Creativity

NOTE: This is another post dating from August 2006, which first appeared on my Singing Muses blog. My niece is hosting a group of artist friends in the back yard, as I write this. They have gathered to spend the afternoon creating artworks using mosaics.

Creativity is such a strange beast! I was driving home from work earlier tonight, and out of the blue began singing this line: Lately I've been thinking over, things I have to say to you/And whether I am drunk or sober, there are things I have to do.

Where did the lines come from, and why? I have no idea. Where did the melody come from? Again I have no idea. I got home, went straight to my computer, turned everything on and recorded (a'cappella style), the two lines and the melody that accompanied them. You can listen to the recording here...

I then spent half and hour on the Internet. When I got up from the computer to go out again, I had forgotten completely the two lines I had 'composed' and I had also completely forgotten the melody. Why? Where were they? What had the subconscious mind done with the words and melody?

Quite honestly, I don't know. Nor do I understand the workings of the subconscious mind, but both the words and music had completely slipped my mind. However, I was glad I had immediately recorded the couplet and melody when I did, or the song would now be well and truly lost.

It proves the rule that you have to 'strike while the iron is hot', and immediately write down or find a way of recording your songwriting ideas as soon as you can after they are presented to you. If you don't, you will almost certainly lose them forever.

Back to Jim's Website...