maybe writers block isn't so bad

There is a topic that recently has been reappearing in my conversations. Part of it may have to do with Kara being in town. And I've just had a lot of ideas for songs. I guess you could say I've been inspired a lot lately. I've just been in the mood to write, if you couldn't already tell from my writers block blog. And I'm not just writing songs, but just about my own thoughts. I try to write every night before I go to bed. Kind of like a diary, but really not. Just anything I've thought about. I get really bad about it though and don't write for weeks or months and a time. BUT, right now I just want to write. I think another influence on my writing desire is the recent change in weather. Kids, it is sunny and warm and gorgeous. Today, Kara and I went and played frisbee. It was great. I'm hoping to go play some baseball soon. I love baseball. I have a goal to see every MLB team play at their home stadium. I'm far from reaching this goal, but I've started.

Well that was a tangent a big, anyway, the recurring topic is coming up with great ideas (for anything really be it songs, blogs, things to do, whatever) and then forgetting and ALSO the inability to get thoughts and feelings out in a way that the masses would understand. AKA writing songs. So last night I was doing some blog reading. There's this guy named Ben Romans, he's the keyboardist in The Click Five (BIG FAN of their new sound, Kyle just makes it work), and he's involved with this blogging site called The One Love. Basically it's a bunch of artists and such that are writing about their lives and the things they are involved with, especially promoting new causes and such. Check it out. Anyway, this guy is just a great writer. He see's things, everything, in such a great way. Many times in the same way I see things, I just don't often voice it. But still. I just love his blog. If you go to his site, read his blog from January 25, 2007. I read that last night and it just had so much to do with many of my recent conversations about writing songs. I have all these ideas but can't put them into words etc. It was a great blog to read after writing "writers block". So after I read that blog I just had all these thoughts streaming through my mind. I had to write it down before I forgot. It goes like this:

ALWAYS carry around a pad of paper and a pencil, cuz you never know when an idea (good or bad) will hit, or you'll find something intriguing that you want to explore. I try to keep a full 8x11 notebook with me at all times (because sometimes my little notepad just doesn't cut it) so mI can write down everything:

quotes, phrases, a person, ideas, ANYTHING that strikes my fancy.

I have a friend who I once went shopping with. I found a skirt - this relates guys I swear - and asked her opinion before even trying it on. She told me,

"Do you want to know what my mothers shopping motto? If you look at something for more than a couple seconds, grad it and try it on."

I try to apply this point of view to every aspect of my life now. Yes, I tried on the skirt, and yes, I bought it. Still have it in fact. But consider for a second transfering this idea to the rest of your life. If I find my mind wandering, or my eye lingering, I write it down. Because even for a second, my mind was captivated. That's got to be worth something. I may not immediately write a blog or write in a journal or talk about this event, but later I will. Later, when I'm in a place and time where I can give things more thought and focus. Because don't we all deserve to focus out attention on things that interest us?

Maybe writers block isn't so bad, because the urge to write and get around the block is so great, that I spend more time writing about anything else, hoping that I'll find the answers to all my other questions in the process. Also, listen to Jose Gonzalez. I swear. I can't listen to that man without words flowing out through my finger tips.

writers block

Writers block...it's something I've become good friends with. He sometimes visits me, often times most inconveniently. It is increasingly frustrating. I guess part of the problem is my lack of experience with lyrical writing. It's just so difficult for me to get the thoughts and feelings I wish to express out in a way that would make sense in a song. I think I need to take a lyrical writing class. Or I just need to write more. I think that's it. I used to write songs all the time, about anything that came to mind. I once wrote a song with Kara about a cigarette butt we found at the park. It was a great song. You wouldn't have known it was about a cigarette butt. Thats the beautiful part.

Anyway, this weekend I watched Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind and began writing about it in very loose terms. Mostly it's focusing on a good relationship that ends poorly and how you may want to forget it, but some things were just so fun. So should you? I don't know. But I wrote a couple lines, but past that I can't get my thoughts together in a fashion that makes sense in a musical sense. But writer's block isn't always as intense as my inability to get thoughts together. Kara is in town all week and today we finally got the chance to write some music together again. She had started a song recently and I was just really digging it, so we continued it, writing out the second verse, and got to the last line and completely died. We can't figure out for the life of us how to end it. To add to the frustration, all we have to do is write that line and maybe a bridge, and then we can record it this week. STRESS!! We decided to go on a walk instead of sit in my room and stress over it.

So oh well I suppose. The words will come to us. To me. Just keep writing and it will work out.

Well, spring break is over...I now have to get myself through 6 1/2 weeks of school. I can make it, however, things are about to get a little stressful. The dumb drug classes are done, so I don't have to worry about that or AA meetings anymore, but I still have to plan for on campus events and such. I have tests coming up in psychology and economics which I'm going to have to study incredibly hard for. I also have to write 4 papers for psychology labs before Thursday. Tonight I will be writing one about August Rush. Should be interesting. I have a new song for voice lessons from Jekyll & Hyde. It'll be good for me.

So spring break...I spent it at home in Boise which was great. I went to the gym, went skiing with the parental unit, hung out with people. I did get a MASSIVE bruise on my leg whilst skiing though! I went on a jump, caught an edge while landing on my inside left ski, and proceeded to hit my left leg with the side of my right ski. It's really sick looking. And huge. I also sang at a couple of my sisters dance performances over the break. I noticed a change in my singing. An improvement. It's odd because the only singing I've really been doing is at voice lessons, which haven't been that fantastic on my voice. But whatever I'll take what I can get.

Ok well, I could write about a couple more things from the break, but I'm not going to right now.
Have good days.