The audio world used to be full of rebels willing to break all the rules. Now it's held back by those who want to either follow suit or stay within presets and pre-defined guidelines. The reason why we have half of the effects, plug ins, and innovative gear choices at our finger tips, is because of someone who was not satisfied with the status quo.
It was those late night experimental mic placements. The beautiful accidents of various electronic anomalies. Those "mess ups" that were intentionally left because it DIDN'T sound like everyone else. There was a different thought wave when it came to music years ago. The studio was not so much a place to make magical recordings it was an instrument in itself that merely captured those magical recordings. Recordings that were made by well versed and thorough musicians. These great takes were then enhanced by a more than able engineer with good ears, a heart reference of what music should sound like, and a limited amount of ways to achieve that balance. It was not one person or any one idea that made a great record. It was everyone binding together and pursuing the same goal.
During the month of March, I challenge you to experiment with something new. We all get locked into our habits. That mi sounds good on that cabinet, that guitar pedal always stays at those settings, that vocal take is always treated with the same effects and sung on the same mic, in the same room, with the same person... See what I mean. It sounds kinda boring.
If you want to really ramp up your interest and discover new things, then try new things and you will naturally be excited by what you get from that. Stand out, and do something that you or no one else you know for that matter has ever tried! Come back periodically and let me know what you've done and lets share!