Nurturing Creative Vulnerability
Embracing the discomfort of the songwriting life
by Darby Orr
Let’s face it, this whole artist, songwriter, composer, producer, “you can go your own way” path is built upon uncertainty and vulnerability. Though each of us may have a career path inspiration, or – if we’re lucky – a trusted mentor, what we quickly discover is that our journey is so completely unique that the books and the guidance often feel remote and disconnected from our experience. Because they are. The truth is: our paths, if we choose to embark on a truly creative journey as artists (and humans in general), should feel vulnerable. Our feeling of vulnerability is actually a sign that we’re doing it right.
The poet David Whyte describes vulnerability as the threshold between us and an experience we haven’t created yet. As songwriters we continually cross that threshold into the as-yet-to-be created world. It’s unexplored territory and we need to truly embrace that what we “get wrong,” whether on the page or on the path, is an intrinsic and necessary part of the creative process.
Years ago in a group collaboration session (and what songwriting process feels more vulnerable than co-writing, right?), a group of us slowly hammered out a song. One person in the session (a gifted songwriter who I greatly admire) offered many ideas that didn’t make the final cut. That’s an act of bravery for sure. But here’s why this person is such a gifted writer and why they received a cowrite on the final tune: while some of us held back our ideas because we were concerned with missing the target, his ideas, though not on point, helped us all better realize what the actual direction of the song was. Getting it “wrong” was a completely necessary part of the creative process. He was fearless and it was inspiring.
So, how do we become fearless in the creative process? The simple answer (and challenging practice) is to fully embrace those often deeply unsettling feelings of vulnerability.
Behavioral researcher and author Brené Brown states that “vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” Basically, if you’re feeling uncomfortable you’re probably doing it right. One of my dear songwriting friends, who brought me into the Nashville co-writing circle where one sits down with multiple new writers every single day, has a habit of opening each cowriting session with the statement, “In this room we give each other permission to express the most crazy ideas without judgment. Every idea is welcomed in this process.” His proclamation that vulnerability is welcomed into the creative process is effective… and he has the gold and platinum records to prove it.
On our journey as songwriters, while in the process of also crafting the ever-changing unique verses and choruses of our own lives, vulnerability isn’t a weakness and it’s not to be avoided. It’s a signpost saying you are on the right path.
It may sound crazy but every morning I welcome vulnerability as my ever-present collaborator. I do this because there’s science supporting the effectiveness of integrating vulnerability into our creative practice. A daily mantra welcoming vulnerability as a creative guide for the betterment of our songwriting also fosters a deeper freedom of emotional expression in our songwriting community.
Darby Orr is an educator facilitating the intersection of mindfulness, embodied awareness, sound, and creativity.
As a composer Darby spent several years as a staff writer for Sony Music. He has written and produced music for CBS Records, Atlantic Records, Mercedes Benz, Ford, Universal Studios, Disney, Chuck E. Cheese, Time Warner, Buena Vista Pictures, a slew of TV shows & commercials, online games, and has composed hundreds of songs in every imaginable genre for music libraries. In 2021 he released Ambient Meditation: Adrift in the Glimmer and in 2022 he began releasing singles for his next album: Susurrus, A tribute to Harold Budd.
As a producer Darby has overseen the journey of countless songs, albums, and tracks for sync. He has an ear for hearing a composition’s emotional essence and a production clarity to bring forth that essence to bond the music to the listener.
While navigating the entertainment business landscape, Darby discovered yoga. This has led to twenty plus years of practice and over seventeen years of teaching yoga as a mindfulness tool to foster deeper more expansive creativity. He teaches workshops and retreats focusing on enriching the creative spirit with his wife, singer-songwriter Arielle Silver.