It's hard to not argue that John Legend isn't successful. In addition to a thriving music career, Legend has also endeared himself to viewers on The Voice. But what is the secret to his success? How has the singer built and carved out a lasting legacy for himself in an industry that's fickle and everchanging as the music industry?
Well, some of it boils down to luck, but it also boils down to creativity. Legend says that you have to set aside the time needed to be successful. He advised creatives to "schedule time to be creative" if they want to be successful. The singer explained that the more that he wrote songs, the better that he got at it.
"The more you write, the better you get at it," he explained. "I think it's such a good thing to go to the well a bunch of times, and everything you make is not going to be amazing." He added, "The more you go to that well, the more likelihood that you're going to come up with something special."
John Legend Talks Songwriting
However, Legend says songwriting doesn't have to be a isolating experience. He recommends people collaborating together. He said others "help spark that idea that's going to change your life." In fact, Legend says he knows from experience. "A lot of my biggest songs have been collaborations," he said.
"Even though I'm still responsible for a lot of the creative content that comes out of those co-writing sessions I believe a lot of those songs wouldn't have happened if I weren't in the room with somebody else that sparked the idea and pushed me in a certain directions," he said.
Legend said that he is "humble enough" to know that he doesn't "know everything." He said that other artists should follow his example.
"Pick the brains of people who are experts at what they're experts at and know what you bring to the table, but also know what your deficiencies are," he said. "Bring other people to help support you and complement your skills so that together you create something better than you would have done by yourself."
