Dealing with anxiety and lack of motivation

[Tony Evil]

Hi to all synners, hope that you staying well.

I have been playing guitar about 8 years, had released few songs as a solo artist last year, just not to write it in the desk, and to learn to master tracks, keep myself in line, etc etc.

For the latest year I have been personally experiencing complete lack of the joy from playing guitar. Worst feelings are coming when you are writing a new riff/song/melody, and just lose it because you don't want it anymore, it seems to be bad or absolutely alien to me, but everyone like "just continue, it's alright", but that's no go, a dead end. But I feel that I can't simply put the guitar in the bag, closet and forget it. And everytime it's absolutely the same. Don't want to learn anyone songs, don't want to do my music, feeling fake... It has never been my job, always a hobby, but how can it be kept, when it keeps disappointing?

I've talked to some fellow musicians to start something together, came motivated from the meeting, and all of the sudden noone is willing to do anything, and it also kills me.
If somebody can share a way of how to deal with this feelings, maybe how you overcame yours, that would be either helpful, or show that it'll pass, I wasn't alone, it's doable.

Cheers

 

[William B.]

I feel like that sometimes

 

[Lonekimono]

Your not alone. I think many people experience this at some point in there life either with music or work ect. It comes in many ways and I believe everyone experiences it in different ways. It can be depression. I don't know if that is it in your case but it is something to consider. Especially if depression runs in your family. Just my thoughts. Good luck.

 

[Tony Evil]

Your not alone. I think many people experience this at some point in there life either with music or work ect. It comes in many ways and I believe everyone experiences it in different ways. It can be depression. I don't know if that is it in your case but it is something to consider. Especially if depression runs in your family. Just my thoughts. Good luck.

I want to believe that it's not condition, just something to deal with personal perspective or attitude. Work burnout is not an empty words for me, I came over it couple times, but this feeling with music is different. It's like you have the best meal under your nose, and you just don't eat it cuz you are not hungry, but I'm tired to wait when the appetite will come, meal will be spoiled for sure.

 

[mericksonmusic]

I am in the same boat right now. I’m trying hard to push through it and trying to be more disciplined, as it is a stoic lesson that motivation is temporary, but discipline creates results. However, it is so much easier said than done.

my hard part is that I want this so badly to be my source of income and to be my job in some sense of the word. I want to leave my legacy. But it hasn’t yet and I’ve been at it for over a decade, went to school for it, and have been trying to push my band and social media to no avail.

I will say this. I haven’t totally given up yet. Seeing that there are people my age and older who are just now hitting their stride, especially Motionless in White and Ice Nine Kills, gives me some glimmer of hope to keep moving forward.

I think my main point is this: keep going. Keep pushing. Find a new genre you like and try and work on that for a bit while also working on your specialty.

trust me. I’m working on this too. Let’s keep going knowing that we are playing guitar for a reason

 

[Johann Mendoza Ramírez]

I was having a similar experience... I thought I wanted to stop feeling this way more than I want to play, and anyway I know I can't play because of my feelings so you anyway have to deal with that. Maybe not everybody's case is the same...
But Synyster Gates knows it... Avenged Sevenfold and many others did some good musical things but the human emotions being a mess in the whole world somehow makes a fair amount of us very impulsive, and we can do very stupid things like overdosing and die... all in search of wellbeing...
I am not the right person to talk about life, but I can tell you this is very very common, some people are straight about it others just mask it with beautiful words, and some people don't even recognize it until it blows in their face as a tragedy.

I found "Sadhguru" on YouTube, he was talking and I was just hooked, he talks about life like no one I've met before, and has proven to me beyond words. You should ask Sadhguru
I know he can help you get clarity in your life, and elevate your energies so you have an actual support of life, so you are full of life first... then you do whatever you really care for... please don't trust me... explore yourself. If I tell you my experience is because it's been really usefull to me

 

[Devilreaper]

I suffer from extreme anxiety depression and PTSD and I'll go from being super motivated to soul crushing depressed and I lose all my drive and joy it's all I can do to keep going in all aspects of my life and I get to where I feel ok that's it I'm done this is going nowhere etc... and that usually lasts a few days sometimes longer but I don't quit I take a break telling myself that's it but within no time I'm like no the hell with that I've put to many hrs years into playing and doing something with it and I'm not anywhere close to done.

Of course it doesn't help that I have to near constantly re learn everything but I've learn patterns of ways to remember things longer or more and more over time. I have to sub group things into bite sized chunks and then practice them as many ways as I can before I'm sick of the technique songs are even more difficult but I put in the work as much as I can and eventually I get things down. However even though I understand music theory trying to retain it and not having referencing back to a video etc... constantly is by far the most difficult for me and I wish I could come up with a way to better remember it.

 

[Tony Evil]

I am in the same boat right now. I’m trying hard to push through it and trying to be more disciplined, as it is a stoic lesson that motivation is temporary, but discipline creates results. However, it is so much easier said than done.

my hard part is that I want this so badly to be my source of income and to be my job in some sense of the word. I want to leave my legacy. But it hasn’t yet and I’ve been at it for over a decade, went to school for it, and have been trying to push my band and social media to no avail.

I will say this. I haven’t totally given up yet. Seeing that there are people my age and older who are just now hitting their stride, especially Motionless in White and Ice Nine Kills, gives me some glimmer of hope to keep moving forward.

I think my main point is this: keep going. Keep pushing. Find a new genre you like and try and work on that for a bit while also working on your specialty.

trust me. I’m working on this too. Let’s keep going knowing that we are playing guitar for a reason

The thing about age and the guys is absolute true. I feel you, buddy, and it's surely not a time to give up. The legacy thing is up to my mind since the first riff that I personally wrote. I'm not that emotionally attached to play them only personally, but I feel that I can write music for the band, for the person I suppose too, and it will surely leave a step in the history, mark my words. But when the motivation comes, only then the road becomes easier.