I don’t think you can write without having passion. You can’t sing without passion. Nor can you create a piece of artwork without it. I could go off on a tangent about those that suddenly wake up and decide to write a book because “everyone’s doing it”. No, that is not what this post is about. Thank God, right?I am a firm believer of the phrase “creativity breeds creativity”. My favourite source? Music. That’s right. I know many of you feel the same way, that music can inspire. I know you have your favourite bands, favourite songs, and so do I. When I get a particular song stuck in my head, it doesn’t leave, and when I really analyze its words, it awakens a passion for writing and creating that I sometimes forget in my ‘gotta get it done’ mode.
I have a tendency to want to focus on the ‘lost’… I have a tendency to believe in the good and strength in even the worst, must untrustworthy people. I don’t often get the chance to write about this kind of thing. I love to explore the human mind, emotions, weaknesses, strengths, and everything that makes us who we are.
I said in an earlier post that when I read a book, I want to feel for the character. If I loathe them, super. If I love them, great! But a character has to have depth, strengths, weaknesses, to feel like they exist. Some characters are well-balanced, some are not. Some have issues. And a story is nothing without its characters.
What does this have to do with music and words?
Inspiration. Musicians astonish me, in a good way. Many are amazing poets, and can convey such raw emotion in just a few minutes’ worth of music. Everyone has their genre, however I am one that loves rock, metal, alternative. Maybe it’s the nature of the music, gritty, angry, uninhibited… maybe it’s the words, or maybe it’s the singer’s voice that has the power. Either way, it reminds me that life is not perfect, that people experience so many different pains and pleasures, and that life is ephemeral.
I only wish and hope that I can convey the emotion in my writing that a musician can emote in one song. You know, the song Sad But True by Metallica has been revolving around in my head all day, and to me, the words are just so powerful. Simple but meaningful. It makes me want to write about the demons each one of us possesses (and we all have them, no matter how great or insignificant).
How does music inspire you?