Great thread, lots of honesty. A few times I’ve read and thought, yeah that’s me. Reassuring 
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We’ve all been there. You need a reset. Something will spark it sooner or later. Step away from it. Listen to music you love. Listen to music you’ve never heard before. Watch movies, read books. Trout Mask Replica got me out of a similar rut.
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Sorry if it’s a personal question but I feel it’s relevant. Do you suffer from depression? I do and I can go weeks, even months sometimes, just having no motivation to do anything musical. And when I eventually break the slump and go and get in front of my rig (I sometimes have to force myself to do it) I always have a blast and wonder why I’ve left it so long. Sometimes that’ll last only a few days and then the slump returns. I’m looking to lower my antidepressant dosage soon because I feel the meds might be the cause of it sometimes. Sorry if too personal but I’m a huge advocate of being open an honest about mental health.
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I’m feeling like just selling everything.
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After 20 years of collecting gear and instruments and generally tinkering around and now at a point of not really having any firm musical goals other than to improve playing, knowledge, workflow and enjoyment, the OP’s post resonates.
For me the answer to oh shit look at all the time, energy, effort doubt and emotion I’ve put in and what the hell is the point anyway, is this:
Do I feel like this all the time? No only very rarely.
Ok, so when you don’t feel that way you’re pretty happy about where you are musically? Yep, no doubt.
Right, so when you feel that way, on balance and looking at your whole experience, you’re probably wrong hey? Yeah I guess, but damn what a waste of money…
Objectively and rationally speaking yes, but when you don’t feel this way do you even question that? Well no… but…
And practically speaking are you devoting more resources than you can afford? Well, financially I’m ok but I think I could stand to spend less on gear considering what I already have, and spend some of that time I spend GASsing on chatting with friends and family…
Sounds good, what’s the implementation plan? How about I take a year off buying more gear…(starting day after I just bought a new synth)?
So how’s it working out for you 5 months in? Pretty great actually, still follow new gear but because buying is off the cards the YouTubing is like 20 mins vs hours and hours of demos, there’s no incentive to spend more than a few minutes until buying season reopens.
So how much music are you getting done now? Tbh, about the same or slightly more than before, but man do I have free time for other shit.
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I still like making stuff but just end up making 30 sec-1 minute ‘ideas’. I still feel these ‘magic’ moments where it’s like yes- this is what I’m meant to be doing and this music is special. The urge to actually finish something is basically non-existent.
My most prolific and productive period coincided with my years of actually having an outlet (netlabel with a fanbase) to release things on, or some sort of film/commercial/av production to make something for that I knew would actually be seen and heard.
Making a soundcloud or bandcamp with no viewers/visitors makes absolutely zero sense to me.
It almost makes me want to get into the whole PR thing and pay for a professional publicist to get something going.
I feel like offering to do a film score of some cheap/budget film might be a way to have a real ‘target’ again.
Given that making music used to be my profession/job, not having an outlet for it anymore is one of the most depressing things about my current situation.
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Few things I’ve learned…
it’s part of the craft, but also it gets stronger due to perfectionism.
A break is good, but you’ll eventually want to scratch that itch. Try losing all preconceptions of what you are creating now, you where creating before, and what you think you should be creating in the future.
I think right now the most important thing for you is to have fun in the studio and not bother with the outcome.
Output driven creation is always of putting, curiosity driven creating is what gives the most unexpected and satisfying results.
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This, exactly. Solid advices! 
I haven’t made a beat in years / nearly a decade.
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Good place to start, build from that and do what you want to do, if you don’t want to do anything so be it, that will return.
You could take the “creative downtime” as an opportunity to better organise your setup, label stuff up, patchbays, tidy cables, layout of the gear etc. Sometimes this can sneak you back into creativity too, but if not at least when it returns your gear will be organised better.
Watch some videos of gear you own.
Program sounds and loops without any intentions.
Experiment with just rhythms, bouncing different types off of eachother.
Most of all don’t stress about it, you’re a creative guy, creativity never leaves but sometimes it takes a vacation.
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Reminded me of the end scene in PTAA where Neil is on the train having finally said goodbye to Del, and those words echo in his mind “I haven’t been home in years” 
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I’m reading a lot more in my downtime. I was a bookseller before and have a house full of books. I find things that aren’t music (films, books, articles etc.) are better inspiration than listening to other people’s tunes. Often something I’ve read or watched will have me wondering “how can I recreate that in music?”.
A friend and I are also collaborating on music - sending each other files via dropbox and working on each other’s ideas. Managed to get a few tracks out of that so far. We’re using Reason as it’s a fairly closed system and the file sizes can be kept small.
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Been there before…
Music has been a cyclic thing in my life since an early age. Due to life “obligations” or not, it has been the case for me.
I am nearly 50.
Started as a drummer and was not attracted to music production in itself more than I was playing live.
Got tired of pushing/pulling band members to get their act together and eventually got an opportunity to work in a “hybrid” studio in Ireland in the late 90s.
Gathered enough knowledge as I was working with a guy involved in the scene who really helped and showed me the way.
Since then, I have been on my own. A few attempts to collaborate with people in bringing together live electronic acts quickly ended up the same as with other regular bands: motivation.
This is something you do learn in a school or through an academic path. Although I studied classical and modern percussion in a “conservatoire” in Paris, the subject of personal motivation is… well, personal 
Over the last couple of years, I have seen myself with and without motivation. Fame is not the end game for me. Therefore, I have learnt to take it with a grain of salt.
I consider myself lucky to be able to have access to all the technology that allows one to perform/produce from home.
Curiosity has driven me so far to keep going on. While it is still the case, I will pursue. When curiosity ends (that would be sad no?) well I believe I will not ask myself the question
Enjoy life because in the end we barely have enough time to grow wise in life.
V
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I find that in the moments when I don’t like my own music, I also tend to be extremely critical of what others do.
So I just stop listening to anything for a while.
That usually helps to reset my ‘filters’ after a few days…
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Sometimes I do this. And rest, sleeping as much as I can. I believe physical health brings mental health, then space for inspiration.
Listening to music with a lot of space (noise, ambient) makes my mind invent beats or melodies…
A last thought: IMO, feeling that what you’re doing is crap is both a sign that you’re leveling up your skills (at least your judgment, ie your ear), and that you need to reinvent an inspiring workflow. Or that you’re tired and need some rest ^^
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I’ve been there from time to time, and found sometimes that my perception of what music is and how to relate to it, has been what’s ailing. I’ve had these ideas on what I think I want to make and what I think I should be, as an artist. And found that I was wrong.
While that insight hurt, cause it did mean that my own idea of myself wasn’t entirely accurate, it was liberating in the end because I came closer to who I really am. And I could let go of who I thought I was, or should be.
I would really like to be a cool club musician who gets people dancing to my beats and who just tear it up whenever I launch whatever. But I’m not cool, not a club person, nor do I draw a crowd. I do make pretty good beats, though. Which makes the letting go slightly harder. There’s some substance to the idea that I could get a crowd dancing.
I am, however, much more comfortable making slow stuff, ambient pieces, abstract slices and slow, suggestive patches. It better fits who I am. And as I realise that, I can let go of an idea of who I thought I was. I notice the people around me respons to me in a more honest and true way as well. You give truth, you get truth back.
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good thread
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Good post. I agree people should try not to get trapped by their own preconceptions about who they are as an artist. Maybe you’ve been obsessed with acid techno for twenty years but now you prefer string quartets… it’s OK to change, in fact it’s unusual not to, and although it is daunting to move off a path where you really feel familiarity and confidence, sometimes you have to for the sake of artistic honesty.
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On the other hand, insanity can be very inspiring… there’s nothing more boring than music that plays by every rule in the book.
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This is a good thread, with lots of good advice. Hopefully it helps to hear other people are in the same boat.
No one likes doing the boring stuff, that’s perfectly natural. Perhaps look for collaborators who enjoy doing the parts you are finding tough? Just do the bits you like 