I started off writing on a cassette four-track in the 1980s, so once I got over the learning curve of how to operate a DAW, I found it increased my songwriting potential astronomically. (But those years from 1999 to 2001 of learning how to operate the bloody GUI was quite a challenge!) To me, it's the process of finding new* riffs, new chord progressions, new melodies and new structures that makes it so fascinating. It's a bit of a search in the dark, but when it all comes together, it's a great feeling.
* Well, new to me!