When Inspiration Doesn't Strike

Latterly, I have found myself staring at the CD and Vinyl shelves asking myself the question "what do I want to listen to?"

It's not like I'm lacking in choice (he says big-headedly), I just can't summon the inspiration to choose.  And when I do finally make a choice, I'm dithering and changing my mind.
There's something just not firing.  There is some sort of fatigue or malaise taking over.
Even browsing and purchasing new stuff has become affected.  The Amazon Wish List is in place, there are scribbled notes all over the place of "stuff to search for", but just no desire to make the purchase.
A visit to a record shop usually spawns something  - I think it rude not to make at least one purchase, and I can usually find something of interest.

Nope.

The usual thing is that I get a song stuck in my head at some point in the day, and the only way to sate it is to listen to that artist when I return home.  This may inspire further listening of both the related and unrelated kind.  And when this itch has been scratched, further inspiration will befall me whilst trawling websites and blog sites of an evening.
I have probably spent too much time posting Youtube videos of "Cover Versions That Are Better Than The Originals" and "Songs Inspired by West Side Story and Other Musicals", or randomly shouting out (writing down) song titles including numbers, or offering an opinion on a Jam single.
But going to these places and participating has usually led to a new discovery, or re-discovery, which has kept the inspiration going (whilst continuing to fill up the CD shelves).

But at this moment in time ... nothing.

Recently, the interweb place I spent far too much time - theafterword.co.uk/ - has convened another semi-regular CD Swap Event.
The premise is a simple one - contributors are grouped together, they each select 12 tracks (loosely) based around a theme, and then send each other the burned CDs with no information or track listing.
Each contributor listens (without prejudice?) and posts their thoughts (and guesses of the artists) on the website in a sort of mass blind review scenario.
Previous events have led to some wonderful discoveries of both old and new artists that I may not have heard, or have ignored because I didn't "think" they were my thing.
But yet again, the malaise has struck - whilst there are a couple of avenues of interest, I've done nothing about it.


Why, why, why?
Am I to be inflicted with this and settle into a world of comfort with the same 12 albums in constant rotation?
Do I join the massed ranks of civilian-types who are unable to see beyond Abba, Simply Red, Coldplay, The Greatest Showman soundtrack, and other nuggets of mass produced pop-pap
(I know this is a snobbish thing to say, but there are people like that out there in the big bad world)


I would usually end these aimless missives with an illustrative video of my latest enthusiasm.
But as you've probably guessed, there is no such enthusiasm going on, so I'm just off to stare forlornly at the shelves in the vague hope of a flash of inspiration and renewed vigour.
Failing that, I will revisit the various websites and blogs hoping something fires the old synapses.

I'll be back ...