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5 Amazon Music Playlists for Writers to Help Create Flow

Music to get, and stay, in the zone. Plus, some bonus albums and artists.

By Maria Shimizu ChristensenPublished 3 years ago 4 min read
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5 Amazon Music Playlists for Writers to Help Create Flow
Photo by Dollar Gill on Unsplash

Some days, getting into a state of flow as a writer feels as elusive as winning the lottery. Many days. Most days? Now, a state of non-flow doesn’t hinder me from actually writing, but it’s hard, painful, and slow, and the only things that keep me going are reminders that rent is due and electricity is a good thing, and my playlists.

Wait just a minute, you say. Based on your headline, aren’t your playlists supposed to create flow? Not just help you slog through writing you don’t want to do?

Well, yes. And no. Nothing in life is that simple. No one really knows exactly how and why we enter a state of flow, we just know it can happen, and when it does it’s magical. Words flow faster than you can type them, ideas are targeted and focused and you have no problem putting them on paper. You lose all sense of time while you’re lost in your words, nothing is a distraction, and nothing else exists outside of what you’re doing right then, in those moments. That’s flow. That’s being in the zone.

So you see that music probably isn’t enough to create flow all by itself, but it really can help you get there, and stay there. You already know you won’t stay there forever because, duh, nothing lasts forever, but that’s a sweet spot we writers will try for again and again.

I have a couple of criteria that my playlists have to meet because not every type of music is suited to writing:

  • They need to be mostly instrumental. If lyrics are too catchy or too familiar I might want to sing along and that’s the fastest way to break your flow.
  • They have to live in that balanced zone between chill and upbeat. The music can’t be too meditative or I’ll want to take a nap, and it can’t be so upbeat I want to get up off my chair and dance badly about the room

I think it’s also important to have playlists in more than one genre of music, and to listen outside of your comfort zone. While I listen to nearly every type of music, I’m only dabbling with a few songs in some genres. So, if you know me, neither you nor I would have predicted that I’d listen to house music or downtempo for hours on end while writing my next masterpiece, but we’d both be wrong.

Having playlists in different genres can also help set moods, and we writers are often pretty moody creatures. I like my music to be quieter and gentler when I’m working on fiction because I’m not generally a fiction writer and I really need to concentrate. When I’m working on a piece like this – the kind of short, informative non-fiction I’ve been writing for years – music that’s a little more upbeat and interesting works well.

Finally, a note about Amazon Music. I have a monthly subscription to Music Unlimited because I have a household with a ridiculous number of Echo devices and young adults, and we all love the convenience and ease of asking Alexa to play just about anything. Now, you don’t necessarily need a subscription if you’re willing to build your own playlist on another platform, or to use these as a jumping off point for playlists and genres elsewhere because you just don’t want to drink the Amazon kool-aid. I get it. On to the music.

Vintage Chill Electronic

This is my favorite playlist for writing, and that’s saying something for a rebel raised on rock and roll. It strikes a great balance between instrumental and non-instrumental music. Even when songs have singers, they’re delivered with beautiful and almost ethereal voices so it’s not distracting, and I can’t sing along to a single song. Good balance between chill and upbeat.

Best of Downtempo

I love this one for the same reasons I love the Vintage Chill Electronic playlist.

Minimal House

Try typing “instrumental music that’s upbeat but not too upbeat but has good energy on a fairly even keel” into Google. You probably won’t find house music in the results, but that’s how this playlist feels to me. I always play this when I’m getting tired and have a deadline.

Relaxing Acoustic Instrumental

I often play this one in the mornings when I’ve had a couple cups of coffee and have plenty of my own energy. It’s an interesting mix that includes hints of freeform jazz and Spanish guitar, and not too many covers, and it requires zero thought or attention from you.

Classical for Creativity

Loads of research has shown the effects of classical music on the brain (hint: it’s all good), but certain pieces of classical music are not at all conducive to staying awake. This playlist strikes a great balance. When I’m desperate to get into the zone, when I really want flow, this is what I play.

Bonus Albums and Artists

The only downside to playlists is that they can jump around and be a little discordant moving from one artist to the next. If you need zero distractions and more harmony, try listening to music by just one artist.

Damien Escobar – this musician makes magic with his violin, and a lot of his pieces feel very inspirational. It’s emotional music.

Miles Davis – listen to the Kind of Blue album. It’s fantastic for creativity. Trust me.

George Winston – if you love piano music and need something super duper chill just stream him.

list
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About the Creator

Maria Shimizu Christensen

Writer living my dreams by day and dreaming up new ones by night

The Read Ink Scribbler

Bauble & Verve

Instagram

Also, History Major, Senior Accountant, Geek, Fan of cocktails and camping

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