10 Artists, 10 Songs They Cannot Create Without
There’s something that happens when the right song comes on.
The shoulders drop. The brain exhales. Whatever felt heavy a moment ago gets just a little lighter. It’s not magic but it’s close enough that the difference barely matters.
We’ve all been there. You know the feeling. And artists? Artists really know the feeling.
Because there’s this moment that every creative person hits at some point. The blank canvas stops being exciting and starts being genuinely terrifying. Nothing comes. Everything feels forced. You try harder and somehow it gets worse. And in that awful, stuck, why-am-I-even-doing-this moment the ones who pushed through didn’t always do it by pushing harder.
They pressed play.
Not because someone told them to. Not because it was in a productivity guide somewhere. But because something in them just knew. The same way we all have a song for a hard day. An album that carried us through something we couldn’t put into words. A track that somehow always knows what we need before we do.
Music doesn’t judge. It doesn’t stand in your studio looking at the half-finished canvas with that look. It doesn’t care about the three failed attempts sitting in the corner or the paint on the floor or the fact that it’s been two hours and you have nothing to show for it. It just shows up. Fills the room. And quietly says, hey. Keep going. You’ve got this.
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That’s what got us curious. That invisible thread between what we hear and what we make. Between sound and colour, between rhythm and brushstroke. We wanted to know what are artists actually listening to? Not what sounds good in theory. What’s actually playing in the room when the real work happens?
So we asked our community. And what came back was more honest, more personal, and more beautiful than we expected.
The first comment that stopped us was from Austra Helena @ahjagger. And what she listens to while she paints we weren’t ready for how good this was.
We love this so much because it makes complete sense. That music doesn’t let you feel small. It pushes you to make something as big as what you’re hearing. Because that’s not just a playlist that’s a whole emotional world to create inside of. Music that fills the room, wraps around you, and quietly demands that whatever you’re making has to mean something. And when you’re standing in front of a blank canvas not knowing where to start that kind of music just pushes you in. No overthinking. Just feeling. And Ludovico Einaudi he’s not just her choice. He’s everyone’s. There’s something about his music that just holds you while you work. Quietly. Without asking anything of you. Just space to make something real.
Try it yourself links below. You might be surprised what comes out.
Listen: Phantom of the Opera — Full Soundtrack on Spotify
It’s worth seeing what she create while listening to this, go have a look.
Our second one is from Winn Moe @winnmoe_art. She creates to Nils Frahm. And if that name is new to you please go look him up right now.
Because what she’s listening to isn’t really background music. It’s closer to weather. Just keys. Just space. The kind of sound that feels less like music and more like a feeling you can’t quite name but recognise the moment it arrives. It doesn’t pull you anywhere dramatic. It just opens something up and lets the work breathe. Piano-only ambient music holds a room without filling it. And sometimes that’s exactly what you need not something that demands your attention, but something that quietly holds the silence so it doesn’t become too heavy.
Try it yourself! links below.
Listen: Nils Frahm on Spotify
And honestly, don’t stop here, go check out what they’re creating alongside this.
Our third is from Deb Nicolaisen @debnicolaisenartist. And honestly out of everything we read, this one felt the most like a window into someone’s actual world.
She’s a wildlife artist. And she paints to nature documentaries. Of course she does. And when you know that it makes complete sense. She’s not just listening for background noise. She’s listening to the very world she paints. The sounds, the stories, the details of creatures and landscapes that end up on her canvas. Learning and creating at the same time. Her studio isn’t separate from her subject it’s connected to it. There’s something so pure about that. Making art about the natural world while the natural world plays in the background. We don’t think it gets more aligned than that.
Go spend some time with their work , you’ll start to notice the connection.
Fourth Favourite is from Lazar Vulovic @vuloviclazarrr and we loved how specific this one was.
And he didn’t just say Nas. They said Illmatic. Specifically. And that specificity that tells you everything. Illmatic isn’t something you put on and drift away from. It pulls you into a headspace that’s focused, sharp, a little hungry. Every track so intentional, so sure of itself, that it quietly gives you permission to be sure of yourself too. It was made by someone pouring everything into something completely real. When that energy fills the room while you paint it tends to show up in the work.
Give it a try, links below. See what it does to your process.
Listen : Illmatic – Album by Nas | Spotify
Take a minute to look at their work too, it makes even more sense once you do.
And then this one came in our 5th favourite and we loved it for a different reason.
Catsby Eyesore @catsby_eyesore listens to this while creating. And the way she said it you can tell it’s something she actually lives with while she works. Because it’s not really about having music in the background. It’s more about staying with that person while you’re creating them. Letting their voice, their sound, their energy stay in the room with you the whole time. After a point, it doesn’t even feel separate from the work anymore. It just becomes part of it. And there’s something really nice about that. You’re not just drawing them you’re spending time with who they are. Also, we noticed this again. Nas came up and it kind of feels like a lot of artists go back to Nas while they create. There’s just something about his music it keeps you focused without trying too hard.
Try it yourself. Next time you’re creating, don’t just play anything. Play them. Stay with it for a bit.
Listen: Nas | Spotify and DMX | Spotify
Have a look at her work as well, it’s interesting to see what comes out of this kind of soundtrack.
Our next one is from Debas Adetoro @debas_adetoro and there’s something really nice about this choice.
He listens to reggae songs and Afrobeat while creating and honestly, you can feel that in the kind of work he makes. Because this kind of music doesn’t slow you down. It moves with you. There’s a certain warmth in reggae, and Afrobeat carries this steady, almost effortless rhythm and together, they create this space where you can just keep going without overthinking. And it makes sense. The way the music flows, the way it keeps a quiet energy in the room it reflects in the process too. The work doesn’t feel forced. It feels like it’s building naturally, one step at a time. Sometimes you don’t need something emotional or heavy. Sometimes you just need something that keeps you in motion.
Have a listen while you work, links below.
Listen: Reggae & Afrobeats 🔥hits – playlist by Moon Cappuccino | Spotify
And while you’re at it, go follow Debas Adetoro and see the kind of work he creates while listening to this.
Our next one is from Tash @chiiilenga. She creates to something that sits in a very different space. And if you haven’t heard it yet wait till you see what it is.
There’s something about James Blake that has always felt inherently visual. His music exists in this strange, beautiful space between electronic and soul, between the clinical and the deeply felt and Playing Robots Into Heaven lives right at the heart of that tension. It’s produced within an inch of its life and yet somehow feels completely raw. Controlled chaos that never loses its emotional centre. Painting to that must feel like walking a tightrope in the best possible way. There’s also something in the album’s title that feels quietly profound for any artist. Playing robots into heaven. The idea that something mechanical, something repeated and disciplined, the daily practice, the showing up, the putting brush to canvas even when it feels impossible can lead somewhere transcendent.
Tash clearly feels that. And we completely understand why.
Try it yourself! links below.
Listen: Playing Robots Into Heaven – Album by James Blake | Spotify
And you should also take a moment to see what she is creating.
Our 8th favourite is from Kenza Zizah @kenzyverse and this one feels different in a really honest way.
Not a specific album. Not a carefully chosen track. Just any of it. All of it. Because when an artist moves you that deeply it doesn’t really matter where you start. Every song carries the same truth, the same feeling, the same thing that made you fall for them in the first place. And what Adele and Sam Smith share beneath the difference in sound and style is that quality of complete emotional honesty. There’s nowhere to hide in their music. Every note means something. Every lyric feels lived in rather than written. And when that kind of sincerity fills a studio it has a way of pulling the same sincerity out of the work being made inside it. Because inspiration isn’t always about energy or rhythm or pace. Sometimes it’s simply about being reminded that honest work matters. That feeling something deeply and making something from it is enough. Kenza clearly creates from that place. And it shows.
Have a listen while you’re working, links below.
♫ Listen:Adele and Sam Smith – playlist by Becca Isanerd | Spotify
And maybe take a minute to explore her work too.
Our next one is from Kate Kinder @katekindy and this one is all about the details.
Not an artist. Not an album. Just one song. And she knew exactly which one.
“Oh Baby” by LCD Soundsystem. And honestly, what a song to create to. If you haven’t heard it, it’s one of those tracks that feels like it exists outside of time. Slow, a little hypnotic, and quietly emotional in a way you don’t fully notice until you’re already inside it. It doesn’t rush you. It doesn’t ask anything from you. It just opens up this wide, unhurried space and lets you stay there for a while. And there’s something really interesting about choosing just one song. Not a playlist. Not a mood. Just that one track that works every single time. That kind of clarity doesn’t come randomly Kate kindy clearly knows what puts her in that space. And we love that.
Have a listen while you’re working, links below.
♫ Listen: oh baby – song and lyrics by LCD Soundsystem | Spotify
And have a look at her work as well, it all adds up.
Our final pick the 10th one is from Antonija Poljan @antonijapoljan_art , we saved this one for the end because it felt a little different in a really interesting way.
She creates to the Amélie soundtrack, Ghibli music, and Lindsey Stirling. And you can already imagine the kind of space that creates. Because this isn’t just one mood. It moves between them. From something soft and cinematic, to something light and a little nostalgic, and then into something more expressive, fuller of movement. It doesn’t stay in one place for too long and maybe that’s exactly why it works. It keeps shifting but never feels disconnected. There’s a quiet storytelling in all of it. Music that feels like scenes unfolding while you work, like something is always gently building in the background. It doesn’t interrupt the process or pull you away from what you’re doing. It just sits there, becoming part of it. And sometimes that’s exactly what creating needs something that moves with you, changes with you, but still holds everything together without forcing anything.
Play this while you’re creating, links below.
Listen: Amélie Soundtrack 2001 – Complete List of Songs, STUDIO GHIBLI Best Soundtracks (Chronological order) – playlist by ZUGA MUSIC✨ | Spotify, Lindsey Stirling | Spotify
And while you’re at it, go take a look at what she’s creating too, it all comes together in a really beautiful way.
A huge thank you to every artist who showed up in our comments and shared what you listen to while creating. Truly. We’re so grateful.
There’s something really special about the way this community shows up openly, honestly, without overthinking it. And every time we ask a question like this, you remind us why we keep coming back to these conversations. And going through all your answers… we noticed something.
There’s no one way to do this. Some of you create in silence. Some need noise. Some stay with one song on repeat, and some move through completely different sounds while you work. And somehow, all of it works. Because it’s never really about the music itself. It’s about what it does for you. The space it creates. The way it helps you stay with your work a little longer. That’s the real process. Not just what you make but how you get there.
And that’s exactly why Arts to Hearts Project exists. To hold space for these conversations. The real ones.
So keep creating. Keep exploring. Keep pressing play.
And if you want to be part of the next one. Follow us on Instagram and join the conversation. We’re always asking, always listening, always learning from you. About your process, your routines, your tools, your inspirations, all the things that make your work yours. Share your answer when you see it. You never know, you might find yourself featured next. Because this space is built on real artists, showing up as they are, sharing what’s real.
And there’s always room for you here.
