I call the challenge I periodically run the Fearless Songwriting Challenge. I named it the Fearless Challenge because calling it the “Write Seven Songs in Seven Days Challenge” lacked a certain verve.
But Fearless?
People who hear about the challenge say; “I’m not Fearless.” And, “who wants to be fearless anyway?” It’s true! Fearlessness is pretty often a synonym for foolishness. Fear is there for good reason. Fear is an important marker in our lives. But also fear gets in our way.
There’s a lot out there about how to beat fear. The nub of it is if we avoid a fear, it sucks, and the fear increases. If we face a fear head on head on, it sucks, but the fear decreases. There are different ways to challenge a fear, but it seems exposure to a fear is compulsory to beating it. So back in the 80’s Susan Jeffers had it right; you have to “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.”
This is the idea behind the Fearless Songwriting Challenge; know writing a song can be scary, do it anyway–seven times.
Saying; “merely do it,” does lack some empathy though, (not to mention some drama). Empathy helps to take away the edge from a fear. And so, the unsolicited advice:
Don’t confuse your self worth with your accomplishments or your lack thereof.
Tell yourself; “If I write I am good, and if I don’t write I am good.”
Tell yourself; “If I write well I am good, and if I don’t write well, I am good!”
Give yourself that space.
If this sounds like airy-fairy magical bullshit, you’re probably right. Still, you might try it on for size, walk into the arena of your writing and see what happens.
Remember, no matter what does happens, whether in your judgment or the judgment someone else, you’re good.
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