Wesley,
As far as "getting back into clubs" or Dj'ing, etc. that is not exactly what I've encouraged you to do. I have suggested you try to find out where writers and artists congregate. Actually the NSAI group in DALLAS/Ft. Worth is a good place to start. They also have writers nights at the Stockyards and other places. I believe that would be a good start. Understanding some fundamentals of writing and learning a bit more about working with other people would be the good first steps to getting you "back out there."
For me, getting into the "DJ' part, doesn't really have much to do with the creative side, more of playing what is already there, much like a cover band doesn't really have that much to do with the creative side of music. They do the same things, but there are two very different approaches. I believe that if you want to have a vibrant songwriting community, you have to help build that community. You see, it is my experience that about 90% of a successful career is about supporting other people. Every break I have gotten from higher level writers, artists, labels, producers, publishers, pluggers, have all been due to my support of them first. It is not so much about US as writers as the VALUE we bring to other people's games.
But I think you have to start off a little lower. One of the problems with people that "drop out" or "are just getting back into... whatever" is that so much changes around them in their absence. And it is also about adjusting to different dynamics to whatever situation you are going into.
A thing that really struck me hard was after a pretty successful rock career outside of Nashville for over a decade, was that I had to start all over again when moving to Nashville. One of the problems people have when they come from Texas, California, New York, Chicago, you name it, is that they have to start all over again, irregardless what they have done before. It is what so many Texans who have had bad experiences and get into the "Screw Nashville" mind set. The reality is that they would make US start over if we were to move to Texas. That is just part of business. It doesn't always translate over.
A similar things happen to college kids who spend four, or six years working on a degree in college, and then find out their degree doesn't translate to anything they do in the business they want to go into. Really happens a LOT when it comes to people here going to some form of music college. They are in for a REALLY Big awakening.
So I do believe you have to "get out of the living room." But I also think you have to adjust to the new dynamics of the places you move to or the situations you start being around. Always starting over. Reinvention is what we do on a daily basis.
MAB
Like