How music inspires me to create
As I write this blog post, I am listening to music. I have been listening to music since I got on my computer and began to work on this post. In fact, I listen to music whenever I am doing any work or assignment. Turning on Spotify is always my first step to get focused on the task at hand. In this blog post, I will be examining how music is a helpful asset in the creative process and allows the designer to focus.
Getting in the zone
Firstly, music can impact the focus of the listener. This does not work for everyone, but many find listening to certain songs can impact their work ethic and ability to focus on the job. Edugage’s article How Does Music Help You Concentrate? discusses how music affects the brain and how different genres produce different results. Listening to music is used to block out distracting noise from your surrounding environment. Music also, “acts as a stimulus that engages the brain, which modify your mood and provides a rhythm that keeps you alert” (Edugage). Listening can also make completing the task more exciting which makes it easier to concentrate on.
Edugage described how different genres can cause the listener to experience different emotions and levels of focus. Classical music is one of the most common choices of music when trying to focus. It is, “a great music choice for enriching your inner emotions,” it also has no vocals. Having only instrumental music is beneficial for people who get distracted by lyrics.
Epic music has a very powerful and uplifting feel to it. This means it can motivate the listener when working on a task. Similarly video game music is created to excite the gamer, which means it can excite the listener as well. EDM has a strong beat to it and can make people focus on movement. These types of music are good for any physical activities or when the listener needs to feel motivated. (Edugage).
Blues and jazz music helps with creativity as the tune of the music changes constantly. Pop music is also a popular option, as it has a variety of moods. The lyrics also can be a mood lifter if you enjoy the song. (Edugage).
Inspiration
Music can inspire designers and allow them to feel more creative. Music is a form of storytelling. As discussed in Smashing Magazine’s article Drawing Inspiration From Music, so much art has been derived from music. A movie’s soundtrack is so important because it sets the mood for the scene. Ballets are choreographed to specific songs and impact the story being told.
Rob Carney’s article When design meets music and results in beautiful artwork, explains that people in creative roles typically listen to music to inspire them. Music is a way of, “mentally dialing in to a project, of escaping into your own thought processes, of getting inspired” (Carney). Listening to lyrics or beats gets you out of your head in order to think about possible solutions. When dealing with a lack of inspiration, getting out of your head and not focusing on the task as much can be the solution to your problems. Going along with this idea, Lama Issa’s article The effect of music on creative cognition, states that, “A recent study by Ritter & Ferguson has proven that listening to music while working can enhance divergent thinking that is associated with creative thinking and problem-solving” (Issa).
Listening to music you enjoy and generally upbeat music stimulates the brain and actually can make you perform better on tasks that require divergent thinking. Markham Heid’s article for Time, discusses if listening to music stimulates creativity. The article defines divergent thinking as, “making unexpected combinations, recognizing links among remote associates, or transforming information into unexpected forms.” A theory discussed in the study says that listening to lively music stimulates the brain in order to think more flexibly and unconventionally. Listening to music can also lower anxiety, which can lead to more breakthroughs.
My personal favorites
Now that I have discussed the science behind listening to music, here are some of my favorite tracks and artists to listen to. Harry Styles has been one of my biggest inspirations as a designer. His songs are full of imagery and a lot of metaphors. Pop songs in general are my go to songs because they are usually full of fun scenarios. There is also such a wide range of pop songs to fit every style of design. Country songs also inspire me a lot. Country songs tell a story and when I listen to them I can create different images in my head. Those images tend to inspire new designs or ideas.
Hi, I’m Lauren and welcome to my website! This is where I share my graphic design work and blog posts!
