I don't know how other bands play the same songs every night.
I think a lot of songwriters would agree that it's often easier to find inspiration in misery.
It's not an insult to have a past and to have some accountability to it.
I played with the same band for years and years and theres a beauty to having one solid core that you keep exploring. On the other hand, its nice to throw yourself in different situations where you find out things about your own resources.
Being an actor is a much more structured life than being a musician.
I've made a few albums in such an autonomous way; it often has been exhausting. It's almost difficult to enjoy the process when you take on so much.