There is some debate among psychologists as to which aspect of memory is the the strongest and most accurate.
Is is taste? Is it scent? Is it sound? Is it words? Is it music? Is it a feeling?
One of the things I learned about my own psyche while at University is that I "function" best with music in my environment. I'm not sure whether it's because the music helps drown out "distractions" around me — I tend to be someone who "investigates" almost every sound around me, which breaks my concentration — or because the rhythms and wavelength of the music triggers various areas of my brain.
I think the latter is probably closer to the truth because different music does different things for me. And I have to be careful — at least from a productivity standpoint — because some music just puts me to sleep.
Unlike many, classical does nothing for my concentration; it only serves to annoy me because it demands foreground space, not just background space, in my brain.
I have also learned that "work music" and "productivity music" is quite different from "writing music."
In order to write something creatively, I need to get into a "drifting" state that loosens lots of memories... but without going into an actual meditative state where I am most likely to just "go to sleep."
For example, this post was kicked off by Indian producer Bloodfury's energetic "Whsipering Sand" track which has both a nostalgic and vibrant feel, at the same time:
So what exactly happens when these states of being arise?
The sound somehow recalls an avalanche of memories and moods, some of which I can extract creative topics from. It makes me "re-feel" snippets of my childhood when we lived in France; sunsets on our terrace in Spain when I was a teenager; Big Sur in California; evenings on Cougar Ridge near Walker Creek Ranch in Marin County, California... the list is long.
How does that help with writing?
For lack of a better description, it "loosens" my mind... whatever blocks to creativity I might be feeling seem to drop away and words start flowing relatively freely... even if the topics have nothing to do with what I am recalling.
So what am I really recalling?
It's a mood; a state of mind I was in when I was preiously in a really creative place in my life. In a sense, I am recreating a moment in the past when things were really working, somehow bringing it forward to continue in the present moment.
Why would a person have to get into such psychological trickery, you might wonder?
Well, because otherwise I would (a) be stuck and (b) not be very creative in my writing.
I do it because it works. For me.
Not suggesting it would work for you, although it might.
In the meantime, thanks for putting up with my random ramblings...!
Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation! I do my best to answer comments, even if it sometimes takes a few days!
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Created at 2025.12.28 23:37 PST
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