I'm just coming out of a period that you describe. I wanted to change how I was doing and maybe even what I was doing as it related to music. What I found was I just needed to step back for a bit and then change my mental approach to music in general. Same old is same old. So I simply started changing how I held my pick, how hard I hit the strings, varied the tempo of songs I liked but didn't like the way I was doing them, changed the keys I sang songs in, and tried newer music as well as some even older.

I found that I, and my music, are in a constant state of evolution now. It gets strange at times because the familiar isn't so now. But I'm having a lot more fun with it and finding a passion to do what I do to my own standards. I'm a flat picker by nature/training but am beginning to fingerpick a couple of songs. Man it makes my arm ache!! But I like what I hear.

It goes back to what my brother Charlie told me once. I was wishing that I could yodel and he said, "Do it with your guitar." So now the transposing of notes and words are beginning to be more affluent in my songs.

At risk of being a thread creeper - the post on fast picking had one in it I liked. Just go with the music and song - trust that what you want will come - it just takes doing it to make it happen.

Steve