How to Write One Song

And I look at the artistic gift as more about communication and the ability to be oneself. And not just about being able to execute a piece of music perfectly. To me, showing up with a reliably open heart and a will to share whatever spirit you can muster is what resonates and transcends technical perfection.

it can be very daunting and upsetting when people realize that others are more talented than they are. But you have to work through that.

“Have you ever heard a song and responded to it? OK, you know music!”

You need your human frailty to be at least somewhat visible if you want to connect on an emotional level—if you want things to feel real.

What do you care about? What do you talk to your friends about? Whatever is on your mind is a good-enough topic for a song,

So do some freewriting. Write without thinking. I’m sure there will be some things that will surprise you, along with some nonsense.

you feel a little uncomfortable, maybe a tiny bit embarrassed even, you’re on the right track.

the core of any creative act is an impulse to make manifest our powerful desire to connect—with others, with ourselves, with the sacred, with God?

you have to focus on verbs over nouns—what you want to do, not what you want to be.