The Sound of Creativity: Megan's Favorite Songs to Get Inspired
When I was in high school, my science/math teacher would play us classical music and give us peppermints whenever we took tests. Supposedly this stimulated our brains and helped us do better. I figure the same thing is true of creativity, so here are the songs and albums that get my juices flowing.
Michael Giacchino’s soundtracks to “Star Trek,” “Star Trek: Into Darkness” and “Star Trek: Beyond”
Before we settled on doing short films, we were going to do a feature film. I wrote that feature film. I locked myself in the bathroom and wrote damn near most of it in the dark, but it was to the tune of these three Star Trek albums. That script may never see the light of day again (I’d be ok with that) but Star Trek and its music will reign as some of my top creative process sounds.
Travis Scott’s Astroworld
When I find myself in times of trouble, hip hop music comes to me, and in this case it is in the form of Travis Scott. Sicko Mode is my absolute favorite from the album but Stargazing is a close second. I can’t explain why exactly, but it’s about as soothing as centering as classical/soundtrack music. I’m not going to question it, I’m just going to roll with it.
Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite
Not only is it relaxing, but it has peaks and valleys all at the right times. I use this when I really need to focus, and I don’t just use it for writing. I listen to the Nutcracker Suite album a lot when I’m reading, too. I’ve found that music is one of the things that best links my memory to certain moments, so sometimes I’m able to pull inspiration from things I’ve read when I’m listening to these songs.
Christmas Remixed, Christmas Remixed 2, Ultra-Lounge Christmas Cocktails and Ultra-Lounge Christmas Cocktails 2 by Various Artists
In case you hadn’t noticed, I really fucking love Christmas music. It helps me focus. Also, a lot of the time I like to write things that take place at the holidays. I couldn’t tell you why. But I’ve never been one for conventional Christmas tunes and these are anything but. They have a few more beats, a little more swing and they’re fun. Great for holiday parties, too.
Wu-Tang Clan’s CREAM and Jay-Z’s On to the Next
You had to be expecting more rap music on here. These two songs get me in the mood to get shit done. So sometimes I listen to it while I’m cleaning, but when I need a boost of adrenaline, either of these songs are gonna do it for me.
Woodkid’s Run Boy Run
You’ve probably heard this if you’ve watched Umbrella Academy or watched a Hulu commercial. The crescendos and decrescendos in this song are just the best. You know the feeling you get when you’ve just champed out? That’s the feeling I get when I listen to this song. It makes me feel invincible, it makes me feel like I can do anything, and it makes me feel like what I write matters.
-Megan