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I spent 30 years dreaming about making my own guitar.  With the help of an instrument maker I finally did it.  Took 5 months.  I made a replica Weissenborn hollow neck guitar (for lapslide) out of Tasmanian Blackwood.  I inlaid a moon and star on the headstock and presto!  I had my dream guitar, the moonstar 001.  Plays oh so sweetly, I cherish it and it is totally unique.

I learned to play on a Guild acoustic, great guitar, still have it 35 years later, it a great guitar with great tone and resonance.  I have recently made a Weissenborn replica slide guitar but still love the Guild.

Some good thoughts from riddler.  To better understand the difference between home and another venue you need to understand a little bit about how ANXIETY effects YOU.  Best suggestion I can give is to be aware of your breathing and slow it down, this will help you
focus and will counteract the physical symptoms of anxiety which are effecting your playing.
Cheers from the land down under!

G'day headcase.  I too have had the same problem.. I am 60 and have been playing for 40 years.
I have learned a couple tricks that may be of assistance to you.  I often find that once I can get the first verse started the rest usually comes.  Use a cheat sheet with the first few lines of the first verse and then one line from each subsequent verse.  After awhile and some practice hopefully you will then be able to visualise most songs by seeing a few lines in your mind.  Worth a try.
Nothing wrong with using a songbook with chord and lyrics handy, helps you also to feel more confident and in control. Another trick is to spend some time reciting a song as if it were a poem in a speaking voice. Tends to help one remember the words.  Good luck!

I have forced myself to learn to use a thumb pick. it was really awkward at first but after about
one month it finally felt okay.  Sounds great with finger picking stuff and gives a good clear bass sound.  Now I dont like playing without the thumb pick as it helps me get a good clear sound and I can vary the volume to suit the tune.  The CC is a great axe, enjoy, Land of Oz...

Playing with other people is great but not always readily available.  Try listening to some new music, find a song you really like and then do your own version until you make it YOUR song.
Try taking a thought or a theme, find a nice chord progression and put some words/thoughts down.
After 35 years on standard guitar I took up playing lap slide and I am totally hooked, a new lease on my musical life and progression. From the land of Oz (Australia)...

I use elixir medium gage for my slide playing.  They cost $40 here in Australia but are worth it and last a lot longer than any others I have tried.

Hey James,
Great song!  I was inspired to print it out, transposed it to D
and played it on my lapslide.  Sounds great, can I add it to my repetoire?
Amazing the world of cyberspace, I am here in Australia playing a tune you just wrote
Ya gotta like that. L......

I agree that Chordie is a truly outstanding site for all things guitar.  It has truly been an inspiration and given me and many others access to misic which in past was hard or impossible to get.
The site administrators deserve a big pat on the back and lots of good kharma!
Keep up the good work guys!!!

It is important to mute the strings behind the slide to get a smooth sound.  Try using a small slide on your ring finger or pinkie and drag the other fingers along the string this will get you a smoother sound.  Be subtle when engaging the slide and lifting it off.