I recently observed a workshop in which the presenters gave an unique approach to writing. I think this technique could be most useful for creative writing, but also could be helpful for anyone in academia who has writer’s block and is struggling to put forth words on the page.

Many creative writers, including myself, have expressed the need to have music in the background while they write. I had never thought of music, especially music without words, as an inspiration for a story or even an academic paper, but the presenters changed my mind entirely.

The presenters played a couple music clips and told us to free write while listening about what we felt about the music. After each piece was played, some people shared what they wrote. Some wrote about the instruments that were being played. Some created stories. I wrote a poem for one of the songs.

For this blog entry, I listened to three songs via Pandora’s “Electronic for Studying” station and wrote about what it sounded like to me. I tried to use as many original phrases as possible.

1.Neptune by Ronald Jenkees http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG6FQnbXI0s

Deep red electronic violin pulling and pushing lightly. Summer breeze plays with the hair that refused to stay this morning. Things are slowing down at the end of the day. Wondering what tomorrow will bring. Pushing orchestrations pull my heart and little steps leading to garden of blue redness.

2.Moon by Little People http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK5I4cTkL-E&feature=kp

Waking up slowly, sleepily. Day starts without me willing it to. Day ends with a violet shade of relief. Stuck in one place, fast paced but not really moving. Voices speak to me. Don’t know what they’re saying, but it sounds like “rise.” It gets rough but my shoulders can bear the burden as long as I have this pen, I think. Pause. Break. Rise again please. I want you to be awake when I see you.

3. Hands of Love by Deuter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnPhtFzXlHc

Hands-planets-stars, surround me. Sweet, res-o-nating flute music trills and climbs the side of my leg. Echoes. Can anybody hear me? We are alone on this planet, but not lonely because hands around surround me as gentle as… a candle lit in the autumn evening. A vanilla candle, not too cloying, but peaceful. Wavering, but always there. Now the flame-the hands-are double. Little? Big? Big enough.

I would love it if my readers would follow the YouTube links and listen to the songs I wrote to. And if you feel so inclined, do some music inspired free writes of your own.