[DT Chris]

The best way to get out of a songwriting 'rut' for me (as in seemingly to play the same patterns or chords or songs sounding similar), is to simply stop songwriting for a few days or week. I find when I do that, I come back and create new ideas, and maybe even improve the old ones.

I 'appropriate' some new music and do a 'music blast'. I just soak in a whole lot of new music and enjoy music for what it is.

I may even try to learn a few of my favorite songs. It seems that learning new chords or ways of picking/playing a song opens up some ideas for songs of my own.