Get in the creative zone with music and movement

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Marney Andes of marneyandes.com, I’m the bestselling author of Start with the Give-Me Shots (available on Amazon), and this is my blog. I want you to know that the topics I write about here are things I’m living and breathing. I share unfiltered stories and reflections from my own life and turn them into exercises you can use.

Here’s what’s on my mind today: The importance of getting in the zone.

Dave Matthews Band gets me in the zone. 

When I was writing Start with the Give-Me Shots, I woke up every morning, got on my bike, and listened to Dave Matthews Band (DMB). I did this every day for 10 months. And when I took my headphones off, I was in the right mindset and the right mood to write what I wanted to share. I get some of my best creative energy when I’m riding my bike and listening to DMB.

The time I spent listening to DMB was a gift to myself over and over again, throughout the grueling process of creation. It gave me the feeling of connection and mindset I needed to write.

But my relationship with DMB didn’t start with the book. 

I’ve been listening to Dave Matthews Band since they began playing—which for me, was late high school, early college. However, I never really listened to the words or the lyrics until I started writing my book. This time around, I wasn't at a party or in my car. This time around, I was listening to what he was saying, to every lyric. And what I found by really listening was inspiring lyrics. It felt uplifting. I’d experience a surge of energy following a drumbeat or a part of a song I really connected to and I grew to love it. It’s almost as if I needed that session with DMB to unlock and release the creative energy stored within me. 

What gets you in the zone?

Your path to a “zone” of channeling your inner creative energy doesn’t have to look like my path. You don’t have to be a concert goer or follow a band your whole life and jam out in morning cycling sessions. But making it a priority to find the kind of music that does put you in the zone can be a gamechanger. 

I like DMB music for its powerful one-liners. “I can't believe that we would lie in our graves wondering if we had spent our living days well. I can't believe that we would lie in our graves dreaming of things that we might have been.” This time around, those lyrics got my attention and hit me hard. Because he’s right: Why would you want to be in that position—where you're thinking about all the things you could have done, should have done, or would have done differently? There was nothing better than this lyrical reminder to write the book I had dreamed of writing for far too many years. 

So, what music, what lyrics can spark the flame of creativity or motivation or energy for you? What music can put you in the zone and fuel your fire?

Take the time to find the music that moves your soul. And view the time you spend listening to it as a gift you give yourself every day.

Here’s some exercises to try:

• Song lovers, try this: listen to one of your favorite songs from your life as if you’re listening to it for the very first time. What lyrics stand out this time around that you didn’t notice before? 

• Listen to music. Start with a song you like, go into space where you’re alone (and close the door, if needed). Then just listen to it. Take it in. Really listen to the lyrics. And then, reflect on the experience.