How to Write One Song

by Jeff Tweedy

I think the disconnect is more related to the idea of “being” anything when it’s the “doing” that’s most rewarding. Being something isn’t real in the same way that doing something can be real.

What’s more curious is how he gave himself permission to do it. I think a lot of people write poems in their heads but don’t give themselves permission to write them down or share them.

Because if you get to do something you love, you’re part of a small minority of the billions of humans who have ever walked the earth. That says to me that you should cherish it, and protect it, and do everything you can to ensure that it’s not corrupted, that it’s not taken from you and made into something less fulfilling. Protect your inspiration, protect your ability to be inspired.

And I know this for a fact because I’ve used these processes over and over for years and I’m still delighted and surprised at the different shapes and animals they unlock from the dull stone that is my brain. The creative state is the most important part. None of it means anything if you’re not excited by the discovery of what you’re making.

Don’t we want more than anything to make something that reflects who we are and how we feel honestly enough that someone else might feel seen or acknowledged, and less alone?