Mmm, this is something I needed to read. I often find myself floundering and flailing about as I try to write down that sweet "magic".
"my lyrics are still floundering without the tight concise precision of practiced perfection."
-Sums up my feeling towards my own poetry perfectly, I've often felt a fraud when I've written something not too terrible and realized I had no idea how I had created it.
The need for consistent, persistent and dedicated practice of the craft is needed for you to see yourself improve, as with all skills, yet it seems I'm only now realizing this. No not realizing, but having it sink in.
Thank you @jocelynlily for this excellent post.
I need to read this too! I like how you call it "that sweet magic." Sometimes it feel like it is; I'm reminded of the "flow state" . It is that period where the outside world disappears and your brain focuses entirely on the task at hand. They talk about snowboarders (haha olympic tie in!) finding it easily because you can get there with fight or flight kicking in and the requirement for split second decisions. Basically you get awesome at everything when you're consumed by your task at hand. I think that "sweet magic" is when we're aiming our attention so completely at writing that the words coalesce to our will barely fuzzing from our typing.
I know for me, when I'm writing sometimes distraction and over thinking clouds the delivery to make mediocre work. Like you said, there are times where you've written something incredible and you have not idea how you created it. I think those are moments of "flow." They come through you. It is as if all the training and practice click together and you channel your intent through the practiced prism of your skill.
I'm so happy this resonated with you. There are some harsh words for the mediocre (of which I am one!) so I was worried it was too critical. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
"flow state" eh? Seems to explain a lot. I know I've had a couple moments practicing kung-fu where all of a sudden everything clicked and as you said; "you channel your intent through the practiced prism of your skill.". They were moments where I thought with my body and moved with my heart, a state I was unsure of what to call.
It's Intriguing as well as logical linking these different yet similar states together, gives me the drive to put forth the effort required to draw closer to grasping said states.
Those words may have been harsh(I hadn't found them too much so) but they are words needing to be heard. Please continue to lay out your thoughts in the future without being overly worried about offending delicate sensibility's!