the long run . So , you ’ re going to get better the more you collaborate with other people . Iron sharpens iron .
Pray for if you don ’ t have one . David had a Jonathan . Find a creative person in your world . Church is awesome for that . Your circle that you can get together with and make things together . You can write things together and the awesome part is the more you co-write with people , the more you begin to find a tool belt . They ’ ll have things that they go to and you start watching just as much how they write . As much as you ’ re writing , you ’ re also watching how they get from A to B . And that ’ s how I became a better writer was going , “ Man , I ’ m going to try that next time I get alone or next time I ’ m writing with somebody , I ’ m going to take that and add that to my tool belt as a writer ”.
And sometimes it works , sometimes it doesn ’ t . You just got to figure out what works for you . But co-writing , my goodness , that I ’ ve had grown the most in doing that , that ’ s been the most practical thing I think you can do . I love it . So if you ’ re not doing that , do it . You ’ re going to get better . And it ’ s worth all the awkwardness of trying to find somebody , trying to put yourself out there and meet someone in your church that wants to write . It ’ s so worth it .
[ Chris ] I would even add , don ’ t call it songwriting when you hang with your friends , that gives this extra pressure that you have to end the day with something . But some of the most productive writes I ’ ve had were more goof off hang times that an idea came out of , and then later on we crafted it more . But just worshiping with your friends , playing a chord and just seeing what happens , without any pressure is the best way for you to grow as a writer because as soon as you say , “ Hey bro , you want to song write with me today ?” Now him and you both show up . You ’ re on a blind date where you have to make a baby that grows up to be the president … and it ’ s just not going to happen . But if you come into it , if you approach it like , “ Hey , let ’ s jam , let ’ s just see what happens . Let ’ s have fun making music together and see what happens ”. I bet you ’ ll get a bunch of songs .
[ Brenton ] There is something cool about literally making space . I agree . When I ’ m trying to write a song , I ’ m always writing on something that isn ’ t a blank page of paper ... that ’ s intimidating . I ’ ll write on the back of a shopping list or a piece of paper . I don ’ t want the pressure of “ this is the finished product ”. You want to constantly be open to working and changing and not feel like you need to get to the censure . Anyone read the book The Artist ’ s Handbook by Julia Cameron ? She ’ s not a Christian , but it ’ s a super helpful book . It ’ s talking about overcoming the resistance that we experience when it comes to creating . And there ’ s a spiritual element to it . Like we were made in the image of the Creator .
The first time we get to see God , he ’ s making something . And then the first time humanity ’ s described , it is as being made in the image of God . So we were born to create . You were born to create . You were born to make stuff and to come up with new things , whatever anybody else , whatever any teacher or parent has told you , you were made to make new , beautiful things . That ’ s over you . That ’ s the inheritance of your Father .
But we live in a war zone . We ’ re born into a battle and we fight that . So there are practical things that you can do to overcome that resistance . There ’ s a book called The Art of War , which don ’ t confuse that with The War of Art . There ’ s a book called The War of Art . Jonathan Foreman , who ’ s the writer , singer at Switchfoot , who ’ s super ridiculously prolific . He writes so much stuff , he recommends The War of Art . And the idea is that we ’ re constantly fighting entropy . We ’ re constantly fighting resistance to making new things . So whatever plans , devices you have for getting you to write and create and just do it , work on those … staying playful or keeping it light with your buddies or making sure you use your free space to listen to all the
18 December 2023 Subscribe for Free ...