--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can perform easily; I don't mind…" description: "\"I can perform easily; I don't mind getting up in front of people at all. I've always sung and felt confident about that, and guitar playing isn't a str..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8af/shawn-colvin-14509_challenges_i-can-perform-easily-i-don-t-mind-gettin_520695.png" --- # I can perform easily; I don't mind getting up in front of… ![“I can perform easily; I don't mind getting up in front of people at all. I've always sung and felt confident about that, and guitar playing isn't a stretch, but songwriting is. We all have our challenges in what we do, and that's mine.” quote by Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8af/shawn-colvin-14509_challenges_i-can-perform-easily-i-don-t-mind-gettin_520695.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8af/shawn-colvin-14509_challenges_i-can-perform-easily-i-don-t-mind-gettin_520695.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8af/shawn-colvin-14509_challenges_i-can-perform-easily-i-don-t-mind-gettin_520695.png) > “I can perform easily; I don't mind getting up in front of people at all. I've always sung and felt confident about that, and guitar playing isn't a stretch, but songwriting is. We all have our challenges in what we do, and that's mine.” [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker is confident in performance but feels vulnerable in songwriting, highlighting personal creative challenges. **In simple terms:** Confident performing, anxious songwriting. Key Takeaway Embrace creative discomfort. Themes confidence creativity vulnerability Mood determined hopeful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - stage performance - songwriting sessions - music lessons - creative workshops - personal coaching Key Concepts self‑efficacy artistic block Questions to Reflect On - What blocks your songwriting? - How can you transfer performance confidence to writing? A Different Perspective Songwriting may require different skills than performance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Guitar playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar-playing/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Songwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriting/) ## Related quotes > [The thing about me is that I'm very fortunate to have had the opportunities with Avenged Sevenfold in songwriting. 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Not only do the Greeks appreciate good food, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-brooks/in-each-portside-town-enticing-aromas-waft-from-every-harborside/) [Laura Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-brooks/) > [I guess because I had such a horrible life growing up, going from place to place not knowing what I was gonna do and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mustaine/i-guess-because-i-had-such-a-horrible-life-growing-up-going-from/) [Dave Mustaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-mustaine/) > [For me, the guitar was just a tool to make songs. I started when I was 10 - I learned what I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-ternheim/for-me-the-guitar-was-just-a-tool-to-make-songs-i-started-when-i-was/) [Anna Ternheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-ternheim/) > [It's hard to imagine the whole punk movement without The Velvet Underground. I toured with them when they did their reunion tour, and no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-wareham/it-s-hard-to-imagine-the-whole-punk-movement-without-the-velvet-2/) [Dean Wareham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-wareham/) > [One of the things I really like about West African guitar playing is the way it makes harmony linear. They're really spelling things out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-longstreth/one-of-the-things-i-really-like-about-west-african-guitar-playing-is/) [David Longstreth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-longstreth/) > [Although I dig my guitar playing, I think it's kind of an obvious situation; I play what I want to play within my own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-townshend/although-i-dig-my-guitar-playing-i-think-it-s-kind-of-an-obvious/) [Pete Townshend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-townshend/) > [My dad brings a deep-seated knowledge of the British folk genre, and a lot of my love for guitar playing comes from learning from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-plaskett/my-dad-brings-a-deep-seated-knowledge-of-the-british-folk-genre-and-a/) [Joel Plaskett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-plaskett/) > ['Spellbound' has a lot of guitar playing on it, obviously, but I wanted to keep it with a more straightforward beat. It doesn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yngwie-malmsteen/spellbound-has-a-lot-of-guitar-playing-on-it-obviously-but-i-wanted/) [Yngwie Malmsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yngwie-malmsteen/) > [I've never mastered the guitar. Either I was playing it, or it was playing me; it depends how you look at it. As a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/i-ve-never-mastered-the-guitar-either-i-was-playing-it-or-it-was/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) > [Directing is like guitar playing. That's a unique mind-set and talent, unto itself. I like the idea of putting everything together to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slash/directing-is-like-guitar-playing-that-s-a-unique-mind-set-and-talent/) [Slash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slash/) > [The Lounge Lizards were relating with a tradition and it was like I was playing within a musical context. The guitar playing stood out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arto-lindsay/the-lounge-lizards-were-relating-with-a-tradition-and-it-was-like-i/) [Arto Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arto-lindsay/) > [... another guitar player who had a tremendous influence on my life was Howard Roberts ... I'd listened to a lot of Tal Farlow,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-baxter/another-guitar-player-who-had-a-tremendous-influence-on-my-life-was/) [Jeff Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-baxter/) > [I'm supportive of women, absolutely, and it's so gratifying to have girls come up and say, 'I'm really inspired by your guitar playing.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-m-supportive-of-women-absolutely-and-it-s-so-gratifying-to-have/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) ## More by Shawn Colvin > [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/) > [It's really fun to listen to other people and be an accompanist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/it-s-really-fun-to-listen-to-other-people-and-be-an-accompanist/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [Physically, I'm healthy as a horse, always held up. But in the mental illness department, I got my share. It's just what I got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/physically-i-m-healthy-as-a-horse-always-held-up-but-in-the-mental/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [There were bars that began to have acoustic musicians play, it was 1970: Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, America, The Eagles, all that kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/there-were-bars-that-began-to-have-acoustic-musicians-play-it-was/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [I always wanted to be a songwriter, and it took a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-songwriter-and-it-took-a-while/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [You say in life, mistakes are many. How come you never admit to any?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/you-say-in-life-mistakes-are-many-how-come-you-never-admit-to-any/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [I was a cover artist for years. I didn't start writing songs until I was in my mid-twenties. I wrote them with John Leventhal,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/i-was-a-cover-artist-for-years-i-didn-t-start-writing-songs-until-i/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [I don't support Trump. We'll put that right out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/i-don-t-support-trump-we-ll-put-that-right-out-there/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [I'm not a go-out-with-a-band artist. I'm an intimate, storytelling folk artist. It guides the writing and makes for a concert that I'm proud of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/i-m-not-a-go-out-with-a-band-artist-i-m-an-intimate-storytelling-folk/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [This world's a blessing and a beast everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/this-world-s-a-blessing-and-a-beast-everyday/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [I consider myself as a singer first, but something that really helped me come into my own is that there's not a separation between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/i-consider-myself-as-a-singer-first-but-something-that-really-helped/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [The past is stronger than my will to forgive forgive you, or myself, I don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/the-past-is-stronger-than-my-will-to-forgive-forgive-you-or-myself-i/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [I wasn't creative when I was depressed. When my depression got treated, I was creative again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/i-wasn-t-creative-when-i-was-depressed-when-my-depression-got-treated/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [I've had a prolonged adolescence, like a lot of my generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/i-ve-had-a-prolonged-adolescence-like-a-lot-of-my-generation/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) > [Put me in a room with a songwriter, and I just clam up. I get shy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-colvin/put-me-in-a-room-with-a-songwriter-and-i-just-clam-up-i-get-shy/) [Shawn Colvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) [Explore all 46 Shawn Colvin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-colvin/) ## More Challenges quotes > [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [Our biggest challenge is to eliminate the popular perception that economists don't have anything useful to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zandi/our-biggest-challenge-is-to-eliminate-the-popular-perception-that/) [Mark Zandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zandi/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/people-in-great-groups-have-blinders-on-their-work-is-all-they-see/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [“Two powerful, little words I've learned to use when facing challenges, fears, and doubts— so what? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/two-powerful-little-words-i-ve-learned-to-use-when-facing-challenges/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [I personally think if something's not a challenge, there's no point doing it, because you're not gonna learn much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-personally-think-if-something-s-not-a-challenge-there-s-no-point/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men want a challenge, but they want a challenge they can win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-gaskell/men-want-a-challenge-but-they-want-a-challenge-they-can-win/) Whitney Gaskell > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [Nobody challenges me. I challenge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakuntala-devi/nobody-challenges-me-i-challenge-myself/) [Shakuntala Devi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakuntala-devi/) > [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) [Browse all 8,851 Challenges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I can perform easily; I don't mind getting up in front of people at all. I've always sung and felt confident about that, and guitar playing isn't a stretch, but songwriting is. 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