User manual SIGORAMA SONG WRITING CREATIVITY

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The entire risk as to the results and the performance of the information is assumed by the user, and in no event shall singorama. com be liable for any consequential, incidental or direct damages suffered in the course of using the information in this book. -2- Contents How to Boost your Songwriting Creativity Making Your Brain Work for You Setting the scene When All Else Fails 5 11 19 21 -3- How to Boost your Songwriting Creativity Creativity is a fickle thing, prone to periods of inactivity, and many of us have been there, pen in hand as we wait for some type of inspiration to come only to be left waiting. These blocks, as they are often called, can happen briefly or over a long period of time and there is generally no reason why they should occur. [. . . ] Many people find that the time needed to write the ideas down will often make them lose the creative energy that they built up while listening to the music. -8- Laying the Groundwork: Exercise 2. Although we have talked about meditation and its benefits, this exercise is not a meditation exercise where we have you sit and focus on one thought. Then your shoulders begin to relax and it -9- Making Your Brain Work for You We have already talked about the importance of laying the groundwork for the creative process but an important step in boosting your creativity is making your brain do its job. This means that both the right and the left hemispheres should be given equal opportunity to flex its muscle. The right hemisphere is the creative side of the brain, we know that and many studies have proven it without a doubt. It is the side of the brain that sees the big picture and then turns it into smaller parts. The problem is, your brain needs to be able to see the big picture and not everyone is able to use the right side of his or her brain efficiently. After all, it is the side given to flights of fancy so why wouldn't it fly away whenever you sit down to write, that is what it does best. To make that right side of your brain work for you, you will need to capture its attention by giving it outside, hands on stimulus to manipulate and explore. Doing things like visiting new places and meeting new people help in stimulating that right hemisphere and it is proven that the more your stimulate your brain the more exercise it gets. Basically, the best way to build your creativity and how it pertains to the right hemisphere is by doing creative things. You do not need to create but reading, studying art and even mixing colours will stimulate the right hemisphere. Also, using the left side of your body, ie, waving at all the new people you meet with your left hand, will help in exercising that right side. See Making Your Brain Work For You: Exercise 1 for a creative way to stimulate your right hemisphere. Puzzles are terrific at stimulating both the right and left hemispheres and I strongly recommend either purchasing some or finding a few online games that simulate puzzles. This helps the creative side, since it sees the whole picture and breaks it into smaller parts and the logical side, which will take those parts and build them back into a full picture. Not only do puzzles exercise your brain but they do so in a way where both sides of the brain are firing neurons back and forth and working together to solve a problem. Since we have mentioned again that both sides of the brain needs to work together for the songwriting process, let's look at some ways to make your left hemisphere stronger and more capable of completing the tasks you put it to. Remember, everyone thinks differently and they have their own limitations. You do not need to be ashamed of your limitations when it comes to the power of your logical and problem solving side, but it is time to focus on your limitations and find ways to build on them. - 10 - Games are a great place to start when you are boosting your left hemisphere and ultimately your right. Although many games do focus on the left or logical side of your brain, they do require some help from the right and this will keep both sides of your brain remain active. Games like chess or any other strategy games will help you see the bigger picture and reason out ways to beat the opposition or solve the problem as it were. Again, the Internet has aided in making strategy games available to everyone and you do not need to have someone sit down to play them with you. [. . . ] I know, that probably doesn't sound like a wonderful task but do it anyway. There are times of the day when you are more creative and this goes for everyone. For me I find that early morning, usually before 7, and late at night, after 10, are the best times for me to create, although it leaves me very little time for sleep. - 18 - Also, know which days you seem to drag creatively. This is really important if you also work since the beginning of the work week might be a very good day to create while the middle of the work week, when you are feeling tired, may not be conducive to creative thought. [. . . ]