I share your pain too! I use up my stash and sew up 4 ugly FQ or fabric other people give me to quilt with (you know the kind don't you?) into a largish rectangle, layer up and practice my free motion. If there's a motif I try echo lines or I try out filler stitches. Need oodles of practice. My most "successful" FMQ is my doodles. Since forever I've always doodled loops, zigzags, and circles - those I can do with my machine. Maybe we should ignore what other people do and use what we do with ease then we can relax at our machines. Not much help I'm afraid if you don't doodle.