Does perfection matter all that much?

write-what-you-mean-5

songwriting isn't about perfection

Today, dear fellow songwriting beasts and follwers, I´d like to talk about perfection. My generation is used to perfection in so many areas of life.

When we take pictures, we apply plenty of filters to make them look stunning. When we record a video, we record it a dozen times, then cut it, until everything looks fabulous.

When we record a song, we record plenty of tracks, then mix and blend them together into one that REALLY stands out (well, that´s nothing new;)). Every song we write needs to be the next big hit!

We put a lot of effort and attention to detail into everything we do. And while that is a sign of devotion and seriousness, it sometimes ends in products that are awefully overpolished.

I am often drawn towards that „perfection“ myself, working multiple hours on things which I want to come across as effortless in the end. And yet, at the bottom of my heart I know, that people would cherish my works in a more raw version likewise! The core of beauty lies not in perfection, but in meaning. We need to learn to see things how they were meant, not how they came out.

Keeping that in mind, I tend to relax a bit more during my songwriting process, and also during the recording sessions. At the end of the day, it´s not the perfectly finished track that touches peoples hearts, but a well-written honest song. A song that sounds great no matter whether you play it with a big band or on an old piano that´s out of tune here and there! A good song works despite imperfections! So, let´s relax a bit and go back to where we started out. Writing meaninful songs instead of polished one hit wonders 😉 !