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Dealing With Doubt

Blackwatch

By Blackwatch
in Inside the Music Business

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Blackwatch Newbie

Blackwatch

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I was just wondering where others stood on dealing with doubt of your musical abilities. I go through periods when I'm loathe to even pick up my guitar, even though I still believe I have something to say.

 

Who else goes through this and what do you do for it?

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ZERO HEROES Newbie

ZERO HEROES

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I do it for the fun, screw doubts. Suggestion... step away for a bit and come back refreshed. I have to do that in between each stage of production, especially before the vocals.

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BlueStrat Newbie

BlueStrat

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I'm with ya, Dean....sometimes I go for months on end, thinking I have nothing left to say after doing this for 40 years...I still learn and perform other people's songs, ones that have meaning for me....but they say what I want to say so much better than I can. Guys like James McMurtry and John Hiatt.

 

But then I get a rash of inspiration and it's off to the races again.

I had a group of guys I know who are a complete band but have no front guy or direction just recently ask me if they could be my backup band and resurrect my own band again. I rehearsed with them last week and it went well-the drummer and keyboard player are from my old band, along with another really good guitar player, sax player and a bass player I've known for years but never worked with. They put a nice spin on my songs, plus they want to do some Little Feat, Crusaders, etc etc and now I'm feeling the writing inspiration stirring again with ideas starting to bubble up.

 

Maybe you just need to start up a new side project to jump start your inspiration? That's what seems to work for me.

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richardmac Newbie

richardmac

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We humans always have something to say. Here's my take... it's like insomnia. You toss and turn and the more you try to get to sleep, the more you can't get to sleep. The remedy, other than drugs, is to get up and do something... read a book, watch some TV, forget about trying to sleep. After a little while, you'll feel tired.

 

The worst thing you can do is try harder and then feel crappy because the well has temporarily run dry. Some people call this "writer's block" and say you should try to work through it. That may work for some folks, I dunno. For me, it doesn't work. I'm with Blue... I'll still gig and play covers that mean something to me. But what I do is just continue to write down any ideas in my blue book, and sort of see if anything happens... but I don't put pressure on myself. And if I don't have any ideas at all to write in my blue book, then I don't worry about it.

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Nijyo Newbie

Nijyo

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I was just wondering where others stood on dealing with doubt of your musical abilities. I go through periods when I'm loathe to even pick up my guitar, even though I still believe I have something to say.


Who else goes through this and what do you do for it?

 

 

From everything that I can tell, every artist, of every field, has this issue from time to time (some more than others, some more often than others).

 

Hell, sometimes it can happen because of your past projects. Tycho, of Penny Arcade fame, made a comment in one of their books that (when referring to a particular comic strip he thought really was spot-on), "This must be how a crazy man thinks. I'm going through all these old strips and I'm intimidated by my own goddamn work."

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bcolburn Newbie

bcolburn

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but they say what I want to say so much better than I can. Guys like James McMurtry and John Hiatt.

 

Not to go too far off topic, but I am a HUGE Hiatt fan -- not often you hear his name tossed around -- he's one of the greatest songwriters as far as I'm concerned, hands down.

 

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming. :thu:

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Matximus Newbie

Matximus

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Everyone has this problem. I find that grappling with it and overcoming it can be among the most electrifying aspects of being creative. My weapons are perserverence and resignation. I'm just keep plugging away even though I'm resigned to the fact that my abilities are meager.

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MartinC Newbie

MartinC

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I don't doubt that there are thousands of people who can play whatever I'm playing better than I, but they aren't there at the moment, so I have to play as well as I can. Sabicas was at one time the greatest living flamenco guitarist. My teacher, who was active as a professional during that time, told me that if Sabicas could be in many places at once, no one else would ever work.

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Kramerguy Newbie

Kramerguy

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I was just wondering where others stood on dealing with doubt of your musical abilities. I go through periods when I'm loathe to even pick up my guitar, even though I still believe I have something to say.


Who else goes through this and what do you do for it?

 

I'm rather stunned to see you of all ppl typing this.

 

For me.. well, every time anything ever got stale, I'd look up something new and way out of my ballpark just to learn something new (or old) and different. Every year I look back on what I was doing a year prior, and almost always gasp in astonishment at how much I've learned, or changed over the last year alone. After 27 years of playing (with a short hiatus :p ), I'm happy to say I'm still finding new and exciting styles that compel me to feel like I'm 13 again.

 

Check this out for some new study material-

 

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Blackwatch Newbie

Blackwatch

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I'm with ya, Dean....sometimes I go for months on end, thinking I have nothing left to say after doing this for 40 years...I still learn and perform other people's songs, ones that have meaning for me....but they say what I want to say so much better than I can. Guys like James McMurtry and John Hiatt.


But then I get a rash of inspiration and it's off to the races again.

I had a group of guys I know who are a complete band but have no front guy or direction just recently ask me if they could be my backup band and resurrect my own band again. I rehearsed with them last week and it went well-the drummer and keyboard player are from my old band, along with another really good guitar player, sax player and a bass player I've known for years but never worked with. They put a nice spin on my songs, plus they want to do some Little Feat, Crusaders, etc etc and now I'm feeling the writing inspiration stirring again with ideas starting to bubble up.


Maybe you just need to start up a new side project to jump start your inspiration? That's what seems to work for me.

 

 

Wow, If a musician of your quality can feel they have nothing to say.........

I have to tell you Pat, what an inspiration you've been to me. "Don't touch my Guitar" has played a huge roll in me finally getting into my Tele. Your guitar playing is truely inspired.

I really need to hook up with some other folks. I can still write, but going through this life transition, and all the crap I'm going through with my injury sucks what little creativity right out of me.

The most creative time in my life was when I was playing with a bass player that gave me constant encouragement and positive reinforcment. And I wrote a {censored}load of songs because of it. And then I played them in front of a {censored}load of people.

 

But I'm glad to hear Pat that you're finding your way back, you really are in all honesty , one of my favorite guitar players....

 

And it's pretty funny that you like McMurtry and Hiatt, they're two of my favorites too.....

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Blackwatch Newbie

Blackwatch

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I'm rather stunned to see you of all ppl typing this.


For me.. well, every time anything ever got stale, I'd look up something new and way out of my ballpark just to learn something new (or old) and different. Every year I look back on what I was doing a year prior, and almost always gasp in astonishment at how much I've learned, or changed over the last year alone. After 27 years of playing (with a short hiatus
:p
), I'm happy to say I'm still finding new and exciting styles that compel me to feel like I'm 13 again.


Check this out for some new study material-

 

This is the reason that there are so many different political opinions. Some people have different brain chemistries and they've been taught different ways of dealing with things. And I'm really happy for you, you're one of the lucky ones.

In my case....clinical depression runs in my family and I've fought it all my life. I'm happy to say that I'm pretty free of it right now but I have to say that really....I'm stunned that you're stunned.

And when it comes top artists or musicians you are not the norm.

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meandthecity Newbie

meandthecity

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When I get burnt out I try and listen to a new genre, for a while now I've been listening to alot of country but I'm starting to get burnt out on it !! I usually just have to find new stuff to keep me moving forward!!!

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oolceeoo Newbie

oolceeoo

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*chirp chirp chirp*

Birdie wonders

Are there others who play

To free their soul

From this earthly prison?

Birdies need to be free

Why keep birdies in a cage?

No doubt to birdies

What their aim is!

*chirp chirp chirp*

But birdie knows

No one listens to birdie

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Kramerguy Newbie

Kramerguy

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This is the reason that there are so many different political opinions. Some people have different brain chemistries and they've been taught different ways of dealing with things. And I'm really happy for you, you're one of the lucky ones.

In my case....clinical depression runs in my family and I've fought it all my life. I'm happy to say that I'm pretty free of it right now but I have to say that really....I'm stunned that you're stunned.

And when it comes top artists or musicians you are not the norm.

 

 

I guess I just had a different view of you- You always came off as confident and knowledgeable, direct, yet not antagonizing. I had no idea that you suffered from such things.

 

Good luck in finding that next great challenge that makes you giddy like a 12 year old.

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Blackwatch Newbie

Blackwatch

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I guess I just had a different view of you- You always came off as confident and knowledgeable, direct, yet not antagonizing. I had no idea that you suffered from such things.


Good luck in finding that next great challenge that makes you giddy like a 12 year old.

 

 

As I said before I'm fairly clear of that now, but thanks for the insight on how others see me.

 

And as for the giddy challenge, I'm working very hard on that these days. But it's easy to be discouraged with all that's going on. But I'm working on it......Thanks....

 

You seem to me to be someone very kind and knowlegeable and I enjoy what you share here.....

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Kramerguy Newbie

Kramerguy

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Lol, thanks

 

I'm really just the mid-life-crisis guy who never quite let go of the dream, and started chasing it again, amid industry collapse and a pop-culture scene that seems to have been slain by mediocrity.

 

But still, I forge on. Upbeat, but cynical. Refined, but still kickin.

 

:)

 

"Hey, kids.... Rock n Roll

Rock on!"

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Blackwatch Newbie

Blackwatch

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It is kind of ironic that just when I decided to get serious about my music as a career, the industry totally collapsed.

 

Timing has always been my forte.....:facepalm:

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Vermoulian Newbie

Vermoulian

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If you are doubting your own abilities, I find that it is helpful to go out and listen to a few of the random bands playing around your town. Odds are, you'll find a number of them that you know are worse than you, but there they are, on stage, and maybe even getting a positive reaction from an audience. The "Well, hell, if those clowns can do it..." factor can be inspirational. It's the flip side of the "I'll never be half as good as X" factor that is also often operative.

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