At Talent Is Timeless, we run Monthly Songwriting Challenges to help keep our members writing, sharing, and connecting. Each month, we spotlight some of the incredible songwriters who placed in these challenges — inviting them to share more about their lives, their creative journeys, and the stories behind their songs.

This month, we’re featuring 58-year-old songwriter Tracy Dillon from Exeter, Devon. Tracy joined Talent Is Timeless in January 2022, and her winning song Halcyon Days is a beautifully layered piece that blends mythology, emotion, and lived experience. Originally written for the 2023 “Setting Sail” challenge, Halcyon Days uses the sea as a central metaphor — not just for physical journeys, but for the emotional turbulence of life and relationships.

Tracy drew on the idea of a stormy ocean reflecting the turmoil of the mind, before contrasting it with the concept of “halcyon days” — times of peace and calm. Digging deeper, she discovered the Greek myth of Alcyone and Ceyx, where grief and loss lead to transformation, and where the gods calm the seas to create a period of stillness and safety.

“This seemed to fit the sea theme well,” Tracy explains. It’s a song written as if a partner is saying ‘release yourself from the turmoil – make the best decision for you, I’ll support you whatever you decide’, and ‘hold onto the good times we had in the past, have faith in us, I believe we can rediscover our halcyon days’ .

Since writing it, Tracy has performed Halcyon Days live, including a memorable moment when members of Topsham Folk Club spontaneously joined in on the chorus. She later recorded the track at Sean Lakeman’s studio, with plans to release it — a milestone that once felt far out of reach.

Tracy’s relationship with music stretches back to childhood. Growing up in the 1970s with Radio 2 always playing, she was surrounded by sound — from ABBA’s rich harmonies to her father’s love of Frank Sinatra. Her dad’s singing voice left a lasting impression, and her early years were filled with instruments: recorder, piano, clarinet, keyboard, and eventually guitar. Encouraging teachers nurtured her creativity, but circumstances gradually pulled her away from music. She couldn’t take music exams at school, lost access to lessons, and began to feel she simply “wasn’t good enough.” Even at university, where she spent hours trying to write songs, self-doubt lingered. Life moved on — career, family, responsibilities — and music faded into the background, though never entirely disappeared. For years, Tracy lived with a quiet, persistent feeling: that there was something inside her that needed to come out.

Everything changed about ten years ago when she was diagnosed with cancer. While devastating, the experience also became a turning point.

“Thoughts of all those songs I hadn’t yet written… pushed me to get started,” she says.

When time suddenly felt fragile, the need to create became stronger than the fear of not being good enough. Another key moment came later, when a colleague introduced her to songwriting and recording on Logic Pro. Determined to prove something to herself, Tracy saved up for a Mac and recorded a song called Moving On. When it was played on local radio, it marked a powerful shift — from private creativity to being heard.

Finding Talent Is Timeless opened the next chapter. Listening to other members’ songs initially filled her with awe — and doubt — but she pushed herself to take part in the Monthly Songwriting Challenges anyway.

“I was amazed when I won a couple of challenges,” she says, especially among such strong writers.

The platform has not only given her confidence, but also connection. Through Talent Is Timeless, Tracy has collaborated with other songwriters, improved her production skills, and even performed live — including at The Camden Club, something she describes as “a million miles from anything I ever thought I would do.” Beyond her own music, her journey has had an unexpected ripple effect at home.

“It’s been really useful in helping my son, who is studying music production,” she says — a full-circle moment that few might expect from a 58-year-old mum rediscovering her creative voice. For Tracy, songwriting is no longer something to doubt or delay. It’s something to follow.

Her advice to others over 50 is simple and freeing:

“Don’t overthink it — just have a go.”

Her story is a powerful reminder that creativity doesn’t disappear — it waits. And when we finally listen to it, it can carry us through storms, back toward our own halcyon days.

You can listen to Tracy’s winning song here: Halcyon Days

And Connect with Tracy on Talent Is Timeless here: https://www.talentistimeless.com/members/fade/