Comments on: What I Forgot To Remember… About Being Productive

By: Tony Conniff

Tony Conniff — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 19:55:59 +0000

In reply to Annie Dinerman.

Great ideas, Annie. As usual!
Thanks,
Tony

By: Tony Conniff

Tony Conniff — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 19:55:16 +0000

In reply to Joyce Rogers. Thank you, Joyce!!

By: Annie Dinerman

Annie Dinerman — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 13:52:41 +0000

P.S. I once wrote a song. Felt it didn’t quite work. Kept the lyric in my flash drive. A few years later, I changed the ending. The song won me the Abe Olman Award.

What if I had junked that lyric because it didn’t work the first time?! I needed to learn something about myself that would eventually give the song a satisfying ending. Honor your work whether you think it pans out or not. And revisit it from time to time. No one’s looking over your shoulder. Maybe that song will work better now than it used to.

By: Annie Dinerman

Annie Dinerman — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 13:49:51 +0000

Tony, another great blog entry! I really enjoyed this one.

I keep song ideas in my flash drive. When I feel tapped out, that’s one place I go for fresh inspiration. I’ve had ideas in that flash for years, and a few have eventually turned into some of my best work. I got on particular song idea from reading The Onion in 2008. I wrote the song in late 2013 and recorded the demo in 2014. What if I hadn’t stored that idea for later? (I really like eating pickles. Somehow, there seems to be a connection here. Are those ideas in my flash drive marinating and maturing in some kind of unseen, creative brine?)

There’s another song idea I’ve had for too long to know when it first occurred to me. I found it a few weeks ago and saw immediately that it belonged in a group of songs I’m writing now for a group I love. When I first had the idea for that song, I hadn’t met the band, hadn’t heard of them, wasn’t even into that kind of music. Thank goodness, I kept the idea for later. Now, it’s part of my current project and I’m really excited about this song.

Another good habit is to back up your flash drive — because it contains your work and your great ideas and potential songs. There’s a great temptation to get lazy about this but I keep a copy on my hard drive. Once, I did lose my flash drive. Got a new one, copied the backup onto it, and went right on writing. Also, I am often tempted to get lazy about running anti-virus program on my flash drives. But I do it every day.

It’s your beautiful stuff from your beautiful mind. Take care of it and it will pay you back.

By: Joyce Rogers

Joyce Rogers — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 13:05:19 +0000

I am enjoying the inspiring 25 song lesson challenge that has given me goals and guidelines to new and interesting songs; getting lazy about good habits is a cue that faith is waning in (esp) the creative nature that we all have. Thanks, Tony.

By: Tony Conniff

Tony Conniff — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 04:53:29 +0000

In reply to Moe Browning.

Moe,
Thanks for reading and writing. It’s great to know there’s an impact; thanks for sharing that with me.
Best wishes,
Tony

By: Moe Browning

Moe Browning — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 02:04:31 +0000

I have had that same bad habit this past year of thinking I will remember, or just assuming it wasn’t worth writing down an idea, verse, or a short melody, that will come to me just before sleep. I am also guilty of being lazy when I’m fully awake with my phone available for my immediate use.
I really needed to hear that is was disrespectful to my creative impulses. The second I read that, I knew it rang true for me. Today when I was practicing drums for a rock song I just finished writing, a fill came to me that I hadn’t remembered playing before. I repeated it a few times and thought “i will remember this.” A second later, I remembered your post and got out my Ipod and recorded it. Thanks Tony! I am making a commitment to keep at this.
Moe

By: Tony Conniff

Tony Conniff — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 18:21:03 +0000

In reply to Andy Marino.

Andy,
Really well put. Thanks for writing!
Tony

By: Andy Marino

Andy Marino — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 15:10:15 +0000

I refer to my smart phone as my “Butterfly Net”. Tony, like you, songs and lyric ideas come out of nowhere. Often in dreams & upon going to or coming out of sleep… they flutter in front of my semi-consciousness. And quickly I run for my net. Sometimes I spend a few moments to “sing” out loud what I’m hearing… so I can pull it out from the depths of my sub conscious. Lyrics tend to come from everyday moments…Words from others, words spoken by others that bounce off my ears. Sometimes I make connections while I’m doing everyday tasks. The words come from the inside, not form the outside. In this case I grab, pen & paper or smart phone to write down the lyrics. I have lots of scraps of paper with lyric ideas, song titles etc.. Lastly… When I feel like I’m in the songwriting doldrums… It’s so helpful to go through & look & listen at all the butterflies… there are lots of moths in there too… then start out writing a new song…. I really enjoy this and it helps to remind me that I am productive, even when I FEEL I’m not.

By: Tony Conniff

Tony Conniff — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 13:45:15 +0000

In reply to Regina Smoler.

Regina,
Great to hear from you. Thanks for writing, and for the encouraging words.
Let me put in a word for my personal favorite… the back of receipts!
Best wishes,
Tony

By: Regina Smoler

Regina Smoler — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 12:06:16 +0000

“Disrespecting my creative impulses.” Wow! That phrase is powerful and reminds me to be more respectful in my process.

And with today’s technology, it’s easier than ever, yet I still gravitate toward dollar store notebooks, sticky notes, backs of envelopes, gum wrappers, speeding tickets, anything to seize the moment.

Wonderful insight!