A few final thoughts

There's an unlimited supply of great music to use as inspiration. Pay attention to music in films, games, and songs you like. It's a good habit to try to identify tools and techniques that might have been used in songs.

Try to keep your eye on the big picture and not worry too much about the little problems that show up along the way. Setbacks and uncertainty should be expected. Most skills are hard when new, but they become easier through experience. Projects, clients, and tools come and go. What stays is your ever-improving ability to create slightly better music with each song you work on. Each musical piece you create helps make your next piece even better. What you're able to do now is nothing compared to what you'll be able to do down the road.

Soundtracks are meant to be emotional listening experiences. If your music isn't generating an emotion, you probably need to go back to the drawing board.

Although academics may try...