Been there many times before, option-paralysis is my lifelong foe!
Personally, what has always helped me is to go back to basics and focus on one single box for a while. Removing options reduces stress and forces you to zone-in and be creative to work around the limitations of the box you are working with. I always end up discovering new approaches and techniques that I can later re-use even when adding new gear.
I’m actually doing that at the moment, trying to build a full track using just the Digitone and the Oxi One as a sequencer… not only I’ve learned a ton of new stuff on the Oxi which is fairly recent for me, but also on the Digitone which I’ve owned for almost 5 years (I had never used multimap before, go figure)!
I’m wiring up my desk to make everything available and audible within 30 seconds of turning turning the power strip on. I bought my new desk to give me easy access to all my kit and not worry about the logistics. I don’t have to have everything working together and will often focus on one box but I have all the options I need and everything is routed through my mixer. Also have a Polyend Play in the living room for when I want to lie on the sofa and muck around. I think accessibility and ease of use really aids creativity.
Creativity is part of nature. It ebbs and flows and has seasons too. Now is the time to plant the seeds for the next harvest. I could go on with this metaphor but I think you probably get it
…ur lost in da loop and too many options…a classic.
best way out are results…best ways to results…record and arrange…
all and each piece of gear has things it can do best…so fool around, don’t think about directions, record random phrases of random stuff and have just one goal…one day u create and record various sonic snippets, the next day u force those into some sort of arrangement…no problem in ableton if ur just dealing with audio and only try to sort them out in most obvious ways…see where it might take u, surprise urself, no limits, no directions, just the goal of a few minutes of a first draft, some first arrangment version to bounce…and to listen to, later on by just clicking on that rough mix/first draft/sketched out audiofile…it’s a huuuge relief, if ur able to simply listen to whatever crossed ur mind without opening any in progress docs first or sit in front of one or two loops again…
especially the weird shit, all those moments where u tend to loose intrest, if u only stick to the new habit to collect them, freeze them, record them, once catched, can lead u to new and inspiring sonic terretory…and some of the stuff will tell u, where to take it from there for real again…
My best advice - I have to close elektronauts. It’s been both a bane and a virtue. If I don’t actively block out other thoughts of life, I don’t get anywhere.
Otherwise, I think a lot of people face that same issue - finding motivation to start is easier than finding the drive to continue.
I much liken the ebb and flow of creativity/inspiration to things like building muscle mass, if you train all the time then you’ll only strain yourself, you need off time as well for your body to recover. It’s the same with creativity and inspiration, you can’t create all the time because you’ll only create the same thing over and over if you don’t have new data (inspiration) to input.
just go out into the world and soak it up. Be a sponge.
Albert Einstein: “Play Is the Highest Form of Research”
Unplug your boxes, go to your garden, on your terrace with a Nintendo Switch loaded with Triangle Strategy or MK8. Or just play with some Lego, build a shelf, go to the closest wood/forest, have fun with a book, have a good moment with your best friend and come back later.
A desk like this can really help I can imagine. I now have my stuff set up to the left of my desk and reaching the top shelf tires me out and due to my speaker setup I am not hearing panning lol
I sometimes find that some arbitrary constraints can help. It could be a deadline, single instrument, musical scale or tempo for example. When participating in Jamuary this year, I created a simple Google Sheet that generates a random scale, root note and bpm as the basis for each jam. It really helped not having to make those decisions.
Since you’re already listening to other artist’s music, maybe try active listening?
Also, challenges like Disquiet Junto as mentioned by @pselodux can help with motivation, as can collaborations where you feel some level of accountability.
Don’t beat yourself up. Give yourself a break. Find inspiration through some non-musical activities.
Why not pick one limited box on purpose and create an “album” with it.
Maybe read about artists you like that created albums on super limited (by today’s standard) hardware, like Panda Bear creating Person Pitch mostly on an SP-303 or J Dilla and Madlib doing similar…spend 3 months just working with a box like that and then as you take it as far as you can you will naturally gravitate towards other stuff that can improve on the limitations and maybe approach things in a new, refreshed manner?
Just let it ride, man. Go with the flow of your feelings. If there’s anything I’ve learned over the last 2+ decades of producing, it’s that there are sometimes you just can’t get it going, and that’s ok. If it comes back, then great! If not, something new will come along. That’s how life is.
If you feel like you HAVE to get back into it, then take 1 piece of gear and go somewhere else! Or remix someone else’s work. I find both of those things help with inspiration when I’m stuck.
If a big issue is getting your gear to “play nice” together why don’t you take a few after-work sessions to get that issue sorted? Decide on a setup to use for 30-60 days, make sure it is working, and then have a go when you’ve got it sorted.
Also, it is OK to take a break.
My studio situation has fluctuated wildly over the years from a completely daw-less recording studio at one point to now where I’ve got two samplers, one analog mono synth, my iPad for all other sound generation and my laptop to finish my tracks. I’ve got a little mixer so it is easy to run audio into my “flagship” sampler from any thing else.
Personally, I think less is more, but it seems you don’t have a too-much-gear problem.
I’ll plan nights on wrapping my head around certain aspects of my gear. Last week I set a few days a side to figure out midi and my pedals. It was actually fun and a nice break. I still have no idea how to sequence them, if even possible, but that’s another time when I’m not feeling the other side of the gear.
take a break and play a new video game, listen to music, exercise or clear the mind. That helped me recharge without buy new gear. Also collaborate with others. I jam with folks here in town and online that gives me a fresh perspective. For me the creative and productive activity comes in short brief spurts when I can do more in few hours than months time. Also pick only one piece of gear to limit and create. For me, I am really focused these days on the Virus TI2 more than any other gear in my studio that opens up many hidden possibilities.
lol