I've experienced many times when playing the guitar was no fun. None. There was not one iota of fun in it. I do not recommend that. No, it doesn't pay well enough to put up with that shit.
I'll share something that I think will help encapsulate this a bit more...
I can play Material Girl, by Madonna. I can play every single instrument for Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue (with umlauts). I have played dozens of variations of Wanted: Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi. In fact, I refuse to play that song ever again. If my bandmates started to play it, I'd walk right off the stage in the most horrible display of unprofessionalism ever.
I won't do it. You can't even pay me to do it. It's non-negotiable.
So, I guess I'm trying to say pick your goals carefully. I don't pretend otherwise, much of the time I played was because I was being paid to. I'm not one of those artists who'd lie and say I'd be doing it for free, if they weren't paying me. (There are some that I would, but as a general rule - fuck no.)
For a while, after retirement, I pretty much refused to play for anyone but myself or people who were in my home.
And, it's really important (I think) that people understand that my goals are probably pretty different from their goals.
I live in the Springsteen/Bon Jovi suburbs and refuse to listen to that hokey song. Similarly, if my bandmates played the open E for Born to Run I'd be off the stage before you could say Little Steven.
I can definitely relate to that.
I do hope that I heal my creativity bone soon. I've been writing gibberish for like a week, simply because it's fun. It had started to lose the fun aspect.
We forget that goals are often important, even if we're just seeking a pleasurable pastime like plucking a guitar.
If we don't grow we can become stagnant and often lose interest. When that happens we forget the pleasure to which we originally ascribed, while wasting previous accomplishments (i.e. goals).