This week our blog topic is motivation and we’re having each team member blog about what motivates them to keep on going. Today, our newest team member, David – who we introduced to you yesterday – is talking about his motivation, music. Take is away Dave…
When I need motivation during a task, music is my muse. The vibration of sound is a pure source of energy that could keep one going beyond their normal limits (hence its’ use in workout sessions). Most of us here at Elements put on our headphones and get designing. I’ve noticed different genres yield different sources of energy/motivation and I have a general rule for myself when selecting motivational tracks for different scenarios.
If I’m engaged in left brain thinking such as writing copy, reading up on a brand’s competitors or calculating ratios of picas/points for a typographic system, listening to lyric heavy music is counter productive. It feels as if it’s too much for my brain because it’s all in the left hemisphere. When doing any right hemisphere visual/spatial processing such as going through a long InDesign document hunting down widows, kerning to avoid excessive hyphenation or just commuting for an hour, I need energy. I throw on some Beastie Boys, Outkast or PacDiv and nothing can stand in my way. Speaking of motivation, Beastie Boys are in their mid-forties and still taking out MC’s!
On the flip side, when I need to focus on creating thoughtful content or need a productive atmosphere, I prefer trip-hop, chillout and lounge such as Bonobo, Thievery Corporation or Nightmares on Wax. I find that the common denominator in my music choices is a prevalent beat that keeps me productive and motivated through any activity.
We want to know – how do you get your daily dose of motivation?
