How Songwriting Fuels Breakthrough Thinking
Contrary to what we might believe, breakthroughs are rarely the sole result of a flash of insight. In fact, relying on inspiration, whether for innovation or to write a song, is a risky approach which often leads to frustration and delay. However, in my three decades as a professional songwriter, I’ve come to realize that breakthroughs are a direct result of putting systems in place that allow us to “go out and get” the inspiration we need. Below are a few of the ways that writing songs can fuel breakthrough thinking when it comes to any kind of innovation.
Turning emotions into insights
One of the fundamental principles of our humanity is our emotions. In writing song lyrics, we learn to translate those emotions into words, which gives us deeper insight into the human experience. However, this doesn’t only work for songs but also for innovations. Meaningful innovations tap into the same emotions that songs do in the sense that they are designed to move an intended audience. Whether it’s a pain point in a particular market or simply the joy that results from a new product, innovation and emotional insight are inexorably linked.
Sharpening your focus
Songs are the deceptively simple distillation of a message or a feeling in a way that reaches out and touches listeners. A song doesn’t have the luxury of a deep dive into complicated ideas. In fact, once you go past the three-minute mark in a song, you’re on borrowed time. The same goes for breakthrough ideas. These ideas, when they begin to form, can be vague and complex but it is incumbent upon innovators to learn how to communicate their ideas clearly and concisely in order for them to appeal to a broader audience. The same muscles we develop in writing songs can serve us well when it comes to communicating the value of our latest creations, whatever they may be.
Igniting the flow state
Stepping out of our comfort zones, which most of us who are new to writing songs are apt to do, is an important step on the way to a state of flow. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, in his seminal work about flow, discusses the necessary combination of a challenge and enough skill to engage that challenge. This state of flow leads to the kind of enhanced problem-solving and creativity in breakthrough thinking. It’s the familiarity with accessing a flow state that writing songs so clearly demonstrates and enables. That way, when breakthrough thinking is required, there’s an established path to get there.
Conclusion
Whether it’s writing a song or inventing a new product, breakthrough thinking relies on the same underlying principles. Those principles - emotions into insights, sharpened focus, and flow - can be learned and improved by writing songs. Once we recognize these parallels, it’s off to the races.
Bio
Cliff Goldmacher is a GRAMMY-recognized, #1 hit songwriter, music producer and author with recording studios in Nashville, TN and Middle River, MD. Through his studios, Cliff provides songwriters outside of Nashville with virtual, live access to Nashville’s best session musicians and studio vocalists for their songwriting demos. Find out more. You can also download Cliff’s FREE tip sheet “A Dozen Quick Fixes To Instantly Improve Your Songs.”
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