There’s always a temptation to procrastinate, even when you enjoy songwriting and sometimes even because you enjoy it. We often feel unreasonably guilty over spending time doing something we enjoy. We tell ourselves we should be doing the laundry or mowing the lawn or something else ‘more important’. Well, no, we shouldn’t. If we have the inspiration to write we should definitely write. This isn’t a justification to avoid all chores it’s just a matter of understanding priorities.
One reason we put off writing is the little voice that makes us feel guilty about being creative. Yep, it’s the inner critic again. The trick is to bypass the critic. Sometimes just being aware of its tactics will allow you to move past it. If that fails maybe you should do the laundry or mow the lawn! Seriously, often doing rote tasks, particularly ones that involve a rhythmic aspect (thumpety-thump goes the dryer, round and round the yard you push the mower) will lull the critic to sleep and allow your creative side to come out and play.
Lines, melodies, or even whole songs have come to me when I am walking, or raking, or vacuuming. Driving alone is a great time get creative. Don’t listen to CDs or the radio; listen to the vehicle. It’s alive with terrific beats and rhythms. My song “Breathe” started from the slap-slap of the windshield wipers.
Eventually we become more aware of our creative side and we allow it to unfold; no guilt, no expectations, rules or deadlines. We give ourselves permission to be creative and suddenly there’s all the time in the world.