I recently heard of an artist who experimented in a workshop by encouraging automatic responses to the music playing and found that:
“Music that irritates the artist listener often has a detrimental impact on the painting results. Unpleasant music often produces dark, strong marks or, at its extreme, a blank stare at a blank canvas.”
This month we offered a couple of workshops for children in our vibrant Ananda Mumbai center!
In one of the workshops, there were so many children in the small space and the room started getting louder and a little chaotic. It seemed like nothing we adults were saying could have helped. So, I gently increased the volume of Swami Kriyananda’s music playing in the background while the children were doing their art. It was like a miracle! All of a sudden the energy shifted, they almost instantly became more calm and content. I was amazed.
We always use his music in workshops and in Ananda, but this time the impact was so sudden and obvious, it really struck me! How effective is this “secret tool” we’ve been using?
Swami Kriyananda’s music calms the heart and is uplifting to the soul. It changes our consciousness. Since I have been on my journey in Ananda, I, like many others, have found great benefit from listening to and singing his music. When I started painting, I would always play some of his music in the background. And when I look at some of my art from years ago, I honestly feel that alone has helped me bring a more uplifting vibration to my art!
An experiment
I have been taking a course by an illustrator and one of his suggestions is to make a music playlist for a project you are working on. He says it will help you get into a flow and will also impact your work. Meaning, if you associate a particular playlist with a project, turning that particular playlist on will automatically help you get you into a flow of creativity. Interesting experiment?
“Music is so much more than entertainment. It doesn’t merely reflect a state of consciousness: It also generates it.” – Swami Kriyananda
Music and its power have been on my mind a lot this month and I just wanted to share these thoughts with you! Pay attention to the music you are listening to. Choose music that inspires you and consciously make it part of your art process and daily life.
And for the artists out there, I would go as far as saying it can really make your art!
You can listen to Swami Kriyananda’s music on Radio Ananda.
Original post: Joyfulaspiration.com, 11/5/19.
2 Comments
Shamini, thank you so much for sharing!! Love the idea of a soundtrack for a piece of art!
This was a wonderful discovery. Thank you for sharing! It re-inspires all of us to use Swami’s music for creativity and a calming effect. What a tool for concentration when trying to channel God’s energy in any given medium.