Q: i feel like i understand music but i have no idea how to make it like i can look at a chord progression or a melody and think yeah ok i see what they're doing but i cant write anything i like. how did you start writing stuff
A: the crazy thing to always remember about writing is, ...... the range of different things you could do is actually bonkers. at least for me, things only start to make sense once i allow myself to go far broad and wide, out and past the outer and upper reaches of the known universe. then and only then, once i have sufficiently explored that enough, things may start to resemble some more earthly constructions. Maybe this is good general writing advice, or, maybe it's only relevant to whatever strange psychological condition i may have