It is said that it takes about 10 years to master any field working 8-10 hours a day and that there are about 10,000 pieces of knowledge that you'll need. It is also said that "no one will ever tell you what you need to know." This is likely because everyone's needs are so different that what one person thinks is important might isn't for another. Nonetheless, here is my attempt at sharing what I know as well as a repository for reference material and ideas. Often, if I need to explain something, this site makes it easier because I can write it out and publish it via a link.
I am competent guitarist and really enjoy what I play and create. I believe that a single good idea can transcend even a basic player into a force. It is with that faith that I continue my journey. It's been said that everyone has at least one good song in them. A song can be instrumental, vocal, or percussive. I haven't made my ultimate statement yet but sometimes it seems like I'm getting really close. When I write ideas (usally thematic leads and melodies), they seem to take on a life of their own and have their own personality. I tend to want to play them over and over with subtle changes but always with respect to what they were at the time of creation. I believe this is the essential part about finding my own voice and it's been rewarding.
I've recently rediscovered praise and worship music and I'm looking for a situation where my unique ability to play to the theme and support the efforts of others. I'm very into ensemble playing and my focus is on the song. I'm currently feeling like there's really no place for leads in P&W music (this is a personal thing and not a blanket statement that applies to anyone else so don't get threatened if you like to solo a lot in this venue). It's just that for me, rhythym is king and I'm really focusing on the song at the moment. This is not to say that I don't love improvising and soloing but it's more that I don't really see where that fits into a worship experience. I save that for jams with my friends and in secular venues where it seems more suited.