Do you ever run into issues with concentration?

Me too dear readers, me too.

I get it. You want to make art, and you’ve finally decided to start keeping a schedule, but there are a million noises messing with your head. Or maybe absolute silence is your problem, you need a little bit of ambient noise to keep you focused.

This can be especially challenging when you feel like you want noise in the background while you work but you don’t want to have people talking to you directly or for them to be engaged in lively discussion which could distract from your purpose. The same could be true of music you decide to listen to in those situations. Some music is just too powerful and will not alleviate your concentration concerns.

In other words, if it gives you a strong emotional response or the lyrics illicit thoughts you don’t need to have, then it just won’t do.

It just won’t do my friends!

But hold up. I want to play devil’s advocate for a second here – Have you ever heard the idea that music can increase concentration and retention? I’m sure you have. If you haven’t I’ve supplied a few articles below for you to get you in the correct mindset for where I am about to go. I’m going to get you in the zone. And then I’m going to get you into the zone for concentration.

See what I just did there?

How to Increase Concentration and Retention – @WashULaw

Does music help you focus? Yes, but only if you like the music – Tech Times

Classical music improves concentration and social skills – Limelight Magazine

So we’ve now learned a few things about music and whether it really can help us get more done, and if it is a tool in fostering creativity.

Well one thing is for certain, music can help you to ignore your surroundings and it definitely helps to make the mundane more digestible in an environment which is filled with or without noise, but ambient noise (or music) is probably the antidote we need.

The reality is that as I’ve mentioned earlier, lyrics can sometimes be something of a nuisance, especially if language is your choice of task. Having mentioned this, if you are listening to something which you are incredibly familiar with, then that music can easily become something that serves as white noise and will allow you to focus. New music is, surprisingly enough, NEW, so you are going to listen more intently to what you hear, which makes it difficult to use for concentration.

Well what works then Tim?

Fortunately we have a few options. Both classical music and EDM (electronic dance music) can do the trick because they lacks lyrics. These are fairly obvious choices, but video game music might not be and I assure you, it is definitely something to look into.

There are some other decent options, but ones of which I am less convinced about. These include Jazz, Blues and Hip Hop, but mostly because I am drawn to the lyrics in that particular type of music and I don’t want to advertise something which could fizzle out for you dear readers.

But the solution I have for you today my friends is what I am most excited about!

What if the solution was available to you all along?

What if nature had the answer?

What if I got to the point?

I have a couple of websites for you to check out.

One of them is simplynoise.com – This is an amazingly simple solution created by a professional sound designer to produce three kinds of noise. White noise, which is equivalent to the sound of a TV without reception. Pink noise, which sounds like a waterfall and changes frequencies somewhat. And lastly brown noise, which according to the website, is the most relaxing.

Option number 2 is rainymood.com. This one is a little bit more aesthetically pleasing, but doesn’t offer quite as many options in terms of what you can do. Having said that, sometimes you don’t want to think about your noise choices, and you just want to turn it on and go.

Regardless of which one you choose, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear you tell me your productivity has increased upon lending your ear to something different. But I’ve got no more theories, you fine folks. Leave me some comments and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Tim!