Music drives you. It wakes you up, it gets you pumping. And, at the end of the day, the correct tune will chill you down.
Lessons didn't really work out for me, so I went to the old school, listening to records and learning what I wanted to learn.
The worst advice I ever received from my dad was to play by the book.
When I tried to play something and screwed up, I'd hear some other note that would come into play. Then I started trying different things to find the beauty in it.
To me, a sure-fire way to get in a rut is by sitting around playing by yourself for too long. You've gotta get out there and jam, man! You don't have to necessarily be in a band, all you've gotta have...