Music and Art Make Sweet Love...

Ever since I can remember, music has inspired me creatively.

Like most people, music touches my soul in so many ways that it is impossible to put it in to words.

As a music lover, I usually get frustrated when people tell me that they listen to pretty much anything, and that they have no particular music preference. 

It is not a matter of my being elitist, but like anything of value - I expect that people should at least try and be selective in their choice, if for no other reason than to get the most out of it.

I guess I get more out of music than some - I rely on music to inspire, motivate and turn me on creatively.

I recall on one occasion when I was younger that I was so enamoured by a remix of a song from Nine Inch Nails, that I wanted to embed a speaker into a painting so that I could have their music playing from within the painting itself. 

Of course, the idea was scrapped for two reasons. The first being that I would never be able to obtain the rights to play their music should I exhibit it in a public space and secondly and most importantly, it was tacky.

My point is that music has always inspired me down to the core of who I am creatively, so much so that I wanted to express it in quite a literal manner.

I often do my best painting when I am listening to music. It helps in so many different ways. It helps to set the intended mood, and it also helps to maintain or change it, depending on what I need.

Music is just as important when I am out and about indulging in photography. Personally, I prefer not to drive (that is a topic that will probably get its own blog post in the future). As a result, I use public transport for the majority of my travels.

This is extremely conducive to great photography. It allows you to be in places that are gritty, urban and real. I can often be seen wandering around train lines, or a train station with headphones on my ears and camera resting in hand.

When working on a new piece, the music you listen to directly influences the outcome of the project. The mood you are in when being creative is reflected in the final work. When being spontaneously creative, sound can totally change the way you approach what you are working.

So if you want your art to become something special, I recommend that you turn the music up. Let the music and the art make sweet love...