This is probably my favourite song from Continuum by John Mayer. The first time I fully appreciated it was when I was walking alone along the beach at sunset, about eight years ago. The words were like rain, falling gently on my head and infiltrating my skin in the most glorious way. I’m not sure what it is about this song that gets to me, but I never tire of it!
“I am the dried up, doubting eyes
Looking for the well that won’t run dry.”
– Restless, Switchfoot
One of the ways I get inspired is by writing out and reflecting on other people’s lyrics. I’ve done this since I was young – it satisfies my analytical mind! After having painting this yesterday, I’ve decided to try and create and share lyrical art regularly! It’s fun, and it motivates me to write.
So, here’s the first one!
“Now it’s an abstract thought
But I’ve been thinking non-stop
‘Bout the fact that my body’s made most out of raindrops
With a saltwater heart.”
– Saltwater Heart by Switchfoot
Given that June has once again rolled around, I thought I would share this old video of my song, “Songs of June”. It was shot by good friends of ours in the back garden of our old farm cottage. Man, I miss that place!
If you like it, please share it!
SONGS OF JUNE
Music and lyrics by Mali Korsten.
Copyright 2015 PRS. All rights reserved.
Woke on the wrong side of bed
With songs of June running round my head
They tell me I’m crazy
Demons with voices sweet
Offer me fruit from the poisonous tree
They won’t resign till they can say “She’s mine”, but I won’t be deceived
No I won’t be deceived
And June is cold in this part of the world
Where I fumble toward the light
And maybe they won’t taunt me today
If I clothe myself in the night
Temptation tells me he’s
The one in the know, one who holds the key
But I know he’s lying
‘Cause shadows require the light
To draw the outlines we recognise
The lies would not be if the truth did not see some use for them here
And June is cold in this part of the world
Where I stumble toward the light
And maybe they won’t haunt me today
If I disguise myself in the night
I find it hard to reason
I get caught up in the haze
And if I talk to myself it’s not ’cause I’m mad
I’m just trying to remember the time has passed
When I heard the voice of love
Pouring like rain from the heavens above
And the dove did descend and He promised me then that He’d never leave
And June is cold in this part of the world
But I’ll press on anyway
And I won’t fear, for I know who lives here
So I’ll bathe in the light of day
Songs of June video filmed and edited by Glory to God Productions
All writers have experienced the disheartening sense of creative bankruptcy that is writer’s block. The good news is that you don’t have to wait in a state of passivity until it disappears. Here are four tips for getting over the proverbial hump:
1. Read. When I’m feeling totally uninspired, I read. I read all kinds of things – novels, blog posts, short stories, news articles, song lyrics, poems, etc. Once I begin to truly appreciate the infinite ways in which language can be utilised to convey a message or tell a story, I start itching to further develop my own style of communicating through words.
2. Write. No, I haven’t totally lost my mind and forgotten what the title of this post is. But really, sometimes the only way out is through. Unless you’ve truly and completely lost the ability to string a sentence together (in which case you should stop reading this post and call a doctor immediately) then the only thing standing between you and some words on a page is the fear of writing something bad. So, face your fear, write something bad, and eventually you’ll be rewarded for your diligence with inspiration.
3. Do Something New. This could be as simple as going to a new coffee shop, taking up a new hobby, learning a new skill, meeting a new person or visiting a new place. Newness is stimulating and can cause us to notice things we may have previously overlooked. Sometimes a simple change of scenery can be just the ticket for recharging those creative batteries.
4. Stay Calm. Writer’s block can be an extremely humbling experience. That’s a good thing – humility makes us strive to be better writers. Don’t get too freaked out by your current lack of creative energy. Keep to your end of the bargain (see No. 2) and this too shall pass.
How do you deal with writer’s block? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Photo courtesy of Neal Sanche on Flickr.