From Nothing
By ViridianLoom on January 4, 2026 6:22 am
Hey all! It’s nice to hear from all the WeeklyBeats veterans again and I’m looking forward to checking out music from the newcomers. Seems like a *ton* a new people this time. I’m interested to see MissionCrossing’s updated year-over-year trend chart 😛
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m like, "the prog guy". Expect ballads followed by extreme metal, genre shifts mid song, odd time signatures, etc. I dip into digital fusion too. Ironically, I’m trying to make more "traditional" music and get away from the prog label but, ya know, what can you do. That shit's baked into me at this point. I released a debut in 2024 that was intended to be gothic, and it is, but it's much more than that. Give a listen.
For this week’s song I wrote a ballad with my new acoustic guitar. I’m in *love* with this guitar, man. It sounds so beautiful and feels so good to play. The song itself is pretty personal and I guess I don’t beat around the bush with the subject matter. I’ll put more details about that in a section below, but suffice to say that I’m a bit worried about how it might come off because I’m sure a lot of people are going to be posting some dope, feel good songs and I’m rolling in on week one with some depressing shit, haha. I think it’s pretty good for what it is though (if only I had a more refined singing voice and knew how to mix like a pro, but I digress.)
I also worked in some contemporary classical style guitar writing that I’m particularly happy with.
Anyways, I join the WeeklyBeats meetings a lot at the beginning of the year but I don’t speak as much as I should, hoping to change that this year. SQF gave us a gold mine of icebreakers with his podcast, check it out if you haven’t already (Chasing the Beats). Look forward to reconnecting with everyone and meeting the new peeps!
Oh, and my goal this year is to just create things and not get too in my head about it being “good enough” or breaking a streak if it means avoiding burnout without full-on quitting. I’m currently exploring ideas for an acoustic album I’ve been wanting to write, as well as wanting to experiment more with my approach to metal. Trying to find some new sounds. I’d also like to try coding some music with Strudel because I’ve been dicking around with that and it’s been pretty fun. Let’s see what the year brings!
› Meaning of the song (Don’t click if you like ambiguity)
‹ Meaning of the song (Don’t click if you like ambiguity)
This song is about creative burnout and tying all my self-worth to the act of creating, as well as letting my “creative vision” often isolates me from working with collaborators since I’m afraid of not having total control. And then there’s that sad reflection that when I do this and I finally have a completed work of art that I’m proud of, there’s no one there to appreciate it *with* me. Because I kept secretive about it and held it close, it ends up being for me only, and it’s kind of depressing.
Honestly, I haven’t been too enthusiastic this year about weeklybeats, which is a real downer of a thing to say. I’m doing it yet again because 1) It helps me get shit done and 2) I don’t want to lose my relationship with this community because ya’ll are pretty important to me
This ties back to that creative burnout I felt in 2024. For anyone who isn’t familiar with my presence on this platform, I participated in 2020, 2022, and 2024, and I completed the full 52 run for the first two years and gave up towards the end of 2024. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to “give up”, but my reasoning was defeatist and tied to perfectionism and taking my shit too seriously. 2024 felt like one of my best years, creatively, and it was the year I released my first album, but I started to feel like my musical output was in vain once I pathetically tried promoting the album on social media, reaching out for reviews, and letting the album wilt away in obscurity.
This all had me thinking more about playing this music *with* people and making them a part of the creative process. Way back in the day in my old band, Viridian of the Loom (which I’ll never live down for it’s name association), when I wrote new songs I’d bring them to the bandmates, then they’d all add their own parts and it became our song. That enthusiasm of playing through a track where everyone had their eyes closed and was just immersed in the moment is unmatched.
I’ve done a few collaborations on here and they’re songs I’m really happy with. I’d like do that that more often, break this cycle of isolated writing. The irony isn’t lost on me that I didn’t reach out to anyone for help with this song, especially when I was pulling my hair out over the mix and getting frustrated with writing the drum parts and singing parts that are outside my vocal range.
› Lyrics
‹ Lyrics
Sometimes I have to start from nothing in order to know that I’ve grown
and yeah, it’s never that easy, but I have to let go
Caring too much can be a crutch and I don’t know my limits that well
So who am I to tell you what to do when I continue to struggle too
That quiet mind I once relied upon, well… now it’s up and gone
I pushed myself time and time again and now the damage is done
But I guess I’ll give it another shot, cuz what else do I got?
Music for myself and no one else, that’s the story I always tell myself
Isolation never was a friend, just another means to an end
Doing it all myself isn’t healthy now and it wasn’t healthy then
Reaching out from darkness of the cave, fearing things will never be the same
The trappings of a mind that shields day in an often senseless way
Troubling rein, hustle and break, all in vain
Falling inward, grab and retain, all in vain
Low sense of worth, waiting for change, lingering in decay
If I could try, I’d set myself free
A way to stay in place is by doing nothing
Take hold, be bold, and step into the light
