“Im having trouble committing to my artwork (music).. i know its good and i have it in me, but i cant focus and trust myself enough to call something finished again after 5 years of noodling around.. instead i find myself working under duress, self imposed stress, fear of failure, rejection, fear of banality.. and i ignore it all so often by doing things that dont make me feel good or inspire my work... wasting away online, dopamine binging, etc.. and then i spiral in the cycle and negative self thought.. any ideas would be great”

Another soul answered...

When you base so much of your self worth on the outcome of your work it's far easier to delay, to suspend the work because completion comes with a price tag attached: how much it is really worth and thereby how much that you are worth. So long as you continue to make your artwork a verdict on your existence you will continue to find yourself running away from it. The true goal is developing an awareness of what makes you fundamentally valuable or what you need to cultivate in yourself so that the outcome of your work isn't being treated as social proof of your inherent value. It's insecurity and it's a signal that you must start doing other things that confirm to you that you are somebody. That you have done great deeds and you are capable. So get fit or stay fit, develop other skills, other achievements in a different sphere and make sure the art isn't being used as the sole arbiter of what separates you from the biomass of humanity. And ultimately? Try to care less as well. Sometimes it's also okay just being you, right now, the way you are. You don't have to live up to anybody, only yourself. You set the pace. It's your life.

Another soul answered...

You're not going to run out of ideas if you just call something done and move on to making another song. Publish or perish.