• From: Hendersonville, NC USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,521

Topic: Sowing Creativity

I haven't put much up lately, but here is one I recently wrote and recorded. It is about keeping my mind creative by writing even on days I don't feel like it. https://soundcloud.com/jets60/sowing-creativity

Sowing Creativity Jeff Gilpin


~


Intro G C G C G C G D


~


I could [G]write about the weather


Or I could [G]sing about the stars


[G]Dream about the planets


[G7]Jupiter maybe Mars


Or I could [Em]sink


Into my [D]head


Dig a[G]round in there [C] [G] [D]


~


My [G]thoughts could take me anywhere


That I could [G]possibly want to go


[G]Speeding through reality


Or fanta[G7]size taking it slow


Because I’ve [Em]got


[D] Plenty of


Mate[G]rial in there [C] [G] [G7]


~


So I go [C]digging in my head


Sowing creative[G]ty [C] [G]


[C]Turning my thoughts


Into reali[D]ty [D7]


~


Solo on chorus chords then intro chords C G  - C D D7  - G C G C D



~


The [G]weather’s just a metaphor


The [G]stars a state of mind


The [G]planets are just people


Yet to meet or left far be[G7]hind


Though I [Em]never really


Leave [D]anyone


Far be[G]hind [C] [G] [D]


~


So I [G]start a little thinking


[G]Letting my mind go


[G]Any old direction it wants to


At any [G7]speed fast or slow


Auto[Em]pilot’s


Kicking it [D]in


And leading me [G]on [C] [G] [G7]


~


As I go [C]digging in my head


Sowing creative[G]ty [C] [G]


[C]Turning all my thoughts


Into reali[D]ty [D7]


~


outro G C G C G let the last G ring



 

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • Registered: 2015-07-31
  • Posts: 2,792

Re: Sowing Creativity

Jeff I love the way you put this together. This song would resonate with many songwriters I am sure this is what happens when many a writer digs into  their head with all the material they have in there to paint stories or pictures with their words.     

  • From: Hendersonville, NC USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,521

Re: Sowing Creativity

Thanks, Pete - Yes, this is where my writing efforts have been lately.     

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • From: Chillicothe, Ohio
  • Registered: 2010-08-16
  • Posts: 1,013

Re: Sowing Creativity

Great song Jeff. I especially like the phrase "The planets are just like people yet to meet or left far behind." 

I've also been in a song writing drought lately.     

I want to read my own water, choose my own path, write my own songs
  • From: Hendersonville, NC USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,521

Re: Sowing Creativity

Thanks, Ken. I've actually been writing almost every day, but I didn't want to flood the songwriting forum with all my songs, some good some bad. Some people I have been working with say that you should try to keep in the practice of writing all the time and don't worry about whether the songs are good or bad, just keep writing. The more you write the more the gates of creativity open, so I try to keep it going. I promise to add some to the forum here but I'm not going to post everything I write. That's just way too much.     

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • TIGLJK
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  • Registered: 2010-05-11
  • Posts: 3,221

Re: Sowing Creativity

Jeff
I too think the song has some real nice lines in the lyrics

I agree with your philosophy as well about writing as much as possible for the reasons you stated, but also bc it is a very convenient way for me to relax as the song usually leads to quite a bit of time devoted to trying to play guitar . Songwriting for me is usually inspired by something I see or hear, and once in a while by events that bother me or are inspiring.

Thanks for sharing your song - I will look forward to the others at the time you deem it appropriate

Cheers

Jim     

Your vision is not limited by what your eye can see, but what your mind can imagine.
Make your life count, and the world will be a better place because you tried.

"Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except only the the best." - Henry Van Dyke
  • From: Hendersonville, NC USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,521

Re: Sowing Creativity

Thanks, Jim. I never thought about that but I agree; writing relaxes me too.     

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • From: Chillicothe, Ohio
  • Registered: 2010-08-16
  • Posts: 1,013

Re: Sowing Creativity

I find it very interesting how different folks go about writing songs. For me, writing just to be writing usually ends up with a lot of wasted paper that I throw in the trash. I approach songwriting as more of a craft than an art. Like Jim, I read or hear something that I think will make a good "hook" and then build a story around it while trying to determine what rhyme scheme works with the story and finally a melody, key and chord progression that works with the mood of the song. I don't always succeed but enjoy the process.     

I want to read my own water, choose my own path, write my own songs
  • From: Hendersonville, NC USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,521

Re: Sowing Creativity

Hey Ken - I get what you're saying, about writing just to be writing, but what I'm talking about is writing to get in the habit of writing, which means writing a bad song once in a while, or a poem, or just a letter, or just jotting down random thoughts that might make some good song material. It makes it a lot easier now with virtual paper, so no trees have been killed lately by any of my writing, both good and bad. What I've been trying now is to start writing with whatever is on my mind at the time and see where that takes me. It might not always be good writing, but it keeps the wheel moving if you know what I mean. There is nothing wrong with writing a bad song. I've written plenty of those, both in the past and since I've started writing more, but my writing habit is getting easier to keep going, and some of my writing comes out good in my opinion.     

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,702

Re: Sowing Creativity

From what I've heard of your writing Jeff it's all good. I sometimes feel I need to write something whether it's a song, poem or a letter. Just ask Pete or Brian I tend to bare my soul and preach a sermon at the same time!
As for song writing, if a word or phrase assaults my concious mind, I'll write in in my scrap book for later examination same with chord sequences. Whatever I'm thinking of with the first line, usually drivel, by the end of the second verse a theme or plot has formed. By the end of the third verse it may have changed. Hi diddle eedee, a writer's life for me!
Btw, nice pic on yt, is there a story there?     

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website

  • From: Hendersonville, NC USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,521

Re: Sowing Creativity

Thanks for your insights Phill. The picture, from the above soundcloud.com link, is of me, my mom, and my sister, in my early years. Most likely, it was taken on a visit to my mom's family in Texas where every visit there was an adventure.     

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • From: The Land Of Song
  • Registered: 2007-12-10
  • Posts: 5,702

Re: Sowing Creativity

Beautiful. It's nice to remember the good ol` days     

Ask not what Chordie can do for you, but what you can do for Chordie.

Phill Williams's Website