by Ricky Fingerz

Created on: November 27, 2010   Last Updated: April 12, 2011

The Proverbial Musical Rut
(How to Break Out)


You're stuck on a treadmill and you just can't get off. That instrument sits in its case and hardly ever sees the light of day. You're all out of fresh ideas and inspiration. You feel lost and disappointed.

Being a musician for better than forty-five years, I can safely say that this very common human condition has hindered much of my career and no doubt probably yours too. You question yourself wondering why you ever pursued such a hobby or the like as a career.  

Sometimes that fourth dimension thing called "Time" gets in the way and this is often used as an excuse simply because you're all dead and washed out inside. It's a crutch so throw them away. We always seem to find time when something means a great deal to us.

That spark you had once had long ago is still there so not to worry. Ahhh, worry!  Much is caused by stress, that human condition that effects many of us.

Well first, let's take care of the stress.

Taking care of the stress can be the answer and it's very hard to feel inspired when you're all stressed out. It can hamper any daily chore or task and is a debilitating disease that has millions in 'it's claws.

Go places that you have never been to before. Get out there and connect with someone new; spark up a conversation. In other words, fill that brain of yours with some much needed data that your gray matter can assimilate and give you some fresh new inventory for ideas. You need inspiration so get out there and get inspired.

Try reflecting back on the very day you were inspired and overwhelmed when you recognized your talent. Remember that tune that you played over and over again until it drove your parents nuts. You may have sucked but you thought you may have been the second coming of Jimi Hendrix; now go laugh at yourself.

Your confidence level may be low and you feel you're just not good enough to keep up with all that monstrous talent out there. Insecurity has taken you over and holding you down like an animal in a leg hold trap.

Remember this, you had it going on once before and those very artists that inspired you were way better than what you could do at that time. That didn't stop you did it? There will always be someone out there that can do something a bit better or different than you. This is truly what keeps us inspired. C'mon now, you don't want to be a sloppy butt musician all your life do you?

Reflect back on just how far you have come and relish in your accomplishments. Listen to some of those old songs you may have recorded or try re-reading the lyrics of your old songs; they probably need some more tweaking and editing and as a writer, I know this to be a given.

We all are at the helm of our own ship and so it's really up to us to reflect back and just question ourselves as to why we started doing this in the first place. Take a break. Get out and get those new ideas. Give yourself a new challenge and as well, give yourself a pat on the back for what you have accomplished so far.

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