As a songwriter, you will have ups and downs with your creativity. Sometimes new ideas keep popping into your head so fast you can't even record them all. Other times, you try to come up with tunes but you just get stuck. It's a frustration all composers deal with at some point. In this article I hope to give you a few ideas for how you can overcome this "musical writer's block".
1. Take a Break
This is probably one of the first steps you should consider. Unless you have a deadline coming up, just take a break from the music. It could be a few hours, or maybe even a few days. Just set the music aside and give your brain some time to reset.
Maybe it's just one particular song you're stuck on. In that case, work on some other music and come back to it another time. Sometimes the other songs you're working on will help open up your creativity a little bit.
2. Get Inspired
Sometimes composers just need to get some new inspiration. This can be achieved in many different ways. Try watching an emotional movie. That usually gives me the inspiration I need to write a song. Another thing you can do is listen to the music of other musicians. Of course you don't want to get inspired to the point that you end up copying their music, but often times listening to other artist's music can open your mind to new ideas and styles. You want to hear more than just your own music or else you won't broaden your musical horizons.
There are many other things you can try as well, like going for a walk, visiting a beautiful place, or reading a good book. Figure out what works best for you, because we all get inspiration from different places.