One.
So after starting this a couple of times and then wimping out, I’m finally here writing my first public blog post. Because .. Well, I feel like I have a lot to say at the moment.
But first, in the event that anyone other than my best friends reads this (hey guys) .. I’ll start off by sharing a little bit about how I got here ..
I’m Clare Dove, I write songs and I live in London (for now .. more on that later). Like a lot of songwriters I got into the industry because I was pursuing my childhood dream of being a singer. Yep, call it cliché, but I was all consumed by thoughts of being a popstar for as long as I can remember. I’ve never had any fear about going after what I want, even from a young age, which has served me well at times and probably got me into trouble at others! I filled my entire childhood and teenage years with studio time, singing lessons, dance classes, performances and so on .. and I loved every minute of the hustle of it all. One day down the line I found myself in a new studio, and was having a bit of an emotional out pour into a song. It was one of my first experiences of being in a session without another writer, but for the first time felt no pressure. I spilled out everything I had to say within minutes and told the producer I was ready to record. After I sang through the song he looked at me and said “Did you really just write that?” .. As it turned out I was pretty good at this writing thing. And that began my path into songwriting. I spent a couple of years trying to write for other artists whilst simultaneously writing my own material and holding on to the popstar dream. It worked for a while. But whilst my own career as a singer continued to remain stagnant, my career as a writer was gathering momentum by the day. Which eventually led me to realise; writing is the thing I’m meant to do.
Around the time of this realisation, a friend shared a Steve Harvey video with me where he defined your gift as “The thing you do best with the least amount of effort.” I held on to that, and it’s the quote I turn to whenever I try to answer why I “gave up” on being an artist. Because that’s just it, I didn’t give up, I just found my gift.
The more I focused on writing, the more doors opened. I work with amazing people and in the past couple of years songwriting has taken me all over the world. I’m learning every day, and experiencing constant swings from the happiest I’ve ever been to the lowest. It’s all part of the ride though and one thing I know for sure is that I’m doing what I’m supposed to. I don’t feel any sadness or sense of giving up, writing makes me happier than I could have ever imagined, and I only discovered my gift by chasing that childhood passion of singing. At this point I’m gonna pause to remind anyone that needs to hear it, that following the desires of your heart is the best thing you can do for yourself. You never know where it’ll lead you. So if there’s something you want, I hope you’re going after it.
So, now you’re all caught up on the little backstory that’s the foundation for a whole new project I’ve embarked on this year, and the reason I felt the time was right for a blog. If you’ve got as far as this then thanks, and hopefully you’ll stick with me.
I hope amidst all of my own story sharing in these posts, you can pick out some nuggets of encouragement and inspiration for yourself. Feel free to leave comments, ask questions or hit me up on social media.
Talk soon.
CD x
