Sting has revealed that he rarely writes any new material as he struggles with writer's block.
The Desert Rose singer claims that his lack of creativity gets worse the older he gets, meaning that he is often more critical about what he wants to record.
Speaking to the Sun newspaper, the former Police member said: "Writing a song for me is a rare thing now."
He added: "It gets more difficult as you get older because your filters are much more refined and your inner critic is very tough."
Sting added: "When you're younger, the filters aren't on. Out it comes. Three songs a day, 21 a week. You have to put yourself in a state of grace where you're open to ideas coming to you."
Sting will cover a Bob Dylan classic for a charity album in aid of Amnesty International early next year.
