Notes to Self: Navigating Through Creative Blocks (12 Amazing Tips)

In the labyrinth of creativity, songwriter's block can be an elusive beast, lurking in the shadows when you need inspiration the most. Pouncing on you when you are least aware. But fear not, for Sensei Eternalramblings is here. I’ll share some time-tested tips and techniques for unearthing the lost melodies.

1. Songs about everyday

Inspiration is often found in the ordinary. There’s no topic too common, no object too strange, no emotion too obscure to write about. Often, the sheer mundaneness of your every day life is what your song needs. Pay attention to the sounds and rhythms of daily life – the hum of traffic, the rustle of leaves, that oddly shaped leaf or the laughter of children. These can become the foundation of your song's unique sound.

2. Explore Different Genres

Step outside your musical comfort zone. I will repeat it again and again. I constantly have been doing that with my own songs, it’s like collecting Pokémons, I have got one of each kind and I’m gonna write them all. Listen to genres you've never explored before, if you think you know them all, you need to go exploring, there are some interesting ones in the world. Google, Pirate metal, math rock, vaporwave, lowercase to get yourself started. The unfamiliar can give you new ideas for your songwriting projects.

3. It’s not always lonely work

Sometimes, the magic of creativity lies in collaboration. We often associate any form of writing with solitary and focused work. Sometimes, it’s collaborative efforts that bring a book or a song to life. One of my favourite literary examples is the science fiction novella “How to lose the time war” by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Join forces with other musicians or songwriters, engage in songwriting jam sessions (yes!, they are a thing, at least for me), and let the ideas bounce and transform leading you to unexpected melodies. Warning: Do expect arguments and fights, just don’t let them get in the way of your song. A little creative scuffle helps more than it hurts.

4. Draw from the well of emotion

I know it’s easier said than done but writing your feelings without any censor in your head and letting it fill up the paper gives you some of the most gut wrenching and honest pieces of songwriting. Write about love, heartbreak, joy, envy or sorrow – the raw essence of your personal human experience.

5. Reattach yourself to nature

The natural world is a wellspring of inspiration. Take a walk in the woods, watch a sunrise, or gaze at the stars. Try to name the constellations, we can do it together too. Now before you complain, it doesn’t always mean packing your bags and heading to the mountains. sometimes adding a house plant, a painting you like, getting yourself drenched in the rain can be as effective as that getaway into the wild.

6. Keep your ears open

Human stories are a boundless source of song content. Listen to the tales of others, lend your undivided attention to your speaker, observe strangers in cafes, or delve into history books. People's experiences, struggles, and triumphs can act as a catalyst for your songwriting.

7. Keep a Journal or a huge pile of registers with strange details about your life (Whatever works!)

Maintain a morning journal, before bed journal, dream journal or a specific songwriting journal, whatever helps. The idea is that you jot down phrases, snippets of conversations, or moments that strike a chord with you. Or in my case, write first thing in the morning dumping anything and everything onto the pages like they are your your therapist and then looking for gold nuggets later. These fragments can later evolve into complete songs as they have countless times for me and there are still 100s carefully plucked and ready to be expanded upon.

8. Challenge Yourself

Set songwriting challenges. Limit yourself to writing a song with a specific theme, tempo, or chord progression. I have written a song about banana peels because of this. Might release it someday. Constraints force you to write things you normally wouldn’t.

9. Visual Arts and Literature

Visual arts and literature can offer fresh perspectives. Dive into paintings, poetry, manga or novels. Translate the emotions and imagery you find into lyrics and melodies. You need a starting point? I am a whole ocean of recommendations and for the chosen ones, even my little library is at their disposal. Some of my favourite songs I have written are inspired by anime, books and even movies.

10. Record Voice Memos

And also remember to organise them properly. Use your smartphone to record all those out-of-nowhere melodies or lyric ideas as they come to you, even if it's in the middle of the night. Inspiration often strikes at unexpected moments. I have countless ideas that have come to me while in dreams or in the loo. I am always prepared for songs. One such example is KAPOW!’s song “Kaali Billi”, which started playing in my head at 2 AM in the night and I had to get up and write it down to be able to sleep.

11. Revisit Old Material

Dust off your old song ideas or unfinished compositions. Go back to those songs you couldn’t complete. It’s like reconnecting with old friends that you have lost touch with, sometimes you’ll have a completely new outlook on the material which will allow you to finally complete it. If you still can’t complete it, it’s okay. Keep it saved and visit it later in some time again. Never completely delete your ideas.

12. Seek Solitude and Silence

In the midst of the world's noise, there is beauty in silence and yes just a few points ago I was the one pushing you to collaborate and meet new people. Tune in with your mind and figure what do you need. Change things up. If you are getting lost in the world. Detach and find moments of solitude to reflect, meditate, and let your mind wander. Do not consume anything, no books, no TV nothing, let your brain bore itself to invent ideas and stories.

Conclusion: Build your own garden

With all the tools and techniques, there will still be variables that you cannot tame in your pursuit to be a songwriter. That’s natural, try to measure the quantifiable and build an environment that helps you use the unquantifiable to your advantage. As your sensei, I encourage you to cultivate your songwriting garden with patience and persistence, gently sowing seeds for ideas and creativity.