Music and Design=Creativity

// June 28th, 2008 // Creativity, music

I often wondered if having background music – iTunes or other methods aid productivity and creativity. I have a habit of having my iTunes open when coding, and I found that certain artists/genres inspire me and get me flowing with ideas. However that is not always the case, I can put on a Pink Floyd album and I really get stuck – (I don’t know why but Floyd always does that for some reason). Also Podcasts are a no-no when it comes to working. I can’t concentrate fully on coding when the latest Rissington or BoagWorld podcast is on in the background.

As a little experiment I noted down the artists and albums that really got my creative juices flowing which are listed below:

  • Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
  • Sigur Ros – Takk
  • Jim Noir – Jim Noir
  • Rufus Wainwright – Want 1 and 2
  • Brian Wilson – SMiLE
  • Belle and Sebastian – Dear Catastrophe Waitress
  • Radiohead – In Rainbows
  • The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead
  • Grandaddy – Sumday
  • Midlake – The Trials Of Van Occupanther
  • Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
  • Radar Bros – The Fallen Leaf Pages
  • Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

What inspires you?

4 Responses to “Music and Design=Creativity”

  1. Jamie Knight says:
    June 28, 2008 at 4:26 pm

    Hiya,

    I am much the same, if i am coding i cannot do it with podcasts in the background, however they are find if i am designing.

    I have a few of the chillout albums which i listen to a lot when coding. Rather paradoxically i also have “comfort stuff” like the hitchhikers audiobooks which i have heard many many times before. I find these to be fine for coding.

    I also have some of the classics, tubular bells (mike old field) and some coldplay on very quietly seems to work well.

    Cool post, hope that helps.

    ^licks^

    Jamie & Lion

  2. John says:
    June 28, 2008 at 4:49 pm

    Cheers Jamie!
    I can listen to podcasts and audio books only when I am doing graphical stuff, but it’s off putting when opening a text editor and writing mark up and CSS.
    It gets a bit lonely working in silence even though I have done that, but I much prefer some background noise.

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