For most of my life, I have been a musician, having taken on many instruments and written many songs. I started playing at 13 and am now 47 years old. However, in the past 6 years, I have not written anything new. I have resorted to re-recording older songs with newer gear.


The problem seem to lay mostly in the lyrical part. Chords progressions and melodies are easy, but written an actual song around them has eluded me recently. Lots of people have blocks from time to time, but I think 6 years is a bit long. When I sit down and try to pull something from my life to write about, I come up blank.


Have I written all I care to share? Do I really have nothing more to say?

Produce some instrumentals?  Or some music with non-word singing, think: Lisa Gerrard.  She's awesome but doesn't bother with words or meaning in that sense.  Perhaps it is time for you to make a departure from normal lyric-based song composition.
 
I'm 51; I've not yet received the inevitable tap on the shoulder, so it's certainly not time to call it quits!

Maybe, ston. I've written a couple trance pieces, but not much. Overall, I haven't felt any inspiration at all in recent years. I'm not sure what's wrong. Everything seems to be sounding the same in tone and pattern, or sounds too much like a song written by one of my influences.

Another thought is to take a genre you've never worked in...analyze it...and try to master it.  Put a challenge in front of yourself.  

I've had some extended fallow periods in my own musical life. In fact, I'm in one now. What has worked for me in the past is changing things up to get a new perspective. Finding new people to make music with. Having new experiences, whether through travel or a new hobby, etc. Redirecting my creative impulse toward drawing, painting, writing, wood working, or whatever else is interesting. . .
 
It has also helped me to realize that quitting for a while, even a long while, doesn't mean quitting forever. Good luck!
 

Everyone at some point will go through some "musical slumps". Since music is such a BIG part of our lives and it's something we all have a passion for, I doubt I'll ever call it quits.....maybe taking a little break will refresh the mind, body, & soul?
 
Or.....you can collaborate with some of the excellent musicians on this forum and re-inspire your musical flow/feed off from others. This may also (hopefully) take out of getting those a blank moments as the slight change in direction may be all it takes?
 
 
 
 

The thing is, I have kind of already done all that. I have arthritis, high blood pressure, cholesterol, asthma and have had two strokes already. I am on meds for it all, but I gave up my drivers license years ago because of it all.

Basically, I do not leave the house. I have explored all the genres I have interest in, with influences ranging from Slayer to Debbie Gibson, Depeche Mode to Madonna, Gorillaz to Danzig. I own many guitars, synths and drum machines. In school, I played trumpet, coronet, 3 and 4 valve euphoniums.

I truly appreciate all the input, but the more I go over things in my head, and try to balance experience with ability and desire with access, I am quickly coming to the realization that I very well my be spent.

Keep dropping ideas my way though. Something may rekindle my spirit.

We all go through this from time to time.
 
I have 3 acoustic guitars, 3 electrics, a bass, a mandolin - and I haven't picked any of them up for about a year.
 
I've got well over 20 unfinished songs but none of it is inspiring me at the moment.
 
The last 3 "songs" I've "finished" have been a result of playing around with a couple of loops/samples & filling them out with soft synths.
 
Depressing to say the least.

It is encouraging to know many of you are also in slumps. Maybe I should just take a month break and see what happens.

I was in a sort of forced hiatus for only 4 years. I can relate. Things opened up for me once I started collaborating on this forum.
 
And The Coffee House Band was born (all thanks to SteveStrummerUK).