Boosting Your Creativity: How Music and Art Inspire Creativity in Great Minds

Shah Mohammed
8 min readApr 25, 2023

Are you struggling to come up with fresh ideas and solutions to problems at work? Do you find yourself stuck in a creative rut? The solution to boosting your creativity might be simpler than you think. By looking at the examples of some of the greatest minds in history, we can learn how hobbies in music and art can inspire and improve creativity.

This article will explore how music and art can inspire creativity in all areas of life, including the workplace. We will discuss the benefits of pursuing hobbies outside of work and how these activities can provide new perspectives and ideas that can be applied to professional tasks.

We will also highlight the examples of famous thinkers, such as Albert Einstein, Max Planck, and Galileo Galilei, who had serious hobbies in music or art and how these interests contributed to their innovative work.

By the end of this article, you will better understand how music and art can help you become a more creative thinker in the workplace and how to incorporate these practices into your own life. So, whether you’re an artist, musician, or just looking to boost your creativity, read on to discover the benefits of incorporating hobbies into your routine.

How Music Inspires Creativity

Music is known to have a powerful effect on the brain, and many studies have shown that listening to music can boost creativity and productivity. Research has found that listening to music can help stimulate the brain’s right hemisphere, which is responsible for creativity and imagination.

Music effectively inspires creativity because it can evoke strong emotions and memories. These emotional connections can help trigger new ideas and associations and can also provide a sense of inspiration and motivation.

In addition to its direct impact on the brain, music can inspire creativity through its association with other art forms and creative expression. Many musicians, for example, are also accomplished writers, poets, and visual artists. These individuals often find that their different creative pursuits inform and inspire each other, leading to even more innovation and originality.

Examples of musicians who also excelled in other creative fields include:

  • Bob Dylan, who is not only a legendary musician but also a Nobel Prize-winning author
  • John Lennon, who was also an accomplished artist and writer
  • Joni Mitchell, who is not only a renowned musician but also a talented painter and visual artist
  • Pharrell Williams: Besides being a successful musician and producer, Williams is also an accomplished fashion designer and has collaborated with several high-profile brands.
  • Lady Gaga: Besides her music career, Gaga has acted in several films and television shows and designed her own fashion line.
  • David Bowie: Known for his groundbreaking music and unique style, Bowie was also an accomplished actor and visual artist.
  • Paul McCartney: In addition to his successful music career with The Beatles and as a solo artist, McCartney is also a talented painter and has exhibited his artwork in galleries worldwide.
  • Bjork: The Icelandic musician is known for her avant-garde music and style, but she is also a visual artist and has created several multimedia installations.

These examples demonstrate that pursuing different creative outlets can help individuals tap into their full potential and express themselves uniquely and innovatively. These musicians have created original and groundbreaking work by combining their passions and exploring different creative fields.

How Art Inspires Creativity

Art has been a source of inspiration and creativity for centuries and for a good reason. The act of creating art can have a powerful impact on the brain and can help stimulate creativity and innovative thinking.

Studies have found that creating art can help activate the brain’s reward system, which is associated with feelings of pleasure and motivation. This activation can help boost motivation and inspire individuals to continue creating and innovating.

Additionally, viewing art can also have a positive impact on the brain and creativity. When we view art, we engage in aesthetic experience, connecting sensory and cognitive experiences. This process can help stimulate the brain and lead to new ideas and perspectives.

In addition to its direct impact on the brain, art can also inspire creativity through its ability to communicate complex ideas and emotions. Many artists use their work as social commentary or to express their beliefs and experiences. Individuals can gain new insights and perspectives that inform their creative endeavours by engaging with these works.

Examples of artists who also excelled in other creative fields include:

  • Leonardo da Vinci: The quintessential “Renaissance man,” da Vinci was not only a talented painter but also a skilled engineer, inventor, and scientist.
  • William Shakespeare: The famous playwright is known for his innovative plays and poetry, but he was also a successful businessman and investor.
  • Marina Abramovic: The performance artist is known for her boundary-pushing work but is also an accomplished writer and filmmaker.
  • Pablo Picasso: The legendary Spanish painter was also a talented sculptor, printmaker, and ceramicist.
  • Ansel Adams: Besides his iconic landscape photography, Adams was also an accomplished pianist who taught himself to play music by ear.
  • Georgia O’Keeffe: Known for her striking paintings of flowers and landscapes, O’Keeffe was also a skilled photographer and took many of her reference photos.
  • Walt Disney: The creator of Mickey Mouse and Disneyland, Disney was also a skilled animator, filmmaker, and theme park designer.
  • Yoko Ono: The avant-garde artist and musician was also a filmmaker, writer, and political activist.

These examples illustrate the power of exploring different creative fields and finding inspiration across various mediums. By embracing diverse interests and pursuits, artists can gain new perspectives and insights that inform their work and lead to even more innovation and originality.

Einstein’s Love for the Violin

Albert Einstein is regarded as one of the most brilliant minds in history, but many people don’t know he was also an accomplished violinist. Einstein began playing the violin as a child and continued to play throughout his life, often performing in small chamber music groups.

Einstein once said, "The theory of relativity occurred to me by intuition, and music is the driving force behind this intuition.” He believed playing music helped him tap into his creative side and find new insights and solutions to problems.

Playing the violin also had a direct impact on Einstein’s problem-solving skills. To play the violin, he had to use a combination of analytical and creative thinking to read the music, interpret it, and translate it into sound. This training in complex problem-solving likely helped him develop his scientific theories and make groundbreaking discoveries.

Examples of how Einstein’s music background influenced his work in physics include:

  • The concept of time dilation in relativity was inspired by Einstein’s experience playing music. He noticed that the tempo of music would change depending on the speed at which it was played, and this led him to consider the impact of time on the perception of events.
  • Einstein also drew parallels between the structure of music and the structure of the universe. He believed that the laws of physics could be understood in terms of their “musical” qualities, such as harmony and rhythm.

Overall, Einstein’s love for the violin demonstrates the power of pursuing hobbies outside of one’s main field of work. By engaging in creative activities, we can tap into our full potential and develop new skills and insights that can be applied in all areas of life.

Max Planck’s Musical Talent

Max Planck, the founder of quantum theory, was a brilliant physicist and an accomplished musician. Planck began studying the piano at a young age and continued to play throughout his life.

Planck’s interest in music helped him develop his scientific theories in several ways. For one, playing music helped him develop a strong sense of discipline and focus, which he later applied to his work in physics. Additionally, his background in music gave him a deep appreciation for the importance of harmony and balance, which he believed were essential to understanding the laws of physics.

Examples of how Planck’s music background influenced his work in physics include:

  • Planck used his knowledge of music theory to develop his groundbreaking theory of blackbody radiation. In this theory, he applied the principles of harmonic resonance to explain the behaviour of electromagnetic waves.
  • Planck’s understanding of music also helped him to recognize the importance of precise measurements in physics. He believed that just as a musician must tune their instrument precisely to produce the correct pitch, scientists must make precise measurements to obtain accurate results.

Planck’s love for music shows how pursuing hobbies outside one’s primary field can lead to unexpected insights and connections. By embracing diverse interests and exploring different areas of creativity, we can gain new perspectives and deepen our understanding of the world.

Galileo’s Artistic Endeavors

Galileo Galilei is known as the father of modern astronomy, but many people don’t know he was also an accomplished artist. Galileo was passionate about chiaroscuro art, a technique that uses light and shadow to create depth and texture in a two-dimensional image.

Galileo’s artistic talent informed his scientific work in several ways. For one, his understanding of light and shadow helped him to develop the first telescope, which allowed him to observe the night sky in greater detail than ever before. Additionally, his knowledge of perspective and depth perception helped him to accurately interpret the astronomical observations he made.

Examples of how Galileo’s art background influenced his work in astronomy include:

  • Galileo’s use of chiaroscuro in his artwork informed his understanding of the moon's surface features. He accurately depicted the craters and mountains on the moon’s surface, which helped him argue against the prevailing view that the moon was a perfect, unblemished sphere.
  • Galileo’s knowledge of perspective and depth perception helped him accurately interpret his observations with his telescope. He used this understanding to identify features on the surfaces of Jupiter and Venus and to make groundbreaking discoveries about the nature of the solar system.

Galileo’s passion for art demonstrates the power of embracing diverse interests and exploring different areas of creativity. By pursuing hobbies outside one’s primary field, individuals can gain new insights and perspectives, leading to groundbreaking discoveries and innovation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the examples of great minds such as Einstein, Max Planck, and Galileo demonstrate the profound impact that pursuing creative hobbies like music and art can have on one’s ability to innovate and think outside of the box. By exploring different creative outlets, we can gain new perspectives and insights that can inform our work and lead to groundbreaking discoveries. By incorporating practical tips for boosting creativity into our daily routines, we can tap into our full creative potential and find new ways to solve problems and innovate in the workplace. Ultimately, embracing creativity can help us live more fulfilling and meaningful lives, personally and professionally.

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