Hey Reader,

What do Aerosmith, Cher, Celine Dion, and LeAnn Rimes all have in common?

It's not numbers of hits; it's not "worked with the same producer"; it's not Grammys.

They’ve all had massive hits written by the same person.

Not the performer. Not the producer. Not a “songwriting camp” with five names in the credits.

One songwriter, alone in a room, writing songs that somehow keep finding their way into the world.

Her name is Diane Warren — and even if you don’t recognise the name, you definitely know the songs. She’s written nine #1 hits and 33 Billboard Top 10 songs… and she’s now racked up 17 Academy Award nominations (plus an honorary Oscar in 2022).

But here’s the part I can’t stop thinking about:

When people ask Diane Warren about her “process,” she basically refuses to romanticise it.

She keeps saying the same thing, over and over: “I show up.”

That’s it. No mystique. No special routine. No waiting to feel inspired. Just: show up… and do the work.

In this week’s video, we went down a bit of a Diane Warren rabbit hole — interviews, quotes, the documentary (Relentless) — and we pulled together the mindset principles that seem to explain how someone sustains a songwriting career at that level for decades.

You can watch it here:

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A few of the ideas we explore:

• Why “keeping it simple” can be a form of creative power
• The Olympic-athlete mindset (and why it matters more than talent alone)
• Why great songs don’t require fancy gear, a perfect studio, or the “right” setup
• The difference between writing what sounds right… and what feels right
• The quiet confidence of: “I wasn’t meant to write those songs — I’m meant to write mine.”

If you’ve been feeling like you need more inspiration, more time, more confidence, more equipment… I think this will land in a really reassuring way.

Write for life,
Keppie