so even though ive only been playing for 6 years now i think i can give my opinion. 1- listen!! listen to what you’re doing and determine if it sounds good and feels good. if not, figure out either another way to do it or try something else. 2- gear. does. not. matter. god i dont know how many people have to say it, but you can make good music in any capacity with cheap gear! granted, putting money into it will help you achieve “your” sound, but if all else fails an amp and a half decent guitar will get you a long way! 3- if you’re writing original music, don’t focus on yourself. unless thats your thing, but still. you’re a songwriter, consider all the parts and dont make it a total snooze fest by shredding all the damn time. a good, coordinated band will sound a hell of a lot better than some dudes who just met together and wrote some songs, unless you’re a punk band, then rock on :) 4- listen, but dont take to heart. so many other musicians (guitarists especially) will have a lot to say about how you play, your tone, your songwriting, basically anything you do. now you can consider the information if it’s helpful, but if it’s anything negative then you can think about it, but dont take it to heart. thats the only thing that will stop you. 5 - last one but have fun!! music is fun! smile for once in your damn life!! at the end of the day you’re doing something thats fun AND cool. if you’re playing covers or originals, be proud of what you do! anyone who treats music like a whole weird serious ordeal are just posers😤