Sparking Creativity: Interview with Singer/Songwriter Jennifer Knapp

 Sparks and Ashes is very pleased to welcome singer/songwriter Jennifer Knapp as our latest artist in the Sparking Creativity series. 

Jennifer is a Grammy-nominee and Dove Award winner, and has sold over 1 million albums. You can read more on her life and musical journey here.

In this exclusive interview, Jennifer shares openly about her own growth as a songwriter, the relationships between career, identity, and creativity, and why “nothing kills a song faster than premeditation.” Enjoy.

You can find Jennifer and her music online via her website. Please take the time to stream (and purchase!) her latest album Letting Go.

Paul: Your first album, Kansas, came out in 1998. How has your songwriting process changed over the years?

Jennifer: I’d say that the core hasn’t changed. I still find I am most comfortable and productive when I start creating without a specific end in mind. For me, nothing kills a song faster than premeditation. My favorite works of art are ones that give me permission to accept and experience the emotions that they elicit. I suppose that it’s not surprising then, that I am happiest when I am creating with a sense of submersion in the moment.

These days, the challenge is to forget about the future. Now my process includes a deliberate act of putting on creative blinders and writing as if no one is outside the door listening in. It’s easier said than done. Read the rest of this entry »