--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was writing songs, I guess, a sense of…" description: "\"I was writing songs, I guess, a sense of lyricism before I started picking up the guitar. Once I picked up the guitar, I felt I started expressing myse..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/ruston-kelly-32088_guitar_i-was-writing-songs-i-guess-a-sense-of-l_1219165.jpg" --- # I was writing songs, I guess, a sense of lyricism before I… ![“I was writing songs, I guess, a sense of lyricism before I started picking up the guitar. Once I picked up the guitar, I felt I started expressing myself in that medium without words.” quote by Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/ruston-kelly-32088_guitar_i-was-writing-songs-i-guess-a-sense-of-l_1219165.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/ruston-kelly-32088_guitar_i-was-writing-songs-i-guess-a-sense-of-l_1219165.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76a/ruston-kelly-32088_guitar_i-was-writing-songs-i-guess-a-sense-of-l_1219165.jpg) > “I was writing songs, I guess, a sense of lyricism before I started picking up the guitar. Once I picked up the guitar, I felt I started expressing myself in that medium without words.” [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music can convey emotion beyond words, offering a direct expressive outlet **In simple terms:** Guitar lets feelings flow without lyrics Key Takeaway Embrace instrumental expression for deeper personal connection Themes creativity music self‑expression Mood introspective artistic Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - songwriting - live performance - personal therapy - collaboration Key Concepts emotional articulation non‑verbal communication Questions to Reflect On - What emotions do you find hardest to verbalize? - Can instrumental music capture nuanced feelings? A Different Perspective Instrument proficiency may limit immediate expression for beginners ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expressing Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressing-myself/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Lyricism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyricism-534184/) [Lyricism Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lyricism-started-3727276/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Sense Lyricism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-lyricism-3727277/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Expressing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-expressing-3727278/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-songs/) ## Related quotes > [I was born in '77 and the '90s was really when I started expressing myself in fashion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-meyer/i-was-born-in-77-and-the-90s-was-really-when-i-started-expressing/) [Jennifer Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-meyer/) > [English has always been my musical language. When I started writing songs when I was 13 or 14, I started writing in English because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-merilahti/english-has-always-been-my-musical-language-when-i-started-writing/) [Olivia Merilahti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-merilahti/) > [Personal lyricism is the outcry of prisoner to prisoner from the cell in solitary where each is confined for the duration of his life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/personal-lyricism-is-the-outcry-of-prisoner-to-prisoner-from-the-cell/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [This is not pessimism but rather casting a cold eye on things. It is only one man's story, and I think that things will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/this-is-not-pessimism-but-rather-casting-a-cold-eye-on-things-it-is/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [The only thing that exists is torment, lyricism, and the magnificence of language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-thing-that-exists-is-torment-lyricism-and-the-magnificence/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My poetry is not lyric. The epigrams are lyric because they come from my youthful period of lyricism, but my other poetry is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernesto-cardenal/my-poetry-is-not-lyric-the-epigrams-are-lyric-because-they-come-from/) [Ernesto Cardenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernesto-cardenal/) > [“There was a marvelous, dark lyricism in his voice, the kind of defiance that is rooted in deep loneliness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-was-a-marvelous-dark-lyricism-in-his-voice-the-kind-of-defiance/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [To be blunt, I feel like lyricism in Spanish is of a different quality than English. You can get really poetic in Spanish, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessie-reyez/to-be-blunt-i-feel-like-lyricism-in-spanish-is-of-a-different-quality/) [Jessie Reyez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessie-reyez/) > [Sexuality is the lyricism of the next masses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/sexuality-is-the-lyricism-of-the-next-masses/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [I've worked really, really hard on my lyricism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/little-simz/i-ve-worked-really-really-hard-on-my-lyricism/) [Little Simz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/little-simz/) > [Lyricism is about painting a picture. It doesn't have to be a bunch of punchlines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logic/lyricism-is-about-painting-a-picture-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-a-bunch-of/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logic/) > [Lyricism was placed into my head in Ireland.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/lyricism-was-placed-into-my-head-in-ireland/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [Not everybody is a great rapper; not everybody lives for the art of lyricism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wale/not-everybody-is-a-great-rapper-not-everybody-lives-for-the-art-of/) [Wale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wale/) > [ What I believe is really good in the so-called documentary approach to photography is the addition of lyricism.\[this quality\] is usually produced unconsciously and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walker-evans/what-i-believe-is-really-good-in-the-so-called-documentary-approach/) [Walker Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walker-evans/) > [“Write whatever you like. If you haven't the facts, substitute lyricism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/write-whatever-you-like-if-you-haven-t-the-facts-substitute-lyricism/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) ## More by Ruston Kelly > [It seems like some of my favorite songs have almost like a nursery rhyme vibe to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/it-seems-like-some-of-my-favorite-songs-have-almost-like-a-nursery/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [When people suffer from depression or anxiety or any sort of pain/mental anguish combo, being able to take the power out of it through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/when-people-suffer-from-depression-or-anxiety-or-any-sort-of-pain/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [A folk melody can exist uniquely but also still be somewhat familiar to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/a-folk-melody-can-exist-uniquely-but-also-still-be-somewhat-familiar/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [I can write about pain without experiencing pain, which I am thankful for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/i-can-write-about-pain-without-experiencing-pain-which-i-am-thankful/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [And there has to be a level of gratitude and a little bit of pride. But I want that pride to be quick so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/and-there-has-to-be-a-level-of-gratitude-and-a-little-bit-of-pride/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [I feel the most centered in my life when I'm performing a song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/i-feel-the-most-centered-in-my-life-when-i-m-performing-a-song/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [It's a successful feeling when someone tells you that you were instrumental in helping them heal from a great wound in their life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/it-s-a-successful-feeling-when-someone-tells-you-that-you-were/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [Songwriting has always been a means to an end for me. That end being a tool to try to understand myself in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/songwriting-has-always-been-a-means-to-an-end-for-me-that-end-being-a/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [We are all dually feminine and masculine. To give in to both of those things would strengthen us as human beings and there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/we-are-all-dually-feminine-and-masculine-to-give-in-to-both-of-those/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [My theory is that if I can stay present in the moment in my life as frequent as possible the artwork will be more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/my-theory-is-that-if-i-can-stay-present-in-the-moment-in-my-life-as/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [Black-metal is my favourite. Mayhem are one of my favourite bands. But whenever Slayer comes to town, I am going to that show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/black-metal-is-my-favourite-mayhem-are-one-of-my-favourite-bands-but/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [You can be whoever you want to be when you are writing songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/you-can-be-whoever-you-want-to-be-when-you-are-writing-songs/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [When I do find myself having downtime, I just put my guitar in my hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/when-i-do-find-myself-having-downtime-i-just-put-my-guitar-in-my-hands/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [I used to feel that if I wasn't living out my songs, I wasn't doing myself or my craft justice, and that's a dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/i-used-to-feel-that-if-i-wasn-t-living-out-my-songs-i-wasn-t-doing/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) > [I have to remind myself sometimes to look back and see what brought me to where I'm at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruston-kelly/i-have-to-remind-myself-sometimes-to-look-back-and-see-what-brought/) [Ruston Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) [Explore all 16 Ruston Kelly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruston-kelly/) ## More Guitar quotes > [I'll tell you one thing: I will always play the sh\*\* out of my guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-satriani/i-ll-tell-you-one-thing-i-will-always-play-the-sh-out-of-my-guitar/) [Joe Satriani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-satriani/) > [I remember people would talk about Country Music like it was this sexist, lame thing. Well, no, because Dolly Parton is writing songs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neko-case/i-remember-people-would-talk-about-country-music-like-it-was-this/) [Neko Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neko-case/) > [With my songs, the question is always, 'Can you pull it off live, alone on just an acoustic guitar?' That's the litmus test. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/with-my-songs-the-question-is-always-can-you-pull-it-off-live-alone/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [Growing up in Dallas, my first influences on the guitar were T-Bone Walker and Les Paul. T-Bone taught me how to play lead guitar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/growing-up-in-dallas-my-first-influences-on-the-guitar-were-t-bone/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [That's the thing about the blues: It's one thing to hit a note on a guitar. To make it matter is something else altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/that-s-the-thing-about-the-blues-it-s-one-thing-to-hit-a-note-on-a/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I play, like, 12 instruments. Guitar, piano, harmonica, African drums... I'm working on mastering the accordion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-grabeel/i-play-like-12-instruments-guitar-piano-harmonica-african-drums-i-m/) [Lucas Grabeel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-grabeel/) > [I learned tabla for three years when in school, then started picking up the basics of the acoustic guitar when in college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupam-roy/i-learned-tabla-for-three-years-when-in-school-then-started-picking/) [Anupam Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupam-roy/) > [I took guitar lessons and recorded the song in New York. It was kind of a dream. I got to pretend I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/i-took-guitar-lessons-and-recorded-the-song-in-new-york-it-was-kind/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) > [There's a need for music that has urgency and emotional honesty. That's why people are reintroducing themselves to guitar music - that instrument has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mura-masa/there-s-a-need-for-music-that-has-urgency-and-emotional-honesty-that/) [Mura Masa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mura-masa/) > [I like to be quiet and play guitar and just chill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/post-malone/i-like-to-be-quiet-and-play-guitar-and-just-chill/) [Post Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/post-malone/) > [My first proper 'Here's your guitar, Joseph' was a 1981 Chiquita, one of those Erlewine travel guitars. And it was good for a four-year-old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bonamassa/my-first-proper-here-s-your-guitar-joseph-was-a-1981-chiquita-one-of/) [Joe Bonamassa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bonamassa/) > [Kenny Burrell is the grand master of jazz guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dizzy-gillespie/kenny-burrell-is-the-grand-master-of-jazz-guitar/) [Dizzy Gillespie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dizzy-gillespie/) > [Because of my background, I never felt comfortable with these R&B divas, but I'd hate to be just some pensive girl with a guitar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corinne-bailey-rae/because-of-my-background-i-never-felt-comfortable-with-these-r-b/) [Corinne Bailey Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corinne-bailey-rae/) [Browse all 3,915 Guitar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I was writing songs, I guess, a sense of lyricism before I started picking up the guitar. 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