I don’t have much to say, today.
As a blogger, a lyricist and a conversationalist, it sometimes (but not often) happens that I stare into space or a face and no idea comes a callin’.
This is not uncommon, though it can be frustrating if the desire to create or interact is present.
Joni Mitchell and other songwriters have dealt with this issue by using a “crop rotation,” method. This is a concept borrowed from farmers. With crop rotation, we do not worry that a song isn’t coming, We pivot.
Joni switches from music to painting. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks and Bob Dylan are other notable examples of songwriters who express themselves in visual art forms, too.
Other artists garden, knit, cook or do woodworking. It’s all good and it’s something we can all enjoy to express our creativity if we feel blah or blocked.
I enjoy making the videos that we use for the John Lennon Real Love Project and the Real Food Songwriting Program. After we co-write a song and record it with kids, I get to mix the song and do all the other things required to turn it into a finished product. To some this would be tedious, daunting or downright boring – but I love it! It’s one of my favorite forms of crop rotation.
When I’m not creating anything like a song, video or a blog, though, my mind is still attuned to what is happening in my inner and outer world. Some days, I think I’m collecting seeds at those moments that will be used later. Or, I just might be doing nothing and refilling my tank. I really am “an introvert with an extrovert tank.” (Joanna Gaas)
While swimming in the pool a couple of days ago, I realized that I rarely pick up a guitar unless it’s for a gig. It struck me as strange until I thought, “My guitar is a tool as is my voice and I don’t use them unless needed.” I am like a carpenter who uses their hammer when there’s a nail in front of him or her. They don’t pick it up and practice swinging any more than a gardener would practice digging holes in the dirt.
So, I’ve got very little to say, today. And that’s just fine. I don’t need the practice.
