What Can Songwriters Do to Stay Motivated & Creative at This Time?

Posted in The Weekly on March 24, 2020

BMI’s ‘On the Record’ reached out to Clay Bradley, Vice President of Creative in Nashville to answer one of the more pressing questions facing songwriters this instant. What can songwriters do to stay motivated and creative in the current interim? What can they do to help maintain their careers? Here’s how he weighed in.

Clay Bradley, Vice President of Creative, Nashville

• Staying motivated and creative during these trying times is an exercise in the fundamentals. Write and play music every day. Look for new feelings and ideas, learn to discover new emotions that reflect the new emotions and feelings of society.
• Every music community has it’s own eco system which feeds the globe with words, thoughts , emotions, feelings, chords, phrases and melodies.
• Accept this period of isolation and treat it as a liberating experience. Songwriting is a craft that begins alone .You can begin to tell your own story again. Find your own voice and your own thoughts.
• This is a time to gather fresh ideas in preparation for new collaborators. Fill your hard drive with new hooks, lyrics, beats and songs. Be prepared to share these discoveries thru technology.
• Become more grateful and present by finding joy in the simplicity of life with your family and friends. Let the emotion of these times find it’s way into your creative process.
• In order to maintain your career you need to start with a good team. Surround yourself with people that inspire and motivate you. Stay productive even in times of down periods. Being self-motivated is a key to a long career and remember it all begins with a song.

SOURCEThe Weekly TAGS Career Advice Creative