HUM 6930 Creative Practice #6

Listening to music while creating art

I nearly always listen to music while I am working. This is a practice that I began when doing graphic design in offices that were noisy. I could put on my headphones, play my music and tune out everything else around me. This practice has carried over into my fine art practice, but instead of wearing headphones, I like to turn it up loud enough I can hear it from any room in my house. If my sweet husband is home, I still use the headphones. Alas, we have very different tastes in music.

Smooth jazz and new age music are my favorites, with movie theme music and classical close behind. My honey likes the 60's music which is okay but not conducive to getting my mind in the zone to be creative. We tolerate each others' tastes and respect our personal spaces so a music conflict is rare.

This week I am working on putting together workshop projects for my seniors, so the upbeat jazz music helps energize me while doing so. We often play the jazz music from their day, listening to Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, and Miles Davis. Actually, Miles Davis is still one of my favorites.

We will be making these chalkboard plates tomorrow. Then during the following weeks we will be making Christmas ornaments and cards.