What Does Creativity Sound Like in YOUR Head?

When you think about creativity, what sound do you hear in your head?

While in the end savasana of my last yoga class at my local YMCA I let my mind drift into silence. I cut off my inner narrator, let go of my breath, and just let my mind float. I though about creativity, my creativity in a very abstract sort of way; not about the writing or the blog or dance or anything in particular, but just about creativity. Immediately the slow quiet ‘joy’ ditty from Inside Out when Joy selects a skating memory for Riley to ‘dream’ began playing in my head on a quiet little loop. The piece is actually called Free Skating and was composed by Michael Giacchino for the Disney movie Inside Out.

It was so faint at first I didn’t really hear it, but it became so clear, just calmly playing on repeat, and it gave me a sense of such peace and, ironically, joy. The sound stayed with me after class ended as I packed up my mat and bundled up to head back into the cold. I just thought that it was such a beautiful association in my brain that this sound of quiet joy was the expression my creativity took in my own mind. As I thought about it on my drive home I really began to appreciate the deep joy that my creativity carves out in my life, and how fitting this simple sound, made to embody joy, really was. I thought this would be a fun exercise for our community to try out; to sit with yourself and hold your creativity in your mind - what do you hear? Is it a sound, a piece of music, silence? Once you have the sound, what feeling is connected to it; joy, peace, desire, calm? Maybe you’re journaling, or engaging in a yoga practice, or going for a run, or actively creating, but take the time to notice what you hear when you think about that creativity well inside yourself. It might just bring a small smile to your face. 

Moving on: There is a real movement in using sound while creating to enhance focus, enjoyment, inspiration, and creative energy. I’ve noticed three trends in particular: 

ASMR

An acronym for autonomous sensory meridian response, ASMR is the buzzword of the hour. I myself have fallen prey to this concept of stimulating sound making an experience more enjoyable through enhanced well being via a mechanical keyboard. It’s almost like a time warp back to analog days - the sounds of pen on paper, typewriter-esque click clack of keys, the nuanced sounds of woodcarving, nails drumming on a desk, crunching leaves, all enhanced and distilled via high-tech sound equipment. Whether it’s how one starts, ends or gets through a creative session, more and more creatives are using ASMR to calm the mind and body; to improve focus, enjoyment, and flow state.

Playlists

It is becoming increasingly common in the plugged in world of readily available music subscription services due to availability and low cost, for creatives, in particular writers to not only use curated playlists in their process, but also as bonus additional content for their works. Many authors I know of, myself included, are creating playlists for individual books, a sort of rhythm guide through the story. Some use these playlists while writing, while others curate them as bonus content. However, many creatives enjoy specific playlists during the creative process, whether to help them focus, get inspired, or simply for more enjoyment. Humans have always had a need for music - it makes daily tasks much more enjoyable - so it stands to reason that this magic also applies to creative pursuits. 

Noise Cancelling Voids   

They come in cute colours, full size and earbuds; the variety of noise cancelling headphones is endless. They even have different levels of noise cancelling - some that filter background noise, some that sharpen conversation, others that enhance music, and some that block out everything so you feel like you’ve entered your own personal void. Again, these are used for a variety of purposes. Specifically in the creative process they can filter out all background noise, lower it to a low buzz, or plummet you into your own creative and silent universe. The reasoning is the same as all other sound trends we’ve looked at so far - enhanced concentration, increased inspiration, and calm enjoyment. 

What type of creative are you? Do you like noise when creating, or do you prefer complete silence?