the simplest way to start a song, or piece of art when nothing comes.

Waiting delays creation

Forgive me for stating the obvious, but if you want to start writing a song, or create any piece of art, you need to start writing a song, or creating any piece of art. Waiting for an idea to drop out of the ether is a bit like waiting for the dinner to cook itself without turning on the oven. Most days creative ideas don’t present themselves in neat little packages waiting to be, well, created.

I’m currently taking part in FAWM, February Album Writing Month. I do this challenge every year. I join a group of other like-minded (crazy?) individuals and we write songs, 14 of them, in 28 days. Now sometimes I have a vague idea for a song, but most of the time I am thinking, “ I need something now, or I will fall even further behind schedule.” I can’t wait for inspiration; if I do, I will fail the challenge.

It is the same when I am not taking part in FAWM. I like to think it is in my DNA to write songs and music. I enjoy it and feel content when I finish a song. Therefore, I try to write and create as often as I can. And, quite often I don’t know what I am going to create before I start, but I don’t wait, I start. Don’t wait.

Simple starts remove pressure

Two notes, a chord or a simple phrase is all that is required. Again, this is stating the obvious but, if starting is the problem, then starting is also the solution. We need to be able to break “blank page syndrome”.

For songwriting a series of notes, harmony or phrase is the simplest of starts. For artists, shapes or a mark on the page, for writers a character’s name or a place or the weather. It doesn’t matter how simple your start is, what matters is that starting removes pressure.

Structure helps ideas flow

When I write a song, my mind naturally flips into verse, chorus, verse, chorus mode. This simple structure is helpful. It enables me to hang my melody or phrase in place. I know that the melody will lead into something else. I know that the chords I have will merge with what comes next. That structured transition allows my creative neurone(s – plural surely, Darren) to fire and subconsciously they begin to take the tune and lyrics someplace new.

The structure doesn’t have to be adhered to, in fact most times it isn’t, but it is there to guide. It enables the ideas to sit in a familiar place while they take shape and flow. If you are a writer you could have an opening paragraph structure that always describes the physical scene. Artists could have an undercoat or wash that they can place on the canvas.

These structures might disappear as soon as the ideas begin to flow and the muse finally decides to take an interest. Structure will help when you have few or no ideas.

Starting badly still counts

A melody that goes nowhere, or a phrase that is clichéd, or downright plagiarism, is still a start. The most difficult part of the creative act is starting, but starting badly still counts. It doesn’t matter how poor the start is. It might be polished and a fine creative piece, but 99% of the time, it will need reworking. If art was always perfect the universe wouldn’t have created erasers, gesso and the delete key.

It really doesn’t matter how bad the start is. Editing and second drafts and all forms of corrective art surgery exist for a reason. The important thing is to start, you can edit later.

Momentum follows motion

And you will be editing, because once you start, you’ll keep going. Once I have a melody or chord progression, I will find myself humming it, twisting it, reshaping it, adding to it. Quite often I will have stopped my songwriting session and have to go back to it as I come up with further ideas and developments. Once the creative process is in motion it will gather momentum. It is like a boulder being pushed downhill, once it gets going it will keep rolling.

let’s create

Ideas don’t often line themselves up awaiting our creative attention. We need to go out, catch them and develop them. We need to start, with a simple structure, with simple, even poor ideas, and let creativity flow, and flow it will, given the chance by you.

Let’s create

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