How do the world’s most popular musicians create hit songs? Is it natural talent, or do external influences affect their writing process? 



Dr. Jenny Boyd, (ex-wife of Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood and sister-in-law of George Harrison), spent four years interviewing 75 world-famous musicians on that subject and has now published her findings in It’s Not Only Rock ‘n Roll: Iconic Musicians Reveal the Source of Their Creativity.

The book explores the drive to create, the importance of nurturing creativity and the role of unconscious influences in conversations with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Joni Mitchell and more. Check out The American Songwriter's exclusive excerpt of the book’s second chapter here. You can buy Dr. Boyd's fantastic new book at Amazon.


The Drive To Create:
When I first began this book, I came across a quote by Goethe which I kept pinned up above my writing table: “The first and last task required of genius is love of truth.” It is the vocation of artists to seek their own truth and then express it in their art. But to be a seeker of truth also demands certain qualities: drive, courage and motivation.

“Music is a means of expression that rings truer and is more connected to things inside than speech.” - Lindsey Buckingham 

A creative person’s drive determines whether or not he will be able to express himself, no matter how much talent he has. What is the nature of this drive? Is it the need to make oneself whole, to complete the process of fulfilling one’s potential?