I have a lot of ideas of what it means to be a serious writer, and silence is a big one. When I write specifically about something in the Bible, I need quiet for that, space to listen and consider truth. But my writing isn’t always that type of writing, and when I need to get in touch with my most honest center, the silence does me no favors.
For too many hours to count, I have sat blank in front of my laptop, squeezing out a ridiculous sentence only to delete it for a more ridiculous sentence. And I sit and I labor and I cry and I wonder why it has to be so hard to find the honest underneath all the ridiculous. And nearly every time, music is the thing God uses to unlock me. I say it that way on purpose, because for a long time I had a weird sense of guilt. Why can’t I sit in silence like a grown up and write? Why must I have this music on? Discovering my best writing comes with music in the background was difficult for me to accept. Slowly, the Lord is freeing me up to embrace the way he has uniquely created me to work.
So I listen to Ingrid and The Weepies and Iron & Wine and Sara Bareilles and Regina Spektor and Peter Gabriel and Ella. And their lyrics about love, loss, and searching all reach down deep, pulling up the honest and the true. We all share a common frailty, no matter where we believe it comes from. All artists wrestle with this frailty, attempting to reconcile need and desire, love and hate, and always looking for new perspectives, unique ways of expressing that which has already been said a thousand times. So for me, listening to musicians do this wrestling as they express their art? There is no greater inspiration.
Do you have certain ideas about what it means to do your art the “right way”? Maybe you’re a writer or a musician or a painter, but you are stuck in a pattern of defeat. Maybe you homeschool your babies or you teach in a public school classroom and your ideas of what it means to be a good teacher are keeping you from actually teaching. Allow yourself to figure out those tricks and quirks that bring the you out of you, even if they don’t look right. Are you allowing your own expectations to hinder you from freely expressing yourself? Is your idea of the right way keeping you from your best way?
I really noticed the other day how many times music is referenced in the Bible. I don’t think this is any accident. I, too, have been finding that I am much more in tune with myself, ironically enough, and with God’s will, when I listen to music. Just beautiful, Emily!
Lisa´s last [type] ..Riches of Obedience
I always thought the right way to be a writer (and a blogger) was to sit down to do it in the morning. And for a couple years, that worked for me. But I’m finding that my “right way” changes with the seasons of my life. At this particular point in time, my “right way” is to sit down with pen and paper around dusk – there’s something about that edge between day and night that inspires me. And I can empathize with you – I am most certainly unlocked by music as well. Love the Weepies!
Imperfect´s last [type] ..And Still Love Grows
I got a thing for the Weepies, too!
Anyway, I like what you say about changing with the seasons and the edge between day and night. I can really relate to that.
For the, the “right way” is efficiency — I’m blocking off 2 hours out of my crazy day, and I have to crank out X number of words. I can’t do it. I write things that don’t make sense, and end up deleting pages and pages of the junk. But if I throw those rules and all that efficiency out the window, stuff just comes out! And I delete a lot less of it.)
btw, I am loving this series on art! Never thought of myself as an artist
Esther´s last [type] ..Good Reads
Studying, homework, arting flows better for me when music is in the background.
Current playlist: Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Andre Bochelli, Vineyard Worship and Fleetfoxes.
Art does inspire art.
I think I’ll go turn the stereo on
After a trip to Haiti last year, I began to understand that my right way of living was not God’s best way for me. It has been a hard lesson to grasp. This year I am pondering “release” of all those things that seek to preserve “my right” and keep me from “His Best”. When I consider how many rules and expectations I have placed on almost every area of my being, it is a daunting task. Plod on I must. What I am finding is this past year of wanting words so desperately and finding none was the result of my way — slowly they are returning as I release it all for the “His Best”.
Denise´s last [type] ..Seasons of Waiting
Beautiful words, Emily! My for us all to be free to create, however it looks, however and whenever it’s done, right?! And music? There’s a message in every song, in every genre, isn’t there? I’m currently reading Madeleine L’ Engle’s Walking on Water, such good, good stuff about creating art – have you and she been ‘talking’ lately? (Wink).
Carmella´s last [type] ..Then- Theres This
Thanks, Carmella! I’ve never read Walking on Water, but I’ve always meant to. Maybe that’s my next read.
Emily´s last [type] ..one secret to honest art
You love all my favorites!! I have one more suggestion for your playlist: Mindy Gledhill! oh my heart breaks and explodes every time.
Rebekah @ It Only Gets Better´s last [type] ..3-10-2011
Mindy Gledhill – Whole Wide World & Hourglass (get a tissue handy)
Rebekah @ It Only Gets Better´s last [type] ..3-10-2011
Ahhh, writer’s block. Wrote about it here: http://www.susiedavis.org/2011/02/overcoming-writers-block/
Per music: Listening to live versions of my favorites. John Mayer’s Live in LA, Sara B’s Live Acoustic Tour … to name a few. Hearing something familiar – changed – unlocks the joy in art.
Susie Davis´s last [type] ..Spring Cleaning
I’ve always thought that music would get in the way of my thoughts when trying to write, but I love how you show that it can actually unlock the words. If music will help me write as beautifully as you do, I’ll give it a try.
everyone is so very different. I know some writers who say that even a ticking clock is too much noise! To each her own…but the music is worth a shot, I think!
I guess that’s the key, then. With this, and everything else we’re all considering and trying to do our best at every day. Find the thing, and the way of doing the thing, that actually really and truly works for you and helps you to flourish in the best, healthiest, most heart-soaring way possible. Getting all caught up in the rules of the way a thing is supposed to be is always stifling and very rarely productive, ironically enough. And if I’m catching on to this whole good girl thing, sounds like that behavior might be par for the ol’ course!
And I’m with you on the music. There’s nothing juvenile, or less than about it, if it’s the things that makes your art better.
Tracy´s last [type] ..Sick in the Head
Well, I’ll be! I’m listening to Ella right now! I love her. And Louis, too.
I’m working on finding my art-making groove, but the good Lord is faithfully helping me figure it out! Sometimes I think I’m a multiple personalities writer…sometimes I must have music, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I need the crowds of Panera, sometimes I need my quiet table at home. Maybe that just makes me a moody writer?
Anyway…fabulous thoughts here, Emily. As usual.
Kristen-Chasing Blue Skies´s last [type] ..Because Nobody Wants to Stay in the Doghouse
I think you stole my playlist.
A few of your favorites are missing from mine, but I am heading to Itunes right now to check them out!
Megs´s last [type] ..Wordless Wednesday – Celebration at the Easter Seals Telethon my man knows how to party!!!
The right way? Serious writer?
I know I have it in me somewhere, but for this season of life, it feels more like finger painting.
It’s writing in the midst of continual interruptions, breaking up arguing, giving spelling lists, forgetting appointments etc etc, so that’s when I just sit back and soak in your art.
I give thanks for those in my life who right now have just a little more serious art to give. My finger painting reaches some, but they can’t soak in a masterpiece quite yet.
xoxo love you and am so grateful for the art you share….
Jen (Balancing Beauty and Bedlam)´s last [type] ..Family Finances- Cut Up Your Credit Cards
Wow, this is so true! I know completely how you feel about finger painting. Like, it’s fun and an outlet, but only a Father could step back and appreciate it, right?
Here’s to seasons of life and baby steps toward developing our art.
Monica´s last [type] ..Five Minute Friday- On Waiting
My ideas of what it means to be a good wife have kept me from actually being the wife God made me to be. My husband and I will celebrate three years of marriage at the end of this month, and I am just now beginning to acknowledge and let go of all these crazy notions of what a “good Christian wife” ought to be. You see, I did not grow up Christian. I am an adult convert, which comes with all sorts of special baggage. When we got married, I thought, “Okay! I’ll read all these books and figure out exactly what I must to do be the BEST Christian wife!” I felt that I just HAD to get this right. I drove my husband nuts, trying to squeeze myself into all sorts of different “good wife” molds, collapsing frustrated and weeping when I failed to meet my own expectations. (Did you know, for instance, that it is not humanly possible to work 40 hours a week outside the home and maintain a perfectly kept and organized house when you have five animals? Shocking!) In trying to find the “right” way to be a wife to my husband, I completely missed the fact that God made me uniquely suited to be the best wife for my husband. I’m still learning how to let go of all those expecations and fears of failure, but God is gracious, and so is my husband =)
I have been enjoying your conversation on art…I had to print them all out and read them on my cozy couch so I can highlight and talk back and flip pages…
i don’t know the right way to do art. i’m not an artist. or a writer. i am a creative. i’ve never been trained. never read ‘how to’ books. never attended workshops. yet, i desire guidance, counsel and expertise. i desire kowing the ‘right way’.
when i create art for my art journal, worship always inspires me. i have a hard time creating art in community even though some of my friends are artists and love to sit and create together. i lose the freedom art brings.
when i write for my blog i almost always have french music on! music moves me, but the lyrics sometimes distract what my heart is trying to say. so i listen to lyrics i don’t understand.
and you know. sometimes i just need the silence to still the racing mind.
p.s. i love your list…especially sara. and i love zee avi too, and lenka and corinne baily rae .
ooohhh…i need to listen to them now while i clean house! thanks for awakening my inspiration!
Melissa | Madabella: made beautiful´s last [type] ..Taking Her Place
“Dream” is one of my favorite songs.
My daddy and I danced to it at my wedding last year!
I’m in graduate school right now, and I am always most productive when I’m at Starbucks. But I always feel guilty about that–shouldn’t be spending the money, should be able to focus and work hard wherever I am. Maybe I should just find the extra room in our budget and accept it.
Heh. I’m pulling my 3rd grader out of public school on Monday to homeschool, and having to come to terms with the fact that she is a non traditional learner. This goes against my philosophy that everyone needs to at least know how to survive in a traditional classroom. But we found out last week she’s not only ADHD but a literal genius, which throws all my theories out the window. Going to be an interesting season as I redefine what teaching and learning “ought to” look like. Wish us luck!
Krista Burdine´s last [type] ..In the Right Place
I am so infinitely inspired by music. And yet.
I envy the girl who can write with a little back-ground inspiration. For me, it works together, but not at the same time.
Flower Patch Farmgirl´s last [type] ..My Life – Kitchen View
When I don’t have the words to say or to express, then I allow the music to speak for me. I just posted a song on my blog because my soul is crying desperately…but I don’t know how to express it. The song I’ve posted this time is less about the words and more about the deep yearning that I feel in the sounds of the music. Hillsong does a really good job of doing that with their songs…when there are no words…worship.
Nikki´s last [type] ..All I Need…is You
That’s exactly how I feel when it comes to my photography and blogging, and no matter what I do I can’t break through the feeling that it’s never good enough. I do listen to music and it does help, but not enough. Hopefully, one day, I’ll find the cure to accepting myself, and the passion that used to bring me such joy.
I have long accepted that I do my best work with background noise, either music or tv. Music is generally preferable for the reasons you mentioned. There are some days that I notice I feel antsy and I’ll realize it’s because I’ve not listened to enough music, not let my heart be met by lyrics and melody. Writing and half-listening definitely brings me to my happy place. The only exception to this is on the weekends when I first wake up. I’ve been making a habit of writing for at least a half hour in the silence, with a mug of tea by my side. The stillness of the morning is the only time I like the silence and can comfortably work. The rest of the time…music accompaniment it is.
Leigh´s last [type] ..In Search of Content
I need quiet to write. Music to run. Dancing to pray.
deidra´s last [type] ..How To Wear A Habit
To write I have to have quiet. And isolation. But for inspiration, music is awesome. So much from different musical artists reach out to me. The lyrics, the melody, the passion behind it all, really reaches into my soul.
I continue to pray that I am on the right path and doing my art as God would have me to.
Have a lovely weekend!
Bernice
Living the Balanced Life´s last [type] ..Eating for your sanity’s sake
I was embarrassed to admit to myself that I had to read something or someone inspiring if I was having a hard time. Then this week when I picked up Nathalie Goldberg’s book Writing Down the Bones for the hundredth time, I read something I’d never noticed reading before. She said just that, that reading the people we love is inspiring.
Kim´s last [type] ..Profiling
I love how you say what we all feel – that insecurity, self-judgment, and anxiety about how how we’re handling things! Doesn’t surprise me at all that music unlocks you. It’s a great way to trick the brain. Get your mind slightly off what you’re doing and let the creativity mull around a little under the radar. I love it!
Laurie Wallin´s last [type] ..Interview- How to eat healthy and actually love doing it!
I’m a rule-follower at heart, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve loosened my expectations of myself– my art– just a bit. And that’s a good thing. It’s so hard to tune out the noise of my everyday and really dig deep. And I don’t always want to tune out the noise of my everyday because I don’t want to miss anything while I’m raising my family. It’s like being on a see saw sometimes, or maybe more like a tug-of-war.
But the struggle to balance to eased a bit when I can loosen my grip on those pesky expectations.
Heidi M´s last [type] ..What I Learned This Week
Hi Emily! I am a new follower of your blog and I just want to say that I love the way you express yourself in the few posts I have read so far. I too have trouble with “me” and love finding words of others that could have come from my brain…only maybe not so eloquently coming from me (o; I’m very much looking forward to reading more from you and finding courage to find more of me. thank you (o;
“Is your idea of the right way keeping you from your best way?”
This made me cry. I hold myself back in so many ways, because I think I need to do it “right.” Thanks for sharing this, Emily.
Melissa Brotherton´s last [type] ..Five Minute Friday- On Pregnant Waiting
Maybe it is. Thanks so much for this thought… I’ve been alternately rolling ideas around in my head and painstakingly trying to eke them out, and vacillating between “Writers WRITE… no matter what it is” and “Only write a book if you have a completely conceived idea.”
This entry also makes me want to try writing to music again
. I haven’t done it in a while because I considered it writing “under the influence”… but I no longer have to write grad school papers, so why not?!
Amy´s last [type] ..We Cracked Crowns and Mashed Bananas
I have to have quiet. And, unfortunately, for me, the “right way” is getting it right the first time. I get so frustrated with the ridiculousness that I write the first time that I shut my computer and put it all away for a while (as in weeks) before I attempt it again. I just can’t seem to get over that. So frustrating.
Shelly W.´s last [type] ..Lookie Who I Met!!
I understand exactly what you mean. Music is like breathing for me. I always blog with music going. My favorite group right now is The Civil Wars. You should look them up. It sounds like we like a lot a lot of the same music.
Shaundra @ Loo-la-bee Simplicity´s last [type] ..Ruffled Satin Flower Belt
Once again Emily you have written words that my heart needed to hear. I too love music so much and am a fan of all the groups you mentioned!! I am facing such difficult times right now and reading your blog always brings a peace to my soul. I can’t wait for your book to be available for purchase….I am on the waiting list. I know this will be a gift of a life time to me!
xxxxxx
i’ve so enjoyed all your thoughts on art~ i really think this could be another book!
because why do we shy from what God has gifted us in. why do we feel we have to make excuses. and maybe i should backspace and put I in place of those we’s. but i’ve found alot of freedom of acceptance in the words you’ve shared these past few months on all this~ i too have clicked on background music often for inspiration. feeling a sudden guilt that maybe i’m conjuring up something that’s not there. but then just now reading your declaration of being a background music writer makes me stop and for the first time realize – no one else has set up these rules of what is the “right way,” only the fear within myself that others will think i’ve done it wrong. {gulp} and then i can’t help but to wonder what art i might create were it not for FEAR! ugg. that nasty word that suffocates so much life.
hmm. this has inspired me to dig deeper at uprooting the insecurities that hinder me from being me. and yeah.. if that means a little andrea bocelli in the background, well let’s crank up the volume, girlfriend!
grace.to.be´s last [type] ..Sunday- March 20- 2011
Please help me out! why is it that people i love don’t love me, but people i don’t love do.
Oh, this is great! I’ve just started to take my writing seriously, and have come to the conclusion that I can’t write with music! I really want to, and I’ve been wondering what was wrong with me. I’ve just started reading here, and I love what you have to say.
P.S. Love your music selection.
Sarah´s last [type] ..On Empty Words