Despite the fact that songwriting is often, if not always, some of the most personal and introspective work out there, some solutions to beginner’s difficulties at this stage of their creative development can usually be found through documenting their progress and process. By making a record, no pun intended, of their writing life, they can navigate through blocks to their creativity. Also, it forces them to intellectualize their process a little more, since some people see songwriting as a solely emotional event.

One might ask: what should go into a journal about songwriting? Well, one thing to consider is the inspiration for the particular piece that’s being written, whether that be in itself musical, an event from the day, or even a memory.

Even if you haven’t written any music, it’s still ok to write in the journal. In fact, talking about why you aren’t songwriting at the moment can help understand the barriers between yourself and creativity. In the meantime, you can write about books you’ve read, your takamine acoustic guitar, artists you’ve been listening to, etc. The possibilities are endless.

You might even find that looking over the journal helps you find inspiration for a song at a later date. Even though the journal should stay focused on songwriting, a writer’s life is just as important to his work as his or her creative process.

A writer could go one of two ways in terms of a medium for the log: a material, physical notebook or a web-based journal. A real notebook is more mobile and practical in many ways. It can go where ever you go and doesn’t require any particular environment (like the indoors or a computer lab) to get some writing done. There’s far more potential for spontaneity in a physical journal, as long as a pen or pencil is also handy.

A blog or some other online journal is more difficult to take with you everywhere you go, but it is easier to share with other people, however, even if you can’t make money blogging. There are helpful communities of musicians collaborating and trying to make each other better artists out there that wouldn’t be privy to your process otherwise. Online, one can receive lots of helpful feedback on their songwriting process.

In either case, the most important part of writing a journal about creating music is a steady stream of updates, even if it’s only about your treasured dreadnought acoustic guitar, piano, banjo, or mandolin. Good luck out there!