music, mood and creativity
I have never been a wonderful multitasker. I am too easily distracted or perhaps prone to daydream to attempt multiple projects at once. I think the trend was always there, but it was not until I became an adult that I recognized it as this. I was always very impressed with my college roommate, a nursing student who was able to read, study, etc. with the TV on or music blaring--sometimes both at the same time! When it came time for my studies, I needed a quiet space. The library did not suffice for me; for some reason, it was not a place where I was able to focus. Maybe it was the smell--or the knowledge I was surrounded by thousands of books and instead of reading them all, I had to construct a convincing argument on the benefits of visiting various Mesoamerican art sites--en espanol. The point being, for me to be productive, I needed silence.
This may have been due to the fact that, growing up, music was mostly reserved for church, road trips or housecleaning parties (way to make cleaning my room fun, Mom.) We weren't anti-music, we just weren't around it. It was like a special treat, and when it played, it had our full attention.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered Pandora and the fact that some genres of music acted as mood enhancers and (gasp) even spurred creativity! I am not ashamed to admit that Disney music brightens my mood when I'm at work. There are any number of tedious admin tasks that don't so much kill my mood as they just dampen my spirits. Maybe it's the nostalgia that the Disney music carries with it, but I perk up pretty quick. (And I highly recommend it.) If you're not singing along, then just listening and catching all those quirky lyrics you totally missed as a kid can potentially lead to an outburst of laughter. If that doesn't do it, the random children's songs that Pandora throws into the mix will. Imagine landing from your carpet ride with Aladdin only to be interrupted by Cookie Monster expounding on the importance of the letter "C." And you can't forget the random selections from the Muppets. In Spanish. If you're still not convinced, don't knock it til you try it.
For writing and editing, I have two stations: David Garrett and his fabulous violin, and a Last of the Mohicans themed station that is predominantly instrumental and pretty wonderful. I highly recommend either for your contemplative moods. I try to avoid listening to them at work, because I want my mind to identify that music with creativity. It is my writing music. Don't mess with my writing music.
Lovely. :)
This may have been due to the fact that, growing up, music was mostly reserved for church, road trips or housecleaning parties (way to make cleaning my room fun, Mom.) We weren't anti-music, we just weren't around it. It was like a special treat, and when it played, it had our full attention.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered Pandora and the fact that some genres of music acted as mood enhancers and (gasp) even spurred creativity! I am not ashamed to admit that Disney music brightens my mood when I'm at work. There are any number of tedious admin tasks that don't so much kill my mood as they just dampen my spirits. Maybe it's the nostalgia that the Disney music carries with it, but I perk up pretty quick. (And I highly recommend it.) If you're not singing along, then just listening and catching all those quirky lyrics you totally missed as a kid can potentially lead to an outburst of laughter. If that doesn't do it, the random children's songs that Pandora throws into the mix will. Imagine landing from your carpet ride with Aladdin only to be interrupted by Cookie Monster expounding on the importance of the letter "C." And you can't forget the random selections from the Muppets. In Spanish. If you're still not convinced, don't knock it til you try it.
For writing and editing, I have two stations: David Garrett and his fabulous violin, and a Last of the Mohicans themed station that is predominantly instrumental and pretty wonderful. I highly recommend either for your contemplative moods. I try to avoid listening to them at work, because I want my mind to identify that music with creativity. It is my writing music. Don't mess with my writing music.
Lovely. :)
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