Blog Post:
Expressing Thoughts from a Deep Inner World
A prevalent misconception about Christian songwriting is that by merely acquiring a sufficient amount of advice, shortcuts, and techniques, one can evade the arduous process of mastering the art of creating impactful songs that resonate with people.
In my opinion, relying on tips and tricks alone cannot replace the importance of having a deep spiritual connection with God as a committed Christian songwriter. When you possess this connection and have strong songwriting abilities, you don't have to resort to shortcuts. The ability to write effectively with clarity and confidence is always readily available to tap into whenever you sense the influence of the Holy Spirit in your heart.
The photograph was taken by Laura E. Part
The prevalence of our fast-paced digital culture has conditioned us to expect instant results, leading us to believe that we can possess the same capabilities as CHATGPT or AI. We assume that by providing a few prompts, we should be able to effortlessly generate a song within a mere three seconds, causing a sensational reaction from everyone.
However, based on what I have observed, the songs that have a lasting impact on the world are not created by writers who rely on shortcuts or hacks. Instead, these songs are crafted by skilled Christian songwriters who effectively communicate their message through their art. They didn't simply attempt to write a song one day and accidentally create masterpieces like "Amazing Grace," "In Christ Alone," or "10,000 Reasons."
Before the arrival of the big players, these individuals were already deeply engrossed in their artistic pursuits and striving for excellence. They were always engaged in learning and honing their skills in order to create powerful lyrics and melodies. They aimed to construct captivating compositions that could deeply resonate with listeners, evoking strong emotions and possessing an indescribable yet undeniable "WOW" factor that can only be experienced.
According to professional golfer Gary Player, the more effort and dedication I put into practicing, the more fortunate opportunities I seem to encounter.
These individuals are not actively seeking out free Christian songwriting workshops or giveaways. They are dedicated and ambitious songwriters who are already engaged in the process of learning and practicing advanced poetics and lyric techniques. They are the ones who are investing their time and effort to create at a much higher standard than most aspiring writers are willing to commit to their craft.
We hold great admiration for individuals such as Matt Redman, Matt Maher, Lauren Daigle, and the Gettys, for their remarkable impact on Christian worship songwriting. It is hard to imagine where we would be without Chris Tomlin's "Amazing Grace/My Chains Are Gone." However, it is important to remember that these songwriters have dedicated years to perfecting their skills and have faced numerous challenges along the way in order to improve their songs and ministries.
No one becomes great at creating catchy song titles or hooks overnight, and this applies to everyone, including the up-and-coming artist Katy Nichole from Centricity Music. Katy has been sharing her songs online since she was just fourteen years old. Although her hit song "In Jesus' Name (God of Possible)" may seem like it gained sudden popularity, it's actually the result of years of hard work and dedication. Congratulations to Katy on her success!
Tips for Cultivating a Fulfilling Inner Life as a Christian Songwriter
As a Christian songwriter, there are numerous approaches to nurturing a deep and gratifying inner life. Here are three essential factors to consider while striving to enhance your faith and convey it through your music.
Make soul care a priority. In today's fast-paced world, we often find ourselves leading busy and chaotic lives, leaving very little time for self-care. Although it is important to care for and serve others, neglecting our own need for rest and rejuvenation can lead to burnout. It is crucial to recognize the significance of taking care of ourselves, as it is essential in maintaining our inner well-being, which is interconnected with our external life and physical health.
Nurturing your intellect is crucial. Many Christian songwriters tend to overlook the importance of intellectual growth, assuming that Bible study, prayer, and singing worship songs are the only essential aspects of a holy life. However, the most skilled songwriters understand the necessity of deep reading. They recognize that it is impossible to craft remarkable lyrics without first immersing themselves in a wealth of knowledge. If you have not engaged in reading since college, or even high school, reintroducing yourself to books is indispensable. Merely consuming fear-based and culturally biased content through network or cable news does not suffice. If you aspire to create something impactful that may even transcend your own existence, it is vital to nourish your mind with exceptional literature, poetry, and other sources of inspiration.
Disconnect from negativity. Cable news solely focuses on generating fear and gaining viewership. Even the so-called "Christian" stations thrive on provoking anger in order to retain viewers and make money from their sponsored advertisements. Talk radio hosts, shock jocks, and even conservative commentators keep their jobs by boosting ratings and securing sponsorships for their investors. However, their constant stream of negativity is detrimental to your soul and creativity. I suggest taking a break from all kinds of news for a few weeks and spend that time in quiet reflection, contemplating the love and goodness of God. You may find that your positive outlook starts to overflow into your music. Negativity steals your joy and exacerbates fear and anxiety. Take a pause and allow Jesus' Spirit to fill your heart and mind once more.
Christian artists and songwriters such as Nichole, Tomlin, Redman, Maher, and many more, create their music from a place of abundance in their connection with God. However, their accomplishments can also be attributed, at least partially, to their expertise in composing Christian songs. I am reminded of the wise words of Australian golfer Gary Player, who famously stated, "The more I practice, the luckier I get."
While you are working on improving your skills in Christian songwriting, it is important to also focus on nurturing your inner self. In addition to honing your songwriting abilities, it is crucial to offer something fresh, daring, courageous, and freeing to the world, rather than merely repeating clichéd phrases and ideas that have been heard for many years.
Please share this article with your friends. If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave a reply. Additionally, you can save your name, email, and website information in this browser for future comments.
In this code snippet, we are using the getElementById method to select the HTML element with the ID "ak_js_1". Then, we are using the setAttribute method to set the value attribute of that element to the current
Categories:
In this section, you can find various categories related to the content of our website. Each category consists of different posts that you can browse through for more information.
Tags:
We have assigned specific tags to each post to make it easier for you to find content that interests you. By clicking on a particular tag, you will be directed to a page where all the posts related to that tag are