The ordinary life I mentioned is pretty boring and at times overwhelming, but I have something to aspire to-always stay inspired!
When I do have free time, there are too many other things to take up that time. I want to be able to keep up with my friends and spend time with them. I want to get all of my errands done quickly. I want to have time to relax and enjoy myself once in a while, whether that means sleeping in, relaxing in front of the tv, or enjoying my favorite foods. And top of all of that, I want plenty of time to devote to my writing.
Life doesn't work that way. We don't always get what we want and we rarely have enough time, especially when we have to spend so much of our time chasing money to survive.
As I was thinking about this the other day, I remembered that my time being taken up by work was once an inspiration for a song called Money Owns Me. That's an example of a way to stay inspired, even when life seems boring, dull, tiring, or stuck in the same place for a long period of time. Sometimes it's hard to follow your dreams or accomplish all the things you want to do, but no matter what, stay inspired.
~Eliza
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Writing Lyrics like you Love Songs
There are a lot of different opinions and perspectives about how to approach songwriting and about what makes a good song. The reason I love my lyrics so much is because they are songs that I want to listen to. I haven't gotten to the point where I have any recordings of the songs that I've written, but there have been so many times when I've been browsing the web for music or listening to a radio station and thought to myself, "You know what? I don't really want to listen to this. I want to hear my song!"
And since there is no recording, I can either listen in my head or sing it to myself. Sometimes it's because the song I wrote relates to something personal I went through, but it's usually just because I think it's a song that has a lot of potential and is fun to sing. And if I enjoy it that much I think other people would enjoy them too.
Write the songs that you would want to listen to. What kind of lyrics pull you into the song? What makes a song stand out to you? Write those kinds of songs because if you want to take those songs anywhere you have to stay motivated and it's hard to stay motivated about a song that doesn't even hold your own interest, let alone anyone else's.
Look to the songs that you enjoy and pull inspiration from them. What rhyming patterns work for the song you're listening to? What metaphors make the song work? It's similiar to reading stories to help you become better at writing them. Examine the strengths that these other writers have and compare them to your weaknesses. Where could you use a better metaphor? Which rhymes are out of place or don't make sense? Once you start paying closer attention to what techniques make other songwriters successful, it will be easier to apply those lessons to your own songwriting. Never underestimate the value of self education and determination.
~Eliza
And since there is no recording, I can either listen in my head or sing it to myself. Sometimes it's because the song I wrote relates to something personal I went through, but it's usually just because I think it's a song that has a lot of potential and is fun to sing. And if I enjoy it that much I think other people would enjoy them too.
Write the songs that you would want to listen to. What kind of lyrics pull you into the song? What makes a song stand out to you? Write those kinds of songs because if you want to take those songs anywhere you have to stay motivated and it's hard to stay motivated about a song that doesn't even hold your own interest, let alone anyone else's.
Look to the songs that you enjoy and pull inspiration from them. What rhyming patterns work for the song you're listening to? What metaphors make the song work? It's similiar to reading stories to help you become better at writing them. Examine the strengths that these other writers have and compare them to your weaknesses. Where could you use a better metaphor? Which rhymes are out of place or don't make sense? Once you start paying closer attention to what techniques make other songwriters successful, it will be easier to apply those lessons to your own songwriting. Never underestimate the value of self education and determination.
~Eliza
Thursday, March 22, 2012
An Inspiring Moment
The other day I had an inspiring morning. It was a day off from work. As far as lyric writing is concerned, I was in a bit of a dry spell. For a couple of weeks it seemed that all I could come up with was a few lines here and there that didn't make much sense or couldn't be connected. They were metaphors that had no meaning, useless lines that were desperate to send a powerful message.
Suddenly in that particular moment, as soon as I woke up, lyrics began flooding my mind. I grabbed the nearest notebook and began writing them all down. And as I got up and started getting ready for my day, I kept coming back to write more in the notebook.
It was comforting to feel that the dry spell was over and that I would be able to move forward, but something more profound happened. There was a personal issue I had been struggling with for years and I had never been able to write a song about it. I even had trouble journaling about it. I wasn't sure what to say. And at times wasn't even sure how I felt about it. The confusion was so overwhelming and the feelings were so mixed that I felt like there was no point in journaling about it or writing about it in any form. I couldn't understand it and felt silly trying to communicate something that was so confusing and nauseating to me. For years, I could not put this struggle into words. I could not communicate in any form through language what I had been dealing with and what I had been thinking about. Suddenly the words were coming to my mind so fast I could barely keep up as I tried to write them all down. And as I looked over what I had written, it wasn't a mess. It wasn't a bunch of useless words that needed to be editted over and over again. It was exactly what I wanted to say, exactly what I had been feeling.
The mind works in strange ways. I had been feeling those things for years. Why could I never express them in words before a few days ago? And when the words did come to me, why did they come so quickly and so suddenly? How is it that I could have put so much time and focus into trying to write a song about this and nothing useful came to me until I had just woken up and hadn't even started thinking about writing anything for the day yet? I do not understand how this happened and I do not know why it happened so suddenly, but I am grateful that it did. As quickly as the lyrics came and as quickly as my private silence was broken, I feel like I am finally, and suddenly, beginning to heal.
Maybe I did or said something and my mind just clicked, putting all of those thoughts and feelings into perspective without my realizing it. The rest of me still felt overwhelmed by the situation and my subconscious was busy preparing me to heal. I had no idea this was coming, but finally being able to put this struggle and pain into words in a way that makes sense and communicates exactly what I think of all of this has lifted such a heavy burden from me. I feel that other songs I haven't even shared with anyone yet have helped me heal or feel better, but this was special. This was something more profound. It didn't just improve my mood or give me a more positive perspective on a difficult situation. It took something that had been so frustrating, painful, and confusing to me and helped me break it down and see it for what it is. And if I had not reached this point I would still have no idea how to overcome this. I still don't know exactly what to do and I don't have all the answers, but now I know how to take a step in the right direction and that's a hell of a lot better than staying where I was.
The lyrics for this particular song are not finished. I don't have any editting to do, but I would like to add a little bit more to what I have. I have no intention of changing a single word I have written for this. It is exactly what I wanted. I don't know why it was trapped inside me for so long, but now it's free and now I feel free. I don't know how this happened, but it is a moment I will treasure for a very long time.
~Eliza
Suddenly in that particular moment, as soon as I woke up, lyrics began flooding my mind. I grabbed the nearest notebook and began writing them all down. And as I got up and started getting ready for my day, I kept coming back to write more in the notebook.
It was comforting to feel that the dry spell was over and that I would be able to move forward, but something more profound happened. There was a personal issue I had been struggling with for years and I had never been able to write a song about it. I even had trouble journaling about it. I wasn't sure what to say. And at times wasn't even sure how I felt about it. The confusion was so overwhelming and the feelings were so mixed that I felt like there was no point in journaling about it or writing about it in any form. I couldn't understand it and felt silly trying to communicate something that was so confusing and nauseating to me. For years, I could not put this struggle into words. I could not communicate in any form through language what I had been dealing with and what I had been thinking about. Suddenly the words were coming to my mind so fast I could barely keep up as I tried to write them all down. And as I looked over what I had written, it wasn't a mess. It wasn't a bunch of useless words that needed to be editted over and over again. It was exactly what I wanted to say, exactly what I had been feeling.
The mind works in strange ways. I had been feeling those things for years. Why could I never express them in words before a few days ago? And when the words did come to me, why did they come so quickly and so suddenly? How is it that I could have put so much time and focus into trying to write a song about this and nothing useful came to me until I had just woken up and hadn't even started thinking about writing anything for the day yet? I do not understand how this happened and I do not know why it happened so suddenly, but I am grateful that it did. As quickly as the lyrics came and as quickly as my private silence was broken, I feel like I am finally, and suddenly, beginning to heal.
Maybe I did or said something and my mind just clicked, putting all of those thoughts and feelings into perspective without my realizing it. The rest of me still felt overwhelmed by the situation and my subconscious was busy preparing me to heal. I had no idea this was coming, but finally being able to put this struggle and pain into words in a way that makes sense and communicates exactly what I think of all of this has lifted such a heavy burden from me. I feel that other songs I haven't even shared with anyone yet have helped me heal or feel better, but this was special. This was something more profound. It didn't just improve my mood or give me a more positive perspective on a difficult situation. It took something that had been so frustrating, painful, and confusing to me and helped me break it down and see it for what it is. And if I had not reached this point I would still have no idea how to overcome this. I still don't know exactly what to do and I don't have all the answers, but now I know how to take a step in the right direction and that's a hell of a lot better than staying where I was.
The lyrics for this particular song are not finished. I don't have any editting to do, but I would like to add a little bit more to what I have. I have no intention of changing a single word I have written for this. It is exactly what I wanted. I don't know why it was trapped inside me for so long, but now it's free and now I feel free. I don't know how this happened, but it is a moment I will treasure for a very long time.
~Eliza
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Using the Past for Inspiration
Inspiration for songs can come from the most random things and hit you at the strangest moments, but waiting for inspiration to hit before you get anything done can waste a lot of time. Use your past as inspiration to keep writing.
A journal is something that can really help with this. If you don't use one now is a good time to start. You don't need to write on a daily or even weekly basis. Just write about the events that effect you the most-that person you can't stop thinking about, your financial struggles, the drama at work, your friends sudden illness, etc. Keep a journal in which you write about those moments that evoke strong emotions in you.
Thinking about your past in a general sense can be less productive than focusing on specific emotions or moments. Use these prompts to help you develop ideas based on moments from your past.
-school fight
-a time you were really sick
-the first time you ever felt really guilty about something you did
-your first crush
-your first day at your first job
-an audition or interview you were nervous about
-your first date
-something you've always wanted to accomplish
-a nasty rumor someone spread about you
-a time you wanted to get revenge on someone who mistreated you
-a time someone assumed something negative about you
-a time you tried to impress someone who didn't like you
-your first bad grade or failed project
-a time you didn't get to do something you really wanted to do
-your first sexual experience
-the first concert you ever attended
-the first time you tried to write a song
-a bully that intimidated you
-a time you got in trouble at school
-an event that made you really late from something important
-a time you had to apologize for a big mistake
-a time your boss blamed you for something that wasn't your fault
-a time you blamed someone else for something you did
-something you said to someone that you've regretted ever since
-a moment you wish you could go back and change
-a moment that you feel defines who you are as a person
There are plenty of other moments you could use as inspiration, but hopefully this list at least got you thinking about some inspiring moments in your life. If nothing inspires you right now, look through a journal, a yearbook, or maybe even an old calendar. You might find something interesting.
~Eliza
A journal is something that can really help with this. If you don't use one now is a good time to start. You don't need to write on a daily or even weekly basis. Just write about the events that effect you the most-that person you can't stop thinking about, your financial struggles, the drama at work, your friends sudden illness, etc. Keep a journal in which you write about those moments that evoke strong emotions in you.
Thinking about your past in a general sense can be less productive than focusing on specific emotions or moments. Use these prompts to help you develop ideas based on moments from your past.
-school fight
-a time you were really sick
-the first time you ever felt really guilty about something you did
-your first crush
-your first day at your first job
-an audition or interview you were nervous about
-your first date
-something you've always wanted to accomplish
-a nasty rumor someone spread about you
-a time you wanted to get revenge on someone who mistreated you
-a time someone assumed something negative about you
-a time you tried to impress someone who didn't like you
-your first bad grade or failed project
-a time you didn't get to do something you really wanted to do
-your first sexual experience
-the first concert you ever attended
-the first time you tried to write a song
-a bully that intimidated you
-a time you got in trouble at school
-an event that made you really late from something important
-a time you had to apologize for a big mistake
-a time your boss blamed you for something that wasn't your fault
-a time you blamed someone else for something you did
-something you said to someone that you've regretted ever since
-a moment you wish you could go back and change
-a moment that you feel defines who you are as a person
There are plenty of other moments you could use as inspiration, but hopefully this list at least got you thinking about some inspiring moments in your life. If nothing inspires you right now, look through a journal, a yearbook, or maybe even an old calendar. You might find something interesting.
~Eliza
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