An Artist's Authenticity

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

I stumbled across this quote recently, and it struck me in such a visceral place I couldn’t explain. I think about songwriting constantly. I’ve tried so many times to write songs, but it always ends with a tower of crumpled up paper in my garbage can. This quote got me thinking though. Everything I’ve tried to write lately was with the intention and hope that I could use the song to further my career as a musician to “make it big.” I always swore I would never do that. I criticized artists who did this, so why would I ever turn to the very mindset that I hate? If I wrote more for myself and how I felt, then it would be easier to write, and I wouldn’t have to try to so hard to get others to relate to my material.

A few years ago, certain circumstances almost stopped me from doing music completely. I was so tired of music, and I wasn’t interested in anything. I never felt motivated to play or write anymore. I wanted to sleep and just be. Eventually, I sought help from professionals, and I came back to music. I felt like a weight had been lifted. I had gotten a second chance.

Fast forward two years. I had the chance to speak to Thomm Jutz in class on Friday. My question was about songwriting. How does it work? What are your magic secrets and tips? I needed something, anything. I didn’t quite get the response I wanted, but it ended up being the response I needed. He spoke of how a songwriter can’t expect to make anything from a song. If money is the only thing driving you, then you won’t end up with the results you want. When it boils down to it, there is no secret trick to songwriting. You absolutely have to write for yourself. Write from personal experiences. You have to ask yourself how your songs make you feel, and how they make other people feel. I had gotten so caught up in doing things for everyone else, that I forgot why I even bothered to pick up a guitar for the first time eight years ago.

This week was such a learning experience for me. Thomm’s advice in combination with the Maya Angelou quote was much needed motivation for me to start writing more genuinely. Songwriters thrive in sincerity.

“One word that I live my life by is authenticity. I ask myself, ‘Is it true to me, even if only to me?’ That was what connected the songs for me. If it wasn’t true, it didn’t get on the album.” – Joy Williams on writing her album Venus