November blues? How to find meaning in your music as a musician

November has its own gravity.
The days are short, the gigs are fewer, the year seems almost over - and yet it's still not quiet enough for a real retreat.

Many musicians tell me during this time that they have doubts:
"Am I still on the right path?"
"What am I doing all this for - when it feels so empty right now?"
"I give so much. But where is the response?"

I know this situation well. I had phases like that myself - in the middle of the music business, when everything was going well on the outside. And inside there was just emptiness.

November is not a mistake. It is a call.
A call to pause. To listen within. And to remember what really sustains you.

Three things that always help me in moments like these:

1. a daily music ritual - all for you
Not for Insta. Not for a project. Just for you.
I often sing a little melody in the morning, without a goal.
Sometimes I just write thoughts in my notebook, very raw.
It's as if I'm listening to myself without having to accomplish anything.

2. an honest look back - without judgment
What have you achieved this year?
Not just appearances or numbers - but decisions, steps, no's.
Make a list: "Things I'm proud of - even if no one saw them."
That's healing. That is reconnection.

3. connect with someone who really understands you
Not someone who wants to build you up.
But with someone who sees you. Someone who listens when you say:
"I don't feel like it right now." And who then says:
"I know. And I'm here."

Your value as a musician does not depend on your energy.
Not on likes. Not on releases. Not on perseverance.

Sometimes it's enough to keep breathing.
Because that's music too.

Kind regards