Well there’s only one thing to do when you start a blog and that’s to start writing! Today I wanted to post about a topic that has been an obvious marriage since I got into art in general: art + music. All of my life I’ve been involved with art in one way or another. I remember the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle I drew when i was in kindergarten to the time my cover won the yearbook design contest in 6th grade to winning a regional award for a photograph of mine sophomore year in high school. When I was in 8th grade I decided that I wanted to become a graphic designer. Essentially my father told me I could make money off my art in a profession known as Graphic Design. I was sold, doing art all day and getting paid for it! Yes, I was young and naive and had much to learn, but I definitely fantasized about not hating a future job one day and earning money and living happily ever after. But I digress, what has been there since the original love affair with art has been my passion for music. I am an accomplished musician in my community as well, so this topic should become more and more obvious as to you why I’d like to talk about it.

Some of you artists are different. You may want to have a TV, or throw on a movie you’ve seen a billion times, or some of you just want peace and quiet when you work. Me, I have to have some music on. Perhaps it’s because of my vivid imagination or the music in my ears puts me in this artistic solitude. Before posting this topic I tried to find any material on the topic, but only could find a link to one of my favorite blogs “Smashing Magazine”. Ann Edwards writes in the article:

“There is a rising mantra between designers: “Design less, think more.” Samantha Warren sums it up rather succinctly while AIGA goes into more detail. Before ever sitting down to sketch or design, you need to know your boundaries and the context which you will be designing within.”

This is obvious. Take for instance you are designing an album for a Norwegian Death Metal band, you’re not going to pop on Hall and Oates. Or, if you painters out there have a somber piece like Carravagio’s Entombment of Christ you probably wouldn’t pop on M.I.A.’s Paper Planes
to get an appropriate mindset. However, I find when I design websites – it’s free reign. I don’t find that I have any creative walls put up whether I’m listening to NIckelcreek or the Vandals.

Here’s a list of albums that have been getting my creative juices flowing:

• Colors – Between the Buried and Me
• Way to Normal - Ben Folds
• Common Dreads – Enter Shikari
• Once Soundtrack – Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
• Black Holes and Revelations - Muse
• Hail to the Thief - Radiohead

What are some of your music that gets you in the mood?