As songwriters you have the opportunity to open someone’s eyes, change someone’s mind, and open windows they didn’t even know existed. Words are powerful. Words that hurt can last a lifetime. Words that teach and heal do the same. Have you ever been hurt by someone’s words? And then have you been inspired and moved by lyrics so much so you thought the artist was singing about you? What are you going to write about that can help at least one person?
Use your words as weapons of wisdom. Goodness knows, we need them.
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essence |ˈesəns| noun the intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something, especially something abstract, that determines its character
My art and teaching mentor used to tell me that we wear identity like clothing. At any given moment it’s how we want to be seen but may not be our essence. We dress ourselves in a character depending on our circumstance to impress. With children, what you see is what you get. By the time you are conscious of how others form an opinion of you based on your image, the costumes start emerging. She used to say a life like this leads to crystallization when you are frozen in some type of personality. I have a lot of smart students. Really smart. Too smart to allow their talents to shine. They know the judgments others use so they choose to hide under a cloak. It’s safe in a cocoon, but lonely. What I see in them is fear of others finding out their essence and then rejecting it. Or even worse, embracing it. Then they may have to expose more - or do they? A view from a window is sometimes more than enough. When an artist reveals their essence they find fans who care about what they are saying in their art. With that comes a lot of responsibility. The fans hold on to the words and images of an artist so they don’t feel so alone in their cocoon. What’s next? That depends on you. Will you take the route to a safe and predictable future or will you share the part of yourself that your audience is searching for? When you take a selfie, are you really representing your “self” or are you posing? Does it take 20 shots before you post a photo? When you sing are you listening for what you think you should sound like or are you singing from the depths of your soul?
The more honest you are with who you are, sight and sound, the more you will attract an honest audience. Be who you are. Sing what you feel. Your audience is waiting. |