songwriters time and space

OK songwriters and especially new writers, a little thought towards your setup before you get stuck into that new song. You have just come up with a new idea for a tune. You're writing down as many of those ideas as they're flowing through your head. You have your guitar/keyboard close to you; ready for it to take its part in the next step of the writing process. You also know that the stream of inspiration is probably going to dry up at any stage. But that's OK, that's just how it works, you're ready to get stuck into the hard work when its time.

Time and space

So time, and another co-ordinate. "Space" also needs to come into play. Without these two vital ingredients, the struggles we have to go through to get our songs finished are suddenly put under more pressure to complete. Unless you are a paid professional who writes songs for an employer and has to write under 'I would imagine" much more difficult conditions on a daily basis. [I tip my hat off to you folk, you are truly inspirational for your skills and devotion and ability to work/write and create under those work environments]. People like myself have to rely on organizing our lives to a point where we have to give ourselves a lot of time to act upon the thoughts and ideas that flow through our minds when they materialize, so we can then work on them later.

Space is the other ingredient that is vital in songwriting. You need that place where you can relax and allow yourself to go where you need to go.

Support 

Once you have time and space at your disposal, you only need to worry about your creativity ability. But to have those two ingredients at your disposal, another element sometimes comes into the equation. Support. Either from, who you live with, be it your partner or family or housemates. Giving you that support or freedom to create in an unobtrusive environment helps with the creative processes required to complete a project once you've started it and the first burst of inspiration starts to flounder.

Interrupting

Setting aside 5/6 hours of uninterrupted time and space is a great feeling, knowing you have what you need now, to go into your creative zone. Even if it's just lying on your bed staring at the ceiling for an hour while your thoughts slowly form into words, which you can then write on paper. At this stage you don't want someone interrupting you, questioning what you're doing, or you haven't done all those household chores yet, [always a good idea to get that stuff out the way if it bothers you] then of course, there's, someone telling you, "We have to go out". "That's not my favorite thing to hear". [Not unless it's important of course] But after all, it is only songwriting and it's not the most important thing in the world. But it's just the most enjoyable.

What happens if these elements [Time and Space] are not at your disposal? Is this when potentially great songs are left half-finished because you have fallen victim to someone Else's time management requirements for your life. This is a great time to sit down by yourself and have a good look around to see if you have those elements in place in your life. Not just for songwriting expeditions, but just your life in general.

Half finished songs 

You don't want your half-finished master pieces only coming out momentarily when friends are around for a few drinks, or you play part of your song to some other muso for their opinion, "Yeah that sounds fantastic, but where's the rest of it," at least you get what sounds like a compliment.

Seriously though, I think the "time and space" requirement is more of a life issue than a songwriting necessity. But if you have those elements organized and functioning in your life, then your chances of developing your songwriting skill increases by as much time that you want to spend on it. Plus, only you are accountable for it. Good luck and good time management. Have fun writing.

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