Advice for COMPLETE artistic mental/energy block

[adjren]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10561685_10203246805585532_1562241225104665414_n.j pg?oh=8561cb3fab6c5190843aa0ad5ccd5700&oe=54505DCB&__gda__=1413912797_13996db62faefbf270234b6c1f14a4a 1

hey whats up doods. =) i've been working on a solo project for... going on 7 or 8 years. most of that time has been spent learning the
elusive art of production, and pushing freeware and software vst's to their limit; in order to sound as professional as humanly possible.
sound quality wise, i think i can honestly say i'm finally where i want to be. i don't like the idea of being constricted to one general sound; i love the
contrast and concepts of NIN, Gorillaz, APC,TOOL, etc. i want a running theme, an overtone and dedicated passion... but i'm completely lost. i do everything myself;
sometimes i use samples, sometimes it's addictive drums; i plug things into other things; i play what ever instrument i need to get the job done... but i feel like
i have been completely drained of inspiration.. confidence in following through a single song.. i cant seem to balance the grounded-get to work and make it happen end of creation, and the - ethereal; soul bloodletting spur of the moment sudden wave of grace experience. I'm not against working with other musicians, but at the same time; i feel like i have emotions and vibes i need to release that are very personal to me, and need my precise care to be expressed correctly.

any advice from the community? personal stories?
love and sincere appreciation for all 'yall, and any help you can contribute.

[screwdriver]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10561685_10203246805585532_1562241225104665414_n.j pg?oh=8561cb3fab6c5190843aa0ad5ccd5700&oe=54505DCB&__gda__=1413912797_13996db62faefbf270234b6c1f14a4a 1

hey whats up doods. =) i've been working on a solo project for... going on 7 or 8 years. most of that time has been spent learning the
elusive art of production, and pushing freeware and software vst's to their limit; in order to sound as professional as humanly possible.
sound quality wise, i think i can honestly say i'm finally where i want to be. i don't like the idea of being constricted to one general sound; i love the
contrast and concepts of NIN, Gorillaz, APC,TOOL, etc. i want a running theme, an overtone and dedicated passion... but i'm completely lost. i do everything myself;
sometimes i use samples, sometimes it's addictive drums; i plug things into other things; i play what ever instrument i need to get the job done... but i feel like
i have been completely drained of inspiration.. confidence in following through a single song.. i cant seem to balance the grounded-get to work and make it happen end of creation, and the - ethereal; soul bloodletting spur of the moment sudden wave of grace experience. I'm not against working with other musicians, but at the same time; i feel like i have emotions and vibes i need to release that are very personal to me, and need my precise care to be expressed correctly.

any advice from the community? personal stories?
love and sincere appreciation for all 'yall, and any help you can contribute.

my 2c
you've gotta work with other people

even TR works with other people and has since forever

ultimately I'm probably most satisfied when I make something and I see it through from genesis to completion. but working with other people gives me the juice to recharge that inspiration. it's kind of paradoxical, but I am the most inspired and get the most done on my own stuff when I'm also the busiest working with other people. it helps get you -- and your ideas -- out of your head

[elevenism]

i can damn sure say that i know the feeling, and also that i've definitely lost some of my creativity with age.

and i agree with screwdriver...i had some of my most creative moments of recent years making music with the little duo of me and my ex-girlfriend.

but also dig this: one thing that has helped me is taking a break from my own shit and actually studying something else.
i had COMPLETELY stopped learning and growing as a guitar player. i hit a point where i realized that i hadn't learned a new lick or tried to play an unoriginal song in YEARS (apart from my well worn handful of covers, which inevitably start to feel like MY songs eventually.)
I started studying and playing, say, eric clapton for a few days...learning a couple of entire songs note for note just like i did when i was a teenager.
i found that this process left me creatively refreshed with new ideas for my own music.
it also gives me a sense of accomplishment that is absent when i am beating myself up for being in a creative rut.

[screwdriver]

i can damn sure say that i know the feeling, and also that i've definitely lost some of my creativity with age.

and i agree with @screwdriver (http://www.echoingthesound.org/community/member.php?u=380)...i had some of my most creative moments of recent years making music with the little duo of me and my ex-girlfriend.

but also dig this: one thing that has helped me is taking a break from my own shit and actually studying something else.
i had COMPLETELY stopped learning and growing as a guitar player. i hit a point where i realized that i hadn't learned a new lick or tried to play an unoriginal song in YEARS (apart from my well worn handful of covers, which inevitably start to feel like MY songs eventually.)
I started studying and playing, say, eric clapton for a few days...learning a couple of entire songs note for note just like i did when i was a teenager.
i found that this process left me creatively refreshed with new ideas for my own music.
it also gives me a sense of accomplishment that is absent when i am beating myself up for being in a creative rut.

well said, man. another thing I find inspirational is to start taking songs I know and trying to put them on other instruments -- it forces your brain to start thinking about them differently and you start looking at the music differently. and, more importantly, you'll probably fuck up and stumble on something cool sounding by accident -- follow that for a bit, and boom, new song.

[cashpiles (closed)]

I would also like to share an idea... instead of starting from the production side. start from just taking an audio recorder and a guitar and singing screaming nonsense into it and play the guitar however you feel... or piano..or whatever instrument.. just don't worry about making anything..just expressing your soul... you can even make a rough "song" from an audio recorder, your voice and an instrument.. or just your voice.. after you have a full "song"..then you go into production mode and make it sound perfect... just my idea

[Millionaire]

I get artistically blocked, as well. Its not music, but I have this animation/video project that I haven't touched in too long. Between work, social stuff, and a myriad of hobbies, in my free time I'm kind of pooped and when I sit down to do it and its a bit difficult to get the ball rolling. In the past, the biggest chunks I got done is when I went to a coffee shop or a library with my laptop and basically gave myself nothing else to do but the project. I have a bit of ADHD, so by cutting off other options of stuff to do I'm focusing on this one thing. I'm kind of boring myself into doing it, like studying in school, but when I start it and get into it its not boring at all and its actually one of the most fun things for me. Going somewhere to concentrate on your thing might be difficult for you as a musician, since you have a lot of equipment, but I find it does help a lot. Maybe a studio space or a room somewhere thats not your house would suffice.

Since I haven't worked on my thing for a while I should do that. The minuses are packing my laptop in a bag whenever I go to the bathroom, and the high-priced coffee and food I have to buy every couple of hours so the baristas don't look at me funny, but I do get shit done.