I may end up being the exception (maybe the lone exception) in this conversation. Maybe that's because I've never written a heavy percentage of songs that reflect my hard times. When I have, I've tended to temper them with an outside perspective. For example, I wrote a song about the break-up of my first marriage. The verses are despondent and hopeless:
What do you do when the good times are gone? Sit by the window and wait for the dawn And you can't remember how things went so wrong, anymore What does it matter how hard you tried Or how many times you kept it inside There's no more to say, and nothing to hide, anymore
And then the chorus has a nice sing-along from the audience"
Nobody wants to hear a sad song We've all got troubles of our own, of our own
My songs have almost always been a reaction to an experience... upsetting, painful, or enjoyable. Many of my songs have just started coming out in response to a good night of music with friends, something I've read, part of a conversation I've overheard, or someone who has touched my heart. Some are just playful. I rarely write songs in the first person, and feel like I am often an observer when I write.
To me, creativity is being in tune with the world, and the people around you. By nature, it's neither joyful or miserable.