Finding Inspiration

Inspiration is not just a poof of magic that appears unheralded. Inspiration is something that can be sought out. We have the ability to refine our sense for the presence of inspiration. Here’s a few ways to discover inspiration in your day-to-day life. 

Listen intentionally during conversations. Often times, the conversations we have can become great fodder for songs. You may discover that your friend has said a word or sentence or communicated an idea that speaks to your inner creative soul. Jot down words and phrases that spill out during conversations and use them as titles or concepts in your next songwriting session. 

Analyze chords progressions from your favorite songs. Again, listening is a means to discovering inspiration. Fiddle around with your guitar or piano and iron out what chord progressions are used in songs you’ve been listening to. You can take these progressions and transfer them into your own songs. Penning melodies and lyrics over chords progressions with which you are already familiar might help facilitate your process. 

Read books and watch television with adaptation in mind. One piece of art can easily be adapted into another mode of creativity. Books become movies. Movies become musicals. Musicals birth albums. Albums inspire authors who write novels and the cycle begins again. Think of your favorite books and television shows as points of inspiration for your next song. How can you retell stories that have already been told in song? 

As you can see, inspiration is not merely something that appears unannounced. You, the creative, need to seek it out in all facets of your life. I you open your eyes and ears wide enough, then you’ll welcome inspiration into your life much more frequently.