BOOKS that have mattered to me and cleared up some wrong thinking that was freezing me up creatively: "Unlocking the Heart of The Artist" and "The War of Art".
The first is from a totally Biblical perspective, extremely insightful and helpful for Christians that struggle with their creative giftings. The War of Art is completely secular but really puts things plainly and demystifies the resistance and depression all artists can so easily give into.
"Don't think how we can MAKE people pay for music, but how we can LET them"
An inspiring, passionate talk about changing how we look at being an artist. It's not about being a "star" but being a servant and inviting people into our lives through our creations. It takes bravery, trust, vulnerability- and isn't that what good art is made of anyway?
"Man Your Post!"
God gave us each a "post" and a sphere of influence, instead of just wanting bigger and better, let's just be faithful to our post!
Be careful little ears what you hear...
Music is everything.
Everything is Music.
Music: It is ultimately derived from mousa, the Greek word for muse. In ancient Greece, the word mousike was used to mean any of the arts or sciences governed by the Muses...
To me the muses are God, the Holy Spirit and his angels and also Lucifer and his demons.
Music is the weapon of warfare for both sides.
It pierces deeper than any arrow and always hits its mark; the heart.
When someones bob their head to the beat, they are saying "yes" with their head, they are agreeing.
They are signing a contract, committing it to memory, the deal is done, the mood is set
Music can make you or break you and maybe relieve you, maybe redeem you, maybe lift your thoughts to new heights and you're feelings to new depths and widths
But never say "it's just a song", no it becomes part of you
part of the deepest part of you- your heart
PERSPECTIVE ON MAKING MUSIC:
I'm a channel, a vessel. This is my illustration of what's going on when I'm making music:
It comes from my muse, God, flows through me (imperfectly) to others and hopefully back up to God. The more it gets back to God the more I've done my job. I can tell a personal story of heartache and still be in the use of the Holy Spirit and the Muse. The Bible is all "God Breathed and useful..." and most of it is telling stories. Stories that don't always sound "Christian" or clean. The cross doesn't look clean and "safe for the whole family", yet it was the story God needed to tell.
When you are making art- be sensitive to the muses around you and what they are trying to push through you- it could be God and His spirit and could be something else. Either you see everything spiritually or nothing, so decide now and make that the base of your art.
Fellow Music Makers:
When I came to Nashville I was really resistance to co-writing. I liked the space alone to do whatever I wanted with a song- say what I wanted, how I wanted, with the music I wanted. Hearing a lot of "I" there? Well, it was out of mistrust for my collaborators and selfishness that I wanted to keep the whole process a solo thing. I've learned that people are the most valuable resource for creativity- they contain whole worlds of life experience, vocabulary, perspective and we are connected by the same Holy Spirit.
Jesus even said "Where two or more are gathered, I am there". There is something prayerful and holy about agreeing in song, agreeing in creating something. Yes, I have to compromise- I don't always get it my way, but the songs that have come out of co-writing and collaboration are testaments to the witness of 2 or 3 people. I still love writing on my own but I've learned that I need people and that's ok.
Also, I get the feeling many artists worry about "sharing credit" or "sharing royalties". I'm gonna go ahead and tell you that's stinkin' thinking right there. You tell me when anything really great came from one person, alone, start to finish. Don't worry about sharing, enjoy sharing. Being selfish robs us of joy and people aren't more "impressed" when they see you wrote all your stuff by yourself. Yes there can be too many cooks in the kitchen, but it's so worth finding a few people that you really connect with that you can collaborate with. Sounds like I'm talking from my own wrong thoughts and experiences huh? :)
From left to right: Producer Michael Omartian (who's produced Rod Stewart, Christopher Cross, played in Steely Dan, Produced Amy Grant, Donna Summer and me!!!) Engineer Terry Christian (who worked on my first album Beloved) Ben and Emily from Carolina Story and Joy Whitlock whom I got to spend a month with on tour. Amy Grant, Vince Gill and Martina McBride- me and Amy shared the same producer- she is so nice and calm, I don't know her but I've been around her and she seems like a very sweet person. Phil Keaggy- the most entertaining, wild, humble guy I've ever seen live. I got to open for him at a benefit for fallen soldiers. Wynonna Judd, she sang on a charity song for Haiti, I was part of it with Michael W. Natalie Grant and many other artists I admire.
THE THIEF
Yes. It really is. Help me God to own my own journey instead of envying someone else's.
HOUSE CONCERTS:
Our generation seems to understand bigger and more flashy is not always better. I'd love a great U2 or Coldplay concert but I also really really love the intimacy and comfort of a house concert. If you haven't heard of it before, house concerts are a great way to hear great music and the stories behind the music with friends and family in your homes. I started hearing about this 2 years ago while I was on tour and we did a few of these and last year I began hosting them once a month. I get about 10 songwriters to play 2 songs each and take time to tell the story behind the songs and a little about themselves. I don't have to worry about renting a space or setting up something elaborate- people sit on the floor- eat snacks- it's really relaxed and fun. Usually it's packed and afterward we have a jam that most of the time breaks out in to dancing, worship and a drum circle! (sorry neighbors) A lot of friendships and creative connections have been made. Try it at your place!
Recently I found a great excuse to "love my neighbor" starting by introducing myself to my neighbors and inviting them to the house concerts!
Conversation For Writers
I was challenged to write a “timeless” song. Every day for about 3 weeks I wrote and sent a song to a producer (who is extremely legit) to see if I’d met this challenge. Every day he would write back and say “it’s good but not timeless.”
I got desperate! So I had an idea. Ok he wants a timeless song, I will take a timeless phrase and turn it into a song. Think about it. Most hit’s are timeless phrases.
“Don’t Think Twice”
“What’s Going on”
“Let It Be”
“I Want To Hold Your Hand”
“God Only Knows”
etc…
So I googled phrases and viola! picked some that stood out to me and wrote songs around them. They turned out well, I’m not gonna lie. But my heart wasn’t in them. I guess I’ve done it before naturally in writing songs like with the phrases “I See God In You” and “Look Up”. But this time it just wasn’t from my heart. Maybe because these phrases didn’t lend themselves to what I’m feeling in my life at this time even though they may have turned into great songs.
What do you writer’s think about this approach? Some would say this is a great way to get creative juices flowing. It’s not selling out. It’s being a professional, working at a craft not just waiting for inspiration to deliver a song out of the blue. It could be seen as using all the tools available. People do it all the time with the Bible- you find a phrase and elaborate on it. Thoughts???
Who Wants to Know?
I wonder when I’m writing, “who wants to know”? and the conclusion I’ve come to is I don’t know. Maybe someone who’s time happens to align with seeing this post and somehow it means something to them. Maybe it helps them on their journey just as I’ve been helped on my journey by things I’ve read. Speaking of which just to name some of the things I’ve read that have helped me or at least got me thinking…
1. The Bible (of course) specifically Song of Solomon and Revelation. As a favorite teacher of mine said “the Bible is not boring, you’re boring”
2. David Copperfield- why I don’t know, but the imagery in this book captured me. Especially the boat by the sea where the family lives. It makes me want to write my own stories.
3. Joan of Arc by Mark Twain- his best unknown book. I look up to Joan of Arc and this book really does her justice.
4. Any biography. I’m a sucker for country singer’s biographys. One day they live in a shack in Appalachia the next they are in their own tour bus singing at the Grand Ole Opry.
5. Chronicles by Bob Dylan. He’s just the man in every way. Doesn’t follow rules and doesn’t care what you think. I like that. His vocabulary is amazing and in a very non “I’m trying to sound smart” way.
6. Daylight by Joan Baez. In this book you realize why she became a protest singer- through the simple stories and experiences of her sensitive childhood, we see she’s always hated injustice.
7. Jayne Eyre. Everyone loves this book for a reason- it’s great. It’s about a girl who can’t be bought, works hard, does things her way and ends up winning in the end for it.
Ok I went on a slightly different path than I wanted to when I sat down to write. I want to write about my journey in music, life, spirituality. I guess this is the process my mind needs to take first in asking “well who wants to know”.
I’m happy to say this next year is going to be an interesting one and I want to write about it. Interesting in that I seem to have finally gotten a hold of the right way to view music and it’s becoming “playing” again. That’s what they say right? You “play” music.
There’s also a lot of activities that accompany the music like taking photos, designing packaging, dreaming up music video ideas, meeting with creative people and sharing ideas. Coming up with a plan to get the music out. I find it all challenging but enjoyable. Right now it works for me to be an independent artist because I can make the final call on this, my opinion matters and I get to have a say in how I make the music, how it gets heard, when it gets released. Of course there are drawbacks, but freedom is worth a lot to me.
I’m grateful, thankful, no one owes me anything, my talents or offerings don’t assure me a spot at the table but if I get invited then I will be glad. I don’t think I deserve to win, but I’m playing, I’m in the game and I’m trying my best.
I will share more later.
“A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do. ” -Bob Dylan
“Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?” -Ecclesiastes
The War of Art (Resistance)
My good friend Faith and I come to a local coffee shop almost daily. That’s one of the things I love about Nashville. It’s like Seinfeld only not in New York. I see my friends everywhere and there are always coffee shops full of people reading or working on their laptops. Anyway, the other day she brought a book someone gave her called “The War of Art”. I read the first part of it and found it to be talking about what I’ve always felt but was not able to articulate as well as this book does. It’s all about Resistance.
If you are an artist or really any person trying to do something unusual, or expressive or spiritual you will meet Resistance. It’s what makes 99% of artists give up painting, writing, singing, performing. I’m not talking about fear or discouragement, because that stops people too, but those are the symptoms of the greater problem of resistance. I used to call it the devil because I see the world spiritually and also because my art is in direct opposition to his agenda. But I can’t give the devil all the credit for trying to thwart, slow and stop me from doing what I was put on this earth to do.
I was talking to someone today who’s been trying to write a book for the past 8 years, I know a friend who’s been trying to start his business for the past few years, I meet people everyday who are just on the brink of giving birth to their purpose but resistance is keeps them from delivering.
I don’t know what your passion, purpose and expression is but I’m willing to bet you aren’t participating in it nearly as much as you think about starting to participate in it but just never get around to it. Resistance is keeping you from it. And you must learn to face Resistance head on, know how to deal with it and get around it and sometimes just even hold it off with one hand while you work with the other. That is if you ever want to look back on your life and see that you did do that thing you always knew you were meant to do. Don’t let resistance keep you paying bills, cleaning the house, organizing papers, watching tv and playing games on your phone instead of just doing the darn thing you were made to do.
