Whenever I start a “formal” writing gig (as in something I write for money), I put on some music. Occasionally, a podcast themed around storytelling or making things. Something inspiring.
For a long time, I thought about why I did this with my commercial writing and never with my journaling. I love both styles of writing, but it seemed weird that one would be musically involved and one wouldn’t be.
The answer came from an unexpected source: The video game Grand Theft Auto V.
I haven’t played this video game yet, but it’s high on my list. It’s a game built to be emotionally immersive, with weaving plotlines and lifelike voice acting. At the center of all this: The fake radio stations.
You see, this particular game in the Grand Theft Auto series is set in a fictionalized Los Angeles. So for the sake of storytelling, the development team invested lots of time and money into the soundtrack. There are over 400 licensed songs in the game’s soundtrack.
The result is exactly what you would want out of the game. You’re completely immersed in the story, and you’re focused on what you have to do in the game in that moment. You’re in the zone. You are ready to play, and play to win.
It was the same with me and my writing assignments. When I was listening to music and podcasts during my commercial writing, my brain was getting into a specific mode. I was able to focus on the task at hand, not let my mind wander.
At its core, writing in a journal is equally as serious as writing a piece for a job. Come to think of it, it requires as much focus that it takes to use a cash register. Or file papers. Or run a soundboard. I’ve done all of these, and they all required a certain level of intense concentration. So why not try applying that same concentration to journaling, through music?
I have a special playlist for journaling now. Far from my freelance writing playlist (mostly bhangra and the soundtrack of Far Cry 3), this list of songs consists mostly of songs that I feel represent me. There are songs from my childhood (Elton John) that give my courage to face the past. There’s Irish music from my formative journey to the home country. And yes, there’s some angsty tunes from my teenage years (My Chemical Romance and Poison).
Sure enough, this playlist has focused my writing in an incredible way. It’s a great project in itself—what music makes you think about yourself? Not your circumstances or a scene you once saw choreographed to the beat. What music makes you think about what makes you think about yourself, and how you got here?
After everything that’s happened, I would definitely encourage journal hounds to make a journaling playlist of their own. It focuses your mind on writing, but more than anything, it focuses you on yourself. Which is the whole point, right?
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What's your journaling playlist sound like? Tell us in the Comments section.
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