"Keys" to Success

I've been writing songs since I was about 12 years old. I've been writing in general for longer, but growing up, I wanted to be a musician. In high school, I even had my own band, and while the rest of the group wanted us to prioritize covers, I was hungry to create something of our own.

Well, then life happened. I got distracted by boyfriends and tragedy that caused me to focus on survival. Then I had a kid and became completely out of touch with myself. It's only been the past year since I've been trying to revisit the activities I used to love to do, and it has become a goal for me to produce a song. But this post isn't all about my personal projects. It's about the mentorship and pep talks we need to even get something off the ground. Many times when we have an idea, we save it for the future when the time is "right," which I am SO guilty of. Whether it's negative self-talk, lack of confidence, or caring about what other people think, it's a difficult pit to be trapped in.

To get inspired, I got a subscription to MasterClass which has a massive library of experts in their field of all different kinds of industries to teach you their recipes for success. I actually find it to be a great way to explore which direction you want to go in your career - maybe you find you're interested in something you've never considered! For me, though, I've watched many of these courses from creative writing and photography to conservation, nutrition, and career building. There's one course, however, that I want to speak about today that really touched me to my core: Alicia Keys's Songwriting and Producing course.

To be honest, Alicia Keys does not put out music that I listen to very often. It's just not my style, however I knew she would have some incredibly valuable advice. She's an absolute legend! While watching her class and just seeing how she operates was enjoyable, it did make me realize that everyone's creative process is different and there's no right answers. But what I discovered I needed the most was her second to last class called "Power and Purpose."

In this segment, she urges to always connect to yourself first on a decision, from creative choices to day to day life. A lot of us look to others to see what they think is the right thing to do in a situation vs. trusting and asking ourselves if a decision feels right or if it's good for us in that moment. It seems so simple, but I do think our need to fit in and belong is consistently based on what other people think instead of tapping into our intuition. Many of us have gotten to a place where we have ignored our inner voice, and when we ignore that voice and go with something we don't feel it right, it's a sign of disrespect. If you make a decision you don't feel is right in your creative projects, the results won't be what you imagined. In an earlier part of the course, Keys highlights going with the choices that YOU absolutely love and scrapping the rest. Greatness takes time, and some songs (or any project) need to be excavated more than others. I was relieved to hear that is completely normal.

Keys says: "Who is going to tell you to listen to yourself?"

I believe everyone should hear that because that is something a lot of us never hear. What you prefer and see beauty in what makes you and your art unique. Listening to yourself and following your own path strengthens your confidence and the right kind of people are drawn to you. That is how you find belonging. If you perform to find belonging, that is the exact opposite of where you're meant to be.

Lastly, for people putting off their own personal projects, Keys makes it clear that the only way to get better is to keep trying. You may feel like what you're producing right now is terrible and as if you should give up, but the only option to do what you want to do is to practice, keep going, and mess up so that you can get good. "You cannot get great at ANYTHING without practice," Keys reminds us.

I think perhaps we feel as though time isn't on our side, especially when we've had big dreams when we were younger that we still think about. We think, "what's the point in trying now?" Maybe we feel guilty and tell ourselves that we're goofing off by investing time in the things we want to pursue, that there is more important things and that you should be focusing on your current career (especially if what you're craft hasn't been refined yet). It's easy to push yourself aside like that when you value society's opinion of what you should be doing with your time vs. what you wish you had time to do and get better at. However, if it's what nurtures your soul, if that voice keeps calling you back to it, it is time well spent to work on what your heart desires. I have found that if life tells you want to do, you will lose who you are and take a road most unfulfilling (for whatever reason, I wrote that in the voice of Bill & Ted).

Regarding Alicia Keys, I found her to be such a calm and wise teacher throughout this class. She spoke with such grace and sophistication in ways that were clear to understand her thought process. She also just knows what to say for words of encouragement. There's even an episode where she workshops a song with a young student from her networking database "She Is The Music". Keys has such great, tangible advice and treats this student with respect and support her own vision. We all need an Alicia Keys in our life, and luckily, Masterclass has made that possible (not sponsored by the way!). It really feels like she is speaking to your spirit throughout the course.

I also highly recommend checking out She is The Music (https://sheisthemusic.org/) if you're interested in creating and connecting with other women in the industry. They have a large database of connections from all different kinds of backgrounds that can provide information, guidance, and even technical and engineering advice. It's a place to collaborate and uplift female voices and creativity. It's truly a wonderful place to explore and see possibilities unfold!

Take care,

Tedders

(Owner/Contributor)