Olivia Rodrigo Says She Gets 'Depressed' When She's Not Writing Songs

"I'm just writing songs to process what's going on, whether in my personal life or in my perception of the world," said Rodrigo in a new interview

Songwriting is a therapeutic practice for Olivia Rodrigo.

In a new interview with Variety, the 20-year-old Grammy winner opened up about the creation of her sophomore album Guts and revealed she feels "depressed" when she's not writing songs daily.

"The experience [of writing Guts] tested my confidence and patience," Rodrigo told the outlet. "It taught me some important lessons about songwriting in terms of focusing on your craft rather than just waiting for inspiration to strike."

Related: Sheryl Crow Says Olivia Rodrigo Is the 'Real Deal': 'She's a Great Songwriter'

The pop star released Guts in September, and the record has already spawned two top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Vampire" and "Bad Idea Right?" But in order to produce such impactful music, according to Rodrigo, you have to do it for yourself and no one else.

"It taught me about the mindset that is most conducive to writing: You can never sit down at the piano and try to write something that everyone will like; that always results in a really bad song. It taught me that I write songs that I want to hear," she added of Guts.

Making the album left Rodrigo with a new goal for practicing her craft: "These days, I try to write one song every day."

Related: Olivia Rodrigo Reveals She Sometimes Sleeps for '14 Hours' Between Concerts on Tour (Exclusive)

"I just feel like myself when I’m writing," she explained. "If I don’t do it, I get depressed. I’m just writing songs to process what’s going on, whether in my personal life or in my perception of the world."

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Elsewhere in the interview, Rodrigo spoke about hoping listeners connect with her "honest songwriting."

Related: Olivia Rodrigo Says It’s ‘Insane’ to Get 6 Grammy Nominations: ‘Such An Honor’ (Exclusive)

"It’s what I’ve gravitated towards my whole life — music that helps you process what you’re feeling or comforts you when you’re feeling these big feelings," the "Good 4 U" performer said. "It’s just nice to know that someone else is experiencing them. It makes you feel less alone."

Rodrigo's approach to Guts is clearly paying off. Earlier this month, she received six nominations for the upcoming 2024 Grammy Awards, including record of the year, song of the year and best pop solo performance for “Vampire,” album of the year and best pop vocal album for Guts as well as best rock song for “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl.”

"It's just such an honor and such a pleasure to be recognized by the music community in such an incredible way," Rodrigo told PEOPLE at the Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes premiere in Los Angeles earlier this month. "I'm very grateful."

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