Here are some ideas to help you get motivated and inspired:
1.Experience the world – Try something new, something outside your comfort zone that will get your heart pounding and the adrenaline pumping. Challenge yourself, listen to a strangers story, go out with friends, or meet new people
2.Try being alone - Try listening to your inner self. Go somewhere quiet, bring your music or instrument, something to record your thoughts, and remember the water. Find a nice area to sit and let the music flow through you.
3.Play with others – You always get better at your craft if you practice with someone who is more accomplished than you. Let the more experienced artist inspire you and don’t be intimidated. Remember, they were where you are now at some point.
4.Go to a concert – You can learn a lot by watching your fellow musician’s performances. It can give you great ideas for your music and performances or inspire you to work on your skills.
5.Listen to different music – Listening to music that is outside your own genre can give you insight and inspiration that you won’t find by listening exclusively to your own music or genre.
6.Read – Find articles written by your favorite musician or artist. Read journals and autobiographies and learn how they got to where they are now. Find out what motivates them and where they find inspiration. What are their secrets? How much do they practice? Learning about them will help you. Remember to take it all in.
7.Take lessons or watch instructional videos – No one knows everything and learning something new always refreshes your perspective. Study material and put it into practice.
8.Leave it alone – Being stuck is always a real challenge. All of us have found ourselves working harder and harder trying to break the block. Sometimes the best way is to walk away. Leave the room, go do something else, forget about it for a while. It is usually when we are NOT thinking about it is when the epiphany will hit you and you go running back going…oh…oh…yeah, that’s it!!!
9.Play – Just sit and fiddle with your music. Play around with the music with no particular thing or song in mind. Create a chord progression, most of all, have fun!
~Annette Hasalone, 2014