In the hustle and bustle, it’s easy to feel discouraged or unsatisfied with your current career progression. This is especially so with something as personal as music. It’s not uncommon to pour all of your heart and soul into what you do, only to feel like you’re not yielding the results you desired. The longer you’ve been in the industry, the more likely you are to encounter a creative rut. The everyday work routine becomes mundane, and you start feeling down and doubtful about your career.

While there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to combat this, here are a few ideas to try and reignite the passion you once had. Take a look at these five possibilities and see which of them makes the most sense for where you’re at now. Remember, this too shall pass. It always does.

Regional touring is an essential way to get your music through to larger audiences for unestablished artists, but it sure is no mean feat. Playing in new, unfamiliar cities where you have no built-in audience to rely on can be thankless and challenging. It typically takes a lot of time before you start to reap the rewards of your hard work. Here are four tips for you to explore when planning your next regional tour:

If you look at music purely from a technical standpoint, failure is defined as playing something correctly or incorrectly. However, music creation and performance cannot be pigeonholed into an objective measure of success, unlike practicing a major scale. For example, playing a song perfectly from a technical perspective may not move the audience if it lacks authenticity and passion. Choosing a safe and predictable approach can stifle creativity and prevent you from trusting intuition and curiosity. Fear of failure can hinder you from taking risks – and in turn suffocate your best creative ideas and dampen your performance.

Think of the last time you wrote a record with a band, or developed demos with a songwriting partner. The collaborative spirit and the camaraderie between your songwriting team probably comes to mind. For songwriting relationships to thrive, everyone involved needs to feel heard, understood, and validated. Yet oftentimes, the importance of this creative space is overlooked in music.

When things don’t go our way, it’s natural that it can sometimes overwhelm us. This can trickle down to our art, and affect the way we create music. However, we can turn this negativity into creativity. In fact, many artists have taken difficult experiences from their lives, and used it as a catalyst and source of inspiration for their music. Granted, it is difficult for an artist who encounters hardship to turn it into good music. However, understanding how to manage your perspective on negativity may spur your creativity as a musician. 

Without flexibility, you’ll devote more energy and time to being frustrated and disappointed than putting in the work. There are countless things outside of your control in music – from whether anyone listens to your music, to the reception of your latest release. A rigid mindset limits your perception, and doesn’t offer alternate plans for when things don’t go your way. However, approaching music flexibly gives you multiple ways to respond to challenging situations. Here are just three out of many situations in music where keeping a flexible mindset will help your career:

Finding new fans can feel like one of the most arduous tasks emerging musicians face. Faced with an innate desire to make music that resonates and reaches their ideal audience, it’s easy to feel discouraged when you miss the mark. However, there are so many unique ways to expand your reach and connect with your audience. There are new fans all around you, just waiting to discover your new song. Here’s are a few innovative ways to catch their attention:

Curiosity is by far one of the most important traits to possess as a songwriter. It’s a quality that asks what’s possible in music. Imagination unlocks new ideas as you write, and curiosity acts like a bridge that leads you there. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t fret. Here are three ways to foster curiosity in your songwriting practice: