This has been a really interesting collection of replies. I sure hope you find useful wisdom in these!
When I have the doldrums, sometimes I just need to get some rest or sleep. Not joking here. If you are fatigued, get some rest, be it mental or physical. It really helps me out after a hard workweek or too many late nights.
One thing I wish I had is a buddy to enjoy a child-like discussion/sharing of what we are learning. This would be discussion beyond what the general community would care to see - silly stuff, curious research findings, friendly competition, things like that. This will generate enthusiasm all on its own. The buddy doesnāt even need to be in person, sending videos and simply texting each other will go a long way.
I should add that I actually donāt play many āsongsā these days. I cherry pick one or two for Open Mics but the near 2 years of developing the singing and playing left me a little song fatigued but now and then will open up my Songbook and run through a couple or three for my own personal pleasure and distraction. Or something I hear might float my boat but these days I am not moving from song to song constantly as I was during the old BC and IM.
I am more into Blues Rock soloing and solo acoustic Blues or just plain improvising, the latter being a place to indulge and get lost in the flow. Clint will hate me but 10 min backing tracks are great for that But none of this would have been possible, the relationships between the licks and chords etc, without the strong wide and deep foundation I built in the early days and that was all based on songs songs song songs and more songs, as a certain Mr C still encourages to this day !
@TheMadman_tobyjenner
No need for confessions Toby, Iām sure a certain Mr C will grant you an exemption!
But donāt tell him that I havenāt played any songs for a couple of months - itās been 12 BB progressions all the way!
Aināt no thing to play for hours over backing tracks and loops, itās just not a recipe for great or interesting listening for others. We need to be able to lay down our tasty chops that we share in fairly short order. We should be able to convey some kind of motif or phrasing within about 12 bars.
Sorry could not resist dangling the hook for the West Coast angler Reeled you in
Quite agree with you on the recording and sharing front, 2 to 3 mins max noodle time, would be my preferences but we all have our own menu.
Some really good, interesting responses hereā¦ I donāt think I can add to the advice given but would say this:
Many of us refer to this as a āJourneyā & I think that is goodā¦ so much of life seems to be about āGetting to where you want to goā in lots of waysā¦
Many times I have set out with a destination in mind and ended up somewhere I had no intention of going to but ended up enjoying the heck out an experience that was completely unexpected! Maybe I got to the original destination eventually, maybe notā¦ point is, have a good time WHEREVER YOU AREā¦ set out for that other place tomorrow/next week/next monthā¦ etc.
I havenāt achieved a single one of my original guitar goalsā¦ I think I set them way to high & this is part of why I never really learned to play wellā¦ Justinās Campfire, Developer, Dreamer plan has helped me immensely with setting some realistic expectations for my progress. I have always wanted to play Djangoās Minor Swingā¦ it kinda drove me nuts when I tried to play parts of it unsuccessfully. Now itās firmly in my Dreamer category & I am working slowly towards the techniques I need to play that song! It may take me till Iām 70, but dang it, Iām going to master it!!
Some days things wonāt click & the next day they doā¦ some days I canāt park the car straight eitherā¦ thatās life!
Oh wellā¦ rant overā¦ good luck with busting out of the doldrums @Stuartw !
I also like the adventure analogy, given that some may associate a journey with a specific destination, start and finish. Of course I over think this, but hey ho nonny oh thatās how I go.
And frequently getting lost on the way is part of that ! Why should learning the guitar feel or be different. I think once you recognise and acknowledge that these ābumpsā along the way are going to happen, its easier to deal with them and get going again. My .02 euros
Oh yes, thereās journey and thereās adventure.
My sat nav has three settings - eco, fast and leisurely. (not that I use it cos I usually know where Iām going). Iāve set off on this journey of learning guitar but I prefer it when it turns into an adventure. As I make my way through Grade2 Iām learning things that I didnāt know were there to be learned and I might take a turn off the fast route onto the leisurely route. It may turn out to be a cul-de-sac or it may turn out to be a much more adventurous and fun route to where Iām going.
Thereās nothing wrong with not reaching your potential just donāt spend the rest of you life saying āI wish I could play thatā or āIāll never be able to play thatā Just enjoy the ride. Thatās whatās important.
If we each had some idea what our potential for playing the guitar is, it would be easier to know how we are doing relative to it. But we donāt, and knowing what our potential is might be an inhibitor to reaching it. E.g. Iām never going to be able to play āEruptionā so why even try learning to play. Or, I could be a really good musician if only I spent 10 hours a day practicing, but Iām not willing to make the sacrifices.
50 hears ago I decided to stop playing because I didnāt see that I had much potential. Perhaps it was the right decision for me at the time. Iāll never know, and I have no regrets, but my reasoning was flawed. I used natural talent, comparing myself to others, as the main/only measure of my potential.
Everything is different now. Iām old enough (retired) to have lots of time to learn to play and I have a more mature assessment of my talents and skills. I have no idea if Iām falling short of whatever my current potential is, but I agree with Rickās @stitch view with a little addition : Its more effective to take āmany small journeys with specific destinationsā, BUT donāt be afraid to go off on adventures from time to time and donāt be concerned if you donāt reach every one of your destinations in a timely manner. Feedback from your journeys and adventures will help you decide on the next set of journeys. And āenjoy the rideā, both the ups and the downs.
I like this!!! Thinking of where you want to be in time but taking the scenic route instead of the (in the US) Interstate Highway!
I also use the Journey analogy instead of the Adventure analogy because some of my āAdventuresā were just a wee bit too Adventurous!!! Hot air balloon ride that ended with a street sign going through my right forearm or the skiing lesson that ended up with an up front and personal close encounter with a tree ( and the ski patrol )!!!
Donāt need much more āAdventureā ā¦ the scenic route sounds great!!!
I think this sort of the way I have approached things after completion of Beginners Grade 2 where I set my self the goal of learning beginner level fingerstyle. Once I achieved that rather than continue onto intermediate level fingerstyle I set myself a new goal of learning beginner level blues. Once Iāve finished that goal Iāll reassess my goals and set myself a new destination whether itās intermediate fingerstyle or blues or something else like rock.
I do feel weāve gone a bit off topic here. This thread started with everyone trying give @Stuartw a bit of encouragement and support. Iām in no way trying to diminish the time and thought people have put into their responses but he himself has subsequently said 3 days ago
Gordon ā¦ @Stuartw wrote that when the conversation was within the LiveStream after-show topic. He wrote it before I split the topic and created a topic of its own in response to people commenting that the topic had become derailed.
That said, Stuart hasnāt returned to make much comment since.
But none of this would have been possible, the relationships between the licks and chords etc, without the strong wide and deep foundation I built in the early days and that was all based on songs songs song songs and more songs, as a certain Mr C still encourages to this day !
Reeled you in 
