Staying relevant in music requires creativity
Your ability to live your dreams of a successful music career relies on creativity. Outside-the-box thinking can help you in the studio, and creative problem-solving goes a long way when running the business.
So how can you boost creativity and increase the likelihood of success?
The answer may be found in a practice as old as time, Meditation.
How can this ancient practice help artists like you, using technologically advanced systems and devices, harness the power of creativity?
Meditation is vital for my client’s success as a health and lifestyle coach working with creatives. If you want help in creating balance in your life through health and lifestyle, check out my website and join my email list for weekly health and lifestyle tips.
And now, let’s dive into some background on creativity first…
Creativity – The Dance of the Brain
Studies have shown that when the brain is highly connected, it performs at a higher level. The brain has networks and subnetworks that tend to work independently to perform specific tasks and functions in our daily lives.
Researchers have found that meditation can help these networks communicate better and perform in sync.
Finding that elusive flow state can be challenging when these networks are off-beat with each other. It’s like trying to concentrate while two songs play simultaneously at different BPMs. This happens when you feel anxious or stressed, so meditation is like a sync button for your brain.
The subconscious mind is where creativity is born
Science is finding that creativity lies in our subconscious minds.
Accessing that treasure trove of creativity requires us to dive underneath the surface of the constant chatter of the “monkey mind”.
For a long time, it was thought that the subconscious mind was off limits, that we just couldn’t access this place until researchers began looking into high-level meditators.
Since then, meditation has been studied much more, and it has been found that a regular practice can stimulate factors that influence creative output, including:
- “divergent thinking” (brainstorming creative solutions)
- “convergent thinking” (which solution works best?)
- “working memory” (remembering and integrating those creative ideas)
- “cognitive flexibility” (openness to new ideas and experiences).
Check out the graphic here for more details.
Side effects that support long-term success
Taking just a few minutes a day to practice meditation can set you up for success, igniting a new spark of creativity. Just in case you need any more convincing, here are 5 more benefits of regular meditation practice to inspire you.
Nothing stifles creativity like feeling overwhelmed. To get into the highly coveted flow state requires you to be relaxed and at ease.
Meditation can help you overcome anxiety, reduce stress and feel more capable of handling the pressures of life as a creative person.
The mood you are in can definitely impact your creative output. Feeling frustrated, angry or depressed can lead to frustrated, angry and depressed output.
Sometimes that can help spark creativity, however, it’s not healthy to live in those states. Meditation helps you understand the emotional triggers that affect your mood by being able to witness and recognize them.
Once you recognize something is off, then you can do something about it.
To create the work of art that will take catch the ears of fans and help you rise to the next level, you need to be able to focus and concentrate on what you are doing.
Many musicians leave this up to chance, hoping to be able to find the zone.
Meditation is practice for focus and concentration at its simplest level. And what you practice, you are highly likely to get better at. So just a few minutes of consistent practice a day can help you find the zone to create that next hit you’ve been waiting for.
A strong factor in success for musicians is self-confidence.
Self-doubt and imposter syndrome hold back so many talented musicians. For a long time it was thought that either you “got it” or you don’t.
The truth is that real confidence comes from knowing yourself at greater depths. The better you know yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses, your highlights and your shadows, the more confident you will become.
Meditation is a practice of getting to know yourself, by sitting and watching, consistently over time.
A huge struggle for those of us working in the nightlife industry is sleep.
A consistent sleep schedule can help you feel more rested, and fatigue is a creativity killer. So what about those of us who stay up all night on the weekends, it can take days, even weeks to feel like we finally caught up on sleep.
Meditation can help by allowing your mind to process those racing thoughts that keep you awake. A few minutes a day is also a way for your body and mind to rest (a 20min breathing meditation can have the effect of several hours sleep). It can also help you fall asleep faster and keep you from tossing and turning at night.
Creativity is the brain firing together in harmony and meditation is the sync button of the brain.
Creativity can improve our lives in countless ways.
As a musician, it can be easy to see how increased creativity can impact your career, leading to a higher quality of output and improving quality of life.
When you feel creatively inspired, you are more likely to jump out of bed in the morning, looking forward to the day, instead of hitting the snooze button.
This is why adopting a meditation habit can be a game changer for musicians. Whether you are already a professional, just getting started, or anywhere in between, simple mindfulness practices can impact your life in many different ways.
It’s no surprise that many highly successful artists are known meditators. It’s simple, you can do it anywhere without any equipment, and it has powerful benefits.
Try it for yourself. Here’s a short meditation you can try out:
