Korby Lenker On The Painful Joy of Finishing Something Great
PodcastWhen Finishing Feels Worse Than Starting
Korby Lenker has made ten albums, written a book, created a TV pilot, and chased more creative tangents than most artists ever attempt. And yet—he’s the first to admit that the hardest part of all of it is simply finishing. Not dreaming. Not starting. Finishing.
For Korby, that pain is a feature, not a bug. He jokes that he hates writing but loves having written—a feeling most creators know too well. The blank page is terrifying. The early rush fades. And somewhere around the 60% mark, the whole thing starts to feel like a mistake. His take? That’s exactly where the real work begins.
Why Discipline Becomes the Artist’s Only Unshakable Tool
Korby talks openly about self-doubt—how it follows him into every chapter of his career. Whether it was breaking into Nashville, parking cars after losing his record deal, or grinding through the first draft of a novel, he always found himself circling the same truth: creativity needs discipline just as much as inspiration.
He describes it simply: You say you’re going to do something. Then you do it. Everything else is noise.
Not glamorous, but oddly comforting.
The Gift of Obscurity
One of the most revealing parts of Korby’s story is his appreciation for obscurity. When no one was watching, he found unexpected freedom—time to write short stories, time to learn filmmaking, time to experiment without the pressure of an audience.
It wasn’t a strategic plan. It was survival. And yet those “in-between” years gave him the skillset that later powered his biggest pivot: creating Morse Code, a TV pilot loosely inspired by his life.
Small Finishes Create Big Finishes
Korby repeats one piece of advice like gospel:
Finish the smallest possible version of the thing.
Not the novel. Not the album. Not the feature film.
Start with a page. A scene. A chorus. A draft.
That tiny win becomes momentum. And momentum becomes a body of work.
Being a Lifelong Beginner
Underneath everything Korby creates—songs, stories, film—there’s a throughline of curiosity. He follows whatever sparks. He pivots when he needs to. He stays close to people who make him better. And he keeps making things even when he’s unsure they’ll work.
His description of what artists actually do is beautifully simple:
They make meaning. For themselves. For the people they love. For anyone who might be changed by the work.
A Quiet Thread Back to Sonora
Korby’s reflections land in a place that feels deeply connected to what we value at Sonora: the honest, unpolished pursuit of craft. The part of creativity that isn’t about going viral or chasing perfection—but about showing up, finishing, learning, and finding meaning in the process.
It’s the same spirit we see in the musicians who study with us, the mentors who teach here, and the community that grows around the work.
Finishing isn’t glamorous. But in Korby’s world—and ours—finishing is where the transformation happens.
