Every songwriter has 2 main struggles:
Struggle #1: To consistently make work you are proud of.
Struggle #2: To have lots of people listen to and love your work.
One of these is something we have immediate control over (hint, it’s #1!).
Let’s look at the one we do have control over right now: consistently making work we are proud of.
When we are struggling to do or achieve something that is within our control, there are generally 2 reasons for that:
1. We don’t actually want what we say we want.
We may think we want to write songs, but we don’t. We want whatever our fantasy is of other people’s adulation that comes with having written great songs; but don’t really enjoy the process of actually doing it.
Let’s assume this isn’t you.
Let’s assume (and I do) that you are a songwriter who loves the process.
You are curious and invested in the challenge and the struggle—you find it stimulating, you love learning about song forms, lyrical approaches, new chords: all of it.
It brings us to the number 2 reason we don’t actually DO IT →
2. We don’t know what to do.
It may sound obvious, but one of the core reasons we don’t sit down and do something is because we are not sure what we are meant to do. We don’t know the specific steps to take to move meaningfully towards a good end result, to make actual progress, and not to waste time.
And especially as we get older, the fear of time wasted is not insignificant.
Often the result is that we opt to do predictable, measurable things (answering emails, folding laundry, or just playing over old songs), rather than risk starting something when we don’t know what we are doing.
But if there are specific methods, processes, and strategies for reliably finishing songs, and making them consistently GOOD? [Hint: there are.]
I want to offer your 2 ways to learn these skills, right now, depending on who YOU are:
OPTION #1 – 🤔 You are a curious beginner, who wants to get the right information.
If this is you, I have made this playlist for you on our YouTube channel that is a specific collection of methods and strategies for finishing songs. This is for songwriters who want a bit of information, and are curious about the process.
OPTION #2 – 🙋 You are an action-taker, who learns through doing.
If this is you, I invite you to write a song in January with Benny and I at our New Year Weekend Intensive.
This is for songwriters who don’t just want information, but want to give themselves time and structure to work through a process, do it real-time, and actually come away not just with a new song, but with a set of tools, processes, and strategies for finishing any song. A set that can be repeated again and again.
Either way, we hope to see you somewhere songwriting soon!
Your songs deserve to be written – your voice deserves to be heard.
🌺 Keppie
PS – We have almost sold out of the Premium seats! Register now, and ignite 2025 with action on your creative goals!
Other ways to write better songs with us:
- Simply want to write more? ▶️ Join an 8-week Songwriting Sprint.
- Want feedback, community, and resources? ▶️ Join our membership Community.
- Want topic-specific info? ▶️ Check out the newly minted (and totally free) Resource Library
