If you're trying to be more creative, one of the most important things you can do is increase the volume and diversity of the information to which you are exposed.
The internet has become such a great tool not just for chefs but for everyone. The net has given everyone the tools to see and almost experience new and different ideas.
I still have a lot of those depressive thoughts, but now I have the foresight to tell myself, 'Don't think like that,' and things seem better.