Resolution Songs
Storytelling through Songwriting
Though all stories have the effect of shaping the way we see reality, when those stories are put to song, their ability to impact our perspective of the world around us, including our beliefs about ourselves and others, is amplified. When we sing something, we plant it deep into our subconscious. The more we sing it, the deeper roots we give it to thrive as a foundation to our life.
With that in mind, I’m committed to songs that root hope, love and peace within me. However, I still value the full-spectrum and authentic expression of the human experience -which doesn’t always feel hopeful, loving, or peaceful (check out how taking Emotional Inventory supports me). That being said, it can feel tricky to integrate the difficulties of life into our songs of hope, or vice versa: to integrate hope into our songs of sorrow.
To help me in these tricky times, I’ve developed a simple recipe that never lets me down:
I dedicate the verses of the song to the challenges
I dedicate the refrains of the song to the resolutions or affirmations (which almost always involve receiving or giving love; service or gratitude)
Note that resolutions and affirmations don’t work when they feel forced. With that in mind, just the possibly or the yearning for resolve is enough to carry the hope of the song. In that case, sometimes I write the refrains as questions or desires.
Give it a go!
→ Base Your Song on Stories that Shape Heart with Hope
→ Base Your Song on I Spy Love: Practice of Creative Reflection.
Check Out More Songwriting Practices:
Read More About the Foundations of Reflective Art with:
The Heart of Reflective Arts: for peace within and all around