I used to like singing, dancing, songwriting and all these things when I was younger and dreamed about becoming a star. For the past few years, I did a few performances and gigs that I always wanted to get out of my system though I wasn't sure if I wanted to be famous or not. Now I just feel like not doing anything anymore. I was still doing it despite having a career now in the area I studied, to balance it out with work life. I'm not crazy about my work life either, but I'm not passionate about music anymore and don't want to force myself. My voice has become shot, I can't dance anymore cause I have back issues, I don't feel passionate about anything I sing, I get nervous anyways when I go up there. I was so sure months ago I wanted to take music further and make it into a career, but after feeling so anxious at a performance and screwing up everything, and seeing people perform well that studied exactly where I wanted to in a few years and being way better, I decided it's not for me at all and kissed it all goodbye. It was a nice run of vocal lessons, yearly festivals, dance contests, vocal competitions, piano exams, charity gigs, open mics, high school, auditions for big events and university functions, religious functions etc. but now I've had enough and it's very painful too cause I used to be so into it and it gave me some kind of hope and feeling worthy or capable of something, but now I feel empty and realize I lack self-esteem and confidence and it is no longer coming from music, or even the work I do though I like aspects about it.

Anyone else in their mid to late 20's ever had an experience like this?
[Edited 6/2/09 12:38pm]

I stopped painting shortly after my daughter was born. I just grew away from it.

why we gotta be mid-late 20's to experience this? LOL just kidding. I am 40 years old, a musician who once had dreams of "making it big". After my son was born I basically put the bass guitar away, as I no longer have time to play it. I barely have time to practice the organ to play in church on Sundays.

yeah true, I guess I also meant after it.

I'm in my mid thirties and just don't have the inspiration for it anymore. I used to as a teen. I used to write tons of songs and sing at events but after I got married, became a father, then went to a painful divorce, it all just seemed to stop. All my friends insist that I get back into music and performing but I just can't seem to get into it anymore. It's like I have permanent writer's block. And when I do write something it just sounds dated and unhip and I feel that I'm too old and what I wrote pretty much sounds like shit. Maybe soon I'll fall in love and my muse will return but for now I'm pretty much retired.

My inspiration is completely gone too, but it's not cause of a partner, kids, or even work. Even though I did it recently, I was trying to get out of my system all the songs I ever wanted to sing, and all the dreams I ever had doing it. I've tried so hard to write but nothing is coming, though I think the stuff I wrote as a teen had some potential, though it was nothing original.

It just might come back, but right now, I'm not doing myself a favour if I push myself, though I got good feedback from friends and they all think I'm going to be famous, though I told them to forget about it, I'm not interested in that at all. People think music=fame, but I didn't want it while in my 20's, I wanted it as a teenager, but then the past year or two I felt like I wasn't getting any younger and should go somewhere with it, and was regretting my career choice a little bit, thinking of music as a symbol for escapism and that bit of hope and fire left in me, and so I did, but now I feel like it's really not for me at all. I used to look at artists I love so much and see myself completely doing that too, but it's worn off me now, maybe cause doing their material and giving it my own spin is out of my system now. It's very painful in a sense too but I have come to admit it to myself that I've grown out of it and have just gotten rusty and forced when doing it, and I can't take the stage fright anymore. I pushed myself to get over it and worked for sometime, but now it's just too much.
[Edited 6/2/09 17:06pm]