I just take experiences that I hear/read/see and incorporate them into songs. I've never experienced death or depression or drug use but I still use those factors in songs because of what people experienced. I write to those who have faced that dark past, not my dark past. I write for them and not for me.
I find that often if you write about your experiences and not someone else's, people will appreciate it. It doesn't matter if you face a dark past... you still face your own obstacles, write about them. (As previously suggested, write about that!)
You don't need to have experienced horrible things for your songwriting to be valuable just because many successful musicians did. Be yourself, and who knows, you might just be successful.
Comments on Profile Post by Otus_NigRum