Songwriter seeks help with Prayer before writing

[Miki the Q]

I’m a songwriter encountering Resistance ( Steven Pressfield “War of Art” Blog). I’ve read about U2’s prayer before a session, and wondered if they might have suggestions for creating a prayer of my own. My writing, recording and health are under attack by the feelings that I’m not in this to have fun, muchless to create something worthy of sharing.

 

[trevgreg]

Hi,

This is the first I've ever heard of the band doing a "prayer" before a songwriting session. I wouldn't say it's never happened before, or that I might've missed an interview somewhere. But for the most part, it seems like they just kind of go in an enter whatever it is they do. Anything that approaches a "spiritual" mark might come through the lyrical inspiration or process itself.

'Where craft ends and spirit begins'

In a singular process of collaboration, U2 puts mood and emotion first. The words follow.

www.latimes.com

In terms of your own journey, I'm a songwriter myself. And for the most part, I find it better to sort of carve your own process rather than copying another one verbatim... or at the very least, taking that idea and sort of personalizing it your own situation and going from there. If you can't find the original source for the "prayer" mention, it might help going through articles like the one above, or the various books about the band talking about that sort of thing... and tailoring it to how you might go about it on your own.

Good luck! And welcome to the forum.

 

[Miki the Q]

Hi,

This is the first I've ever heard of the band doing a "prayer" before a songwriting session. I wouldn't say it's never happened before, or that I might've missed an interview somewhere. But for the most part, it seems like they just kind of go in an enter whatever it is they do. Anything that approaches a "spiritual" mark might come through the lyrical inspiration or process itself.

'Where craft ends and spirit begins'

In a singular process of collaboration, U2 puts mood and emotion first. The words follow.

www.latimes.com

In terms of your own journey, I'm a songwriter myself. And for the most part, I find it better to sort of carve your own process rather than copying another one verbatim... or at the very least, taking that idea and sort of personalizing it your own situation and going from there. If you can't find the original source for the "prayer" mention, it might help going through articles like the one above, or the various books about the band talking about that sort of thing... and tailoring it to how you might go about it on your own.

Good luck! And welcome to the forum.

Thanks for your input! Tailoring my own prayer is what I want to do, but I seem to be hemmed in by brick walls. Writing anything is difficult right now, which is why I thought of U2’s praying before getting down to work. The reference I found was in their re-counting of their Lypton Village group days, though I can’t find reference in either Bowler & Dray or “Surrender” to quote. Bill Flanigan’s book may have one. Not looking to copy anyone’s Prayer, just pointers? Fellowship? ..still haven’t found…

 

[Miki the Q]

Finally “Found what I was looking for”: SURRENDER p. 8, three lines from the bottom of the page: As we do before every show, we pray.
Sometimes it can feel as if we’re strangers, praying to find the intimacy of a band that could be useful to our audience this evening…To be useful is a curious prayer. Unromantic. A little dull even, but it’s at the heart of who we are…”
p.119 (Surrender) “We were still prayerful, and still to work out how to be “in this world but not of it.”…How to be “ in the van but not run over by it”
“You’d have to feel sorry for Adam, back at the flat or the hotel…but there’s his three bandmates huddled together …Three apprentice zealots, locked away in prayer and meditation rather than banging out a mixtape.
(same page) “ One night in a hotel, a woman, arriving to service one of our rooms, found the three of us praying and joined in with us. We met all kinds of unexpected strangers who encouraged us to find the answer to a simple prayer: In a broken world how could this band play any role? Strangers or angels, we seemed to meet the right person at the right time…”