“Is songwriting mostly inspiration or perspiration?”
This question typically divides the room into two camps.
Camp 1: The Inspiration Fetishists
Some of the songwriters present cross their arms over their chests and say they don’t want to make some boring job out of songwriting. “I have to be inspired to write. I’m not going to force it if I don’t feel like writing,” they say.
Warning: Relying on inspiration can mean that you wait a long, long time between songs. The world is full of naturally brilliant writers who can’t muster the discipline to sustain a long-term effort—and so they end up with little or no finished work. Beware this pitfall.
Camp 2: The Sweaty Side of the Room
On the other hand we have songwriters who say that perspiration has taught them everything. These writers need at least some semblance of structure, or they never get any writing done. “Inspiration is overrated,” they say. “I write every day, even if I’m tired. Even if the house is on fire.” These are the kinds of writers who thrive on deadlines, and participate in crazy projects like Album Writing Month.
So who’s right?
Opinion: Neither camp is entirely right. The truth lies in a mix of both approaches. Inspiration and perspiration are actually not opposed at all; in my experience, more perspiration = more inspiration. The more you learn about the craft and the more time you set aside for writing, the more alert, receptive, and—you guessed it—inspired you will be, even when you’re far from your writing desk.
Warning: Don’t be misled by stories about some songwriter penning an enormously successful hit within fifteen minutes. The very reason that these stories are so popular is because they’re rare and remarkable. Note also that the artist who can write a masterpiece that rapidly has probably dedicated years of her life to writing songs, honing her craft, seeking critique, and then writing some more. If you try to skip all those years of experience and jump ahead to writing masterpieces in fifteen minutes whenever you feel like it, I think you’re going to be disappointed with the way things turn out.
Conclusion
For a songwriter, that breathless rush to find a notebook and a pen is one of life’s most exciting rewards. If you want inspiration to visit often, you should spend at least a little time writing and a little time learning songwriting techniques every day. Even just a few minutes each morning will help keep you alert.
Think of it as laying lots and lots of song traps in your subconscious. The more you learn and the more you write, the more traps you’ve set. With enough sustained effort, your mind will capture even the quietest, lightest-stepping songlings that happen by.