What did you change in your approach?

There are tons of really famous and acclaimed artists who have said they never truly realized their vision. There is no such thing as perfect music, don't worry about it too much

i'm curious, do you remember who's said this?

I think Neil Young did

I have a small studio in my basement where I write and record most of my stuff, and also my various bands sometimes practice there as well

In the words of Pedro the Lion, "Bands with managers are going places."

Yeah. Getting on streaming wasn't worth the small amount of money I spent on it

You get used to the anxiety of being on stage. I used to get so nervous that I would shake, forget my parts, etc. Now there's definitely still a heightened "edge" before I play, but it's manageable and not entirely unpleasant. Having a beer or two helps, if that's something you do.