What Inspires You?

"What inspires you to create? What inspires you, not just your music, but your life?" 

This question makes me wonder. Do we have to be "inspired" to create? 

I started out my songwriting journey writing solely by inspiration. I'd hear lyrics and melodies in my head. All I had to do was sit down at the piano and follow their lead. They always seemed to lead somewhere. Based on that experience, I was convinced that it was best to just wait for the inspiration.

One time I heard one of my favorite songwriters say that they wait for inspiration. They never write unless they first hear a phrase or lyric in their mind. That seemed very magical and spiritual. 

Then I attended a songwriting workshop where the leader said we write by inspiration AND perspiration. "Nah," I thought to myself. "Why would I bother making myself sweat to write when I can wait to feel inspired?"

Then I heard about the non-profit organization called Songs of Love. They were looking for songwriters to write and produce songs for children and teens with a lifetime disability or terminal illness. Something nudged me to audition.

When I found out that I was accepted as a songwriter, I was thrilled and anxious to get started. Until I got my first profile. "Now I HAVE to come up with a fully produced song within 25 days," I said to myself while feeling a sudden sense of panic. What if inspiration doesn't strike? Oops....

Remembering that songs are basically a combination of elements: lyrics, notes, rhythms, etc., I started to focus on the task. I played with the rhythm and sound of the child's name. How could I creatively use it in a song?  

Aha! I had a chorus idea. Then I started in on the verses. Next thing I knew, I had a song. I felt extremely inspired.

I've been writing for Songs of Love for over 17 years now and I can say that I'm no longer convinced I need to wait for inspiration. It sure would be nice to feel something special every time I want to write, but I've discovered that creative juices can get flowing just by starting.

One of my songwriting heroes, Robert Sterling says "As dull as it sounds, songwriters find their ideas and inspiration hiding in mundane, everyday things and places—in resources available to anyone willing to pay attention. Those same resources are all around you every day, and they fall into two general categories: reading and listening."

Back to the original question... What inspires you to create? 

I decided to take a different approach for answering this week's fan question. I was pretty sure that if I'd sit down and take the time to reflect on the songs I've written, I could probably always trace their start to a specific event, phrase or moment.

So over the weekend I sat down and listed the song titles from my albums. Beside the song title, I wrote a short phrase that describes the spark that started the song. You'll see that some ideas were just simple, every day events or words, like Robert suggests. They didn't come dressed up in sparkles like some kind of fancy genie who pops out of a bottle when you make a wish. Oh if only!! But all it took was a spark and inspiration soon followed.

I hope this will inspire you to pay close attention to the things you hear, see and feel! You never know when creativity is waiting right around the corner.

Big sister flies away (Big Blue Sky)

Vocal exercise (From My Heart)

Digging in my garden (Master Gardener)

Wilted flower garden (Rain)

Y2K (Just When You Think)

Sunday sermon (Living Fire)

Feel like I'm always fighting another battle (God is Able)

Racine (The Memory of You)

Husband shoveling snow (Moments)

A discouraged friend (Who You Are)

The word "turn" (Turn and Look in His Eyes)

Youth missions - camp sermon (Love Me)

Moment of overwhelming peace (Sometimes)

Bad news (Be Joyful)

Family finances (The Bottom of Grace)

Doubts (I Still Believe)

Faulty synthesizer (Never By Accident)

Family farm auction (Bidder on the Heart)

Making a career decision (Wrong Thing)

Flashy female speaker (Personalities)

Watching a friend's life change (Free From the Inside Out)

Spontaneous Spirit jingle (He Can)

Pussy willow tree on childhood farm (Innocence is Good)

Visiting my father's grave (Someone Else's Shoes)

The harp and the bowl sermon (In the Hand of the Lord)

Cat looking out the window (Shatter the Glass)

Blooming lilacs (Missin' You)

Tragic accident (I Can Pray)

Phone call from my brother (Pond Beside the Barn)

Teenage slumber party (Wonderfully Created)

100 year church celebration (I Know God)

Radio show (Miracles)

Radios in India (One Small Box)

Playful piano (Joy to the World)

Snow drifts (Portraits of White)

List from pre-school mom (MOPS)

One night I had a dream (Back to the Heart of Christmas)

Writing challenge from producer (Ride in the Sleigh)

Church drama (You With Me)

A Christmas shop (Take Another Look)

Facebook comment (Hope Walked In)

Figure skating (Brand New Me)

I'm feeling free (Feels Good to be Free)

David & Goliath (Who Do You Think You Are?)

Drum beats (Out of the Box)

Misunderstanding (Don't Quit)

Motorcycles (It's All About the Ride)

Serenade song for church staff (Blessing Song)

This week's video.

"The Elephant Diet" Day # 86 Couldn't say it better

I've been working on a song this week for a little girl with a permanent disability.  I do this from time to time for an organization called Songs of Love.  It has been a wonderful opportunity artistically.

Many times the child would list their favorite music artist so I could try to write in that genre.  The two names that showed up the most were Taylor Swift and Hannah Montana.  I began listening to the music of these two artists so that I could emmulate their style for the sake of the child that requested a song, as much as is possible with my little home studio.

Yesterday as I was walking, I pulled up a song of Miley's (Hannah Montana) on my iphone.  I've always liked this song, but when I listened again from the view that I have right now with this dream of a Christmas show, I couldn't believe how much I felt like someone has been reading my mind.

I couldn't say it any better.

The Climb

 I can almost see it

That dream I am dreaming

But there's a voice inside my head saying

"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking

Every move I make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying

Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be a uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing

The chances I'm taking

Sometimes might knock me down

But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it

But these are the moments that

I'm gonna remember most, yeah

Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong

Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna wanna make it move

Always gonna be a uphill battle

Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing

Keep the faith, baby

It's all about, it's all about the climb

Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

Songwriter(s): Jon Mabe

Copyright: Stage Three Music Publishing Limited

Listen the "The Climb"

Check out "Songs of Love"

"The Elephant Diet" Day # 78 Post-Tracking Day Blues

This morning I got up with the blues.  The 'post-tracking day' blues.

The very first time I recorded in a studio, it was near Valley Forge, PA.  I had been recruited for a radio broadcast program to accompany a singer from Nashville on a recording project.  It was the most amazing experience I had ever had musically.  I was so high for days afterward that my husband finally looked at me one day and said "are you EVER going to come down???...I need you HERE!!!".

It took me weeks (at least that's what it seemed like) to recover.  I determined from that day on that whatever it took, I would somehow get back into that studio and do more of whatever 'that' was that I had just experienced, even if I had to offer to clean the toilets to get in.

You can hear more of that story on my Inside Things podcast.  Episode # 12 "A harp, willow, van and bird!"

Needless to say, that began a journey of managing the cycles of having such adrenaline rushes from recording to getting back into real life shortly afterward.  I think I've learned how to ride the ride, but I still have twinges of it and this morning was one of those times.  I love being a part of recording so much that it takes me a while to re-enter life afterward.  I still cry sometimes when I leave Nashville.

A good dose of catch-up work in the studio in between doctor visits with 2 special people in my life snapped me back into reality pretty quick.

By the way, I should report that today I went with Tom to the doctor and he got some of his stitches out from his operation...but not all.  More come out on Tuesday.  It's still a struggle, but over time he is able to do a little bit more each day on his own.  It's been hard to see him go through this, but I am absolutely sure that I did the right thing by staying home this week.  We need each other.

This afternoon I took my mother to the doctor and again, realized that it would have been terribly uncomfortable for anyone else to have to take her other than me.  It just wouldn't have been fair to her.  It's good I stayed home from TN on so many levels.

I have 13 events coming up in April that I need to be preparing for and more booking details coming in.  I have to keep up with my system of making sure all the information shows up in all the places it should to keep me organized and I've been behind on that this week.  As of tonight, I think I have everything on my calendars and sites as it needs to be.

I also got a request this week to write and record a special song for two different little girls.  One of them is the sister of a girl I wrote one for years ago for Songs of Love.  The mother decided after all these years that the sister who hasn't had a disability deserves to have a song about her too.

The other request came from Songs of Love saying someone specifically requested me to write a song for their daughter.  I must have written one for someone else in their family years ago.  Can't remember.....too many children...too many songs later.  I will try to squeeze it in between everything else going on in my life.  These songs really touch the hearts of those who receive them and it's an important part of what I do.

So here at the end of the day, my post-tracking day blues are slowly changing color.

Blue isn't always such a bad color.

My studio is blue and I love it!