goals in songwriting

99% of the time when I'm writing on guitar, it just happens. Nothing is forced, I come across melodies I like, and I stick to them -- it works. This kind of non-thinking in writing is really nice. It's a big relief, and absolves one of real duties. You tend to just play what you feel at the moment, or what you're drawing from. Your mind doesn't get muddied with "if's" and "how's", something I think should be saved for arrangement and composition. Just getting a basic, foundational melody out the gates with minimal thinking, I find to be a good start.

Yesterday though, I decided I have a particular goal. I want to write a song that is just simply captivating. Beautiful. Moving. It's an exercise in many things -- persistence, capturing a vibe, maintaining atmosphere, and staying on track towards that goal. It involves asking questions -- "what is it I want to accomplish? How do I want to accomplish it? What is most effective in relation to my goal(s)?".

I prefer creating anything to be generally free form. Unless it needs a concept, just keep it flowing, no mental interruption. But I'm at a point where I have to balance both. It makes me wonder... can a thought out song be as effective as genuinely spontaneous, in-the-moment song? Whether the song as a whole, or only it's roots. Or imagine, a paint-by-numbers painting. Is it any less effective as a piece of art, than something improvised? I don't mean I prefer to improvise -- that kind of style or genre never interested me, I like things to have a general purpose with very little of it being abstract.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle for me though is, to create this song, I have to sift through a few emotions and thoughts that are on the other end of the scale. I am wanting to write a positive, beautiful song that is not haunting, but just embeds itself and stays there. Such a result isn't guaranteed, and is fairly relative to the end listener. That's ok. My motivation, is one person. It only has to reach them. It only has to hold them. Anyway, I suppose my original point is, it's tough writing something positive when you are more inclined to write something cathartic, regarding the same subject of the song - but drawing from opposite ends.

I don't have a vision for it yet. I guess it all starts there.

Quote
"All artists have a code of ethics they're operating by, and that we're all driven by commitment. Commitment in itself is quite serious decision, you come up as a kid and decide to embrace music and its not something that one takes lightly, because it becomes a way of life and as performers we witness the raising of the spirit... you know, the capacity that music has to change the feeling of a room. so we cant help but be spiritual people"
Daniel Lanois