Q: I feel like my methodical, trial-and-error approach to creating music is vastly inferior. I study my favorite songs' chord progressions, melodies, timbres, rhythms, etc., to see what makes a song "good", and I use these conclusions toÂ aid me in my songwriting process. But I feel like the end result isn't truly original, not inspired by something "beyond this world".  When I sit down to make music, I feel like I'm forcing it. It doesn't feel authentic, and it doesn't sound original. I feel like I'm just ripping off my favorite artists. Part of me thinks that I haven't studied/practiced enough to convert inspiration into originality. I've only covered a few dozen
  songs i
 n-depth. Another part of me thinks that I don't have a creative/original mind, and never will.  I know that you aren't omniscient, and this isn't an easy topic. But I would be truly grateful for any advice you have for me, based on the thoughts that I'm having.
A: from what you're saying, you say you catch yourself 'forcing' it. This makes me think you want it really really badly. Which makes sense. who wouldn't, after seeing what magic can be found in music. I think i have good and bad news for you. the good news is, it IS that magical, it IS other worldly, and pretty much everything about the way it functions best, makes it seem like it literally came from somewhere else. The bad news is ....... it reminds me of something you see in movies where the only way you get it is if you can actually stop thinking about it. And this is actually a problem i can sympathize with, because, if you want it so so so bad, how could you possibly stop thinking about it? but i think ultimately this IS what's going to happen. you WILL be able to calm down. whether you want to wait patiently or whether you keep kicking and screaming in desperation for a while and eventually exhaust yourself, and after all that is said and done, it WILL come. this may seem hard to believe but it wants you every bit as bad as you want it. it just really really needs you to be as open minded as possible, in order for it to feel comfortable arriving, because that's when it knows it can blow your mind the most. which, presumably, is what you've requested