#188: Josh Ritter — Songwriting as Exploration, Working Across Art Forms, Inviting the Muse In, and Sharing Work in Public

Singer-songwriter and author Josh Ritter on writing songs for the muse instead of waiting for it, letting creative ideas find their shape across songwriting, painting, and fiction, and building a sustainable creative life over more than two decades.

We discuss:

• Writing for the muse instead of waiting for it.
• Why working across multiple art forms keeps each one alive.
• The craft behind a single narrative song, from first image to finished track.
• Balancing creative compulsion with everyday life.
• What sharing work publicly teaches you about your own work.
• How the relationship between an artist and their audience evolves over decades.
• Mental health and the myth of the tortured creative.
• Getting through the dead stretch when nothing seems to come.
• The campfire model of building a creative career.

Resources & Links:

• 📄Interview Transcript
• Josh’s Substack
• Hello Starling
• I Believe in You, My Honeydew 
• Truth is a Dimension (Both Invisible and Blinding)

About:

Josh Ritter is an American singer-songwriter, musician, artist, and author. He performs and records with The Royal City Band. He writes on Substack at  Josh Ritter’s Book of Jubilations. His latest album, I Believe In You, My Honeydew, is out now.

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