🎨 How Music Shapes My Art — From Global Science to Nigerian Rhythms

Whenever I paint or draw, music isn’t just background noise — it’s my partner. From upbeat jazz and love songs to afro beats, amapiano, calm piano pieces, and fresh voices from America, my playlist shifts with the mood of my work. And interestingly, both science and Nigerian culture agree: music and creativity belong together.

How Music Boosts Creativity — The Science Speaks

Researchers have found that listening to music while creating art lights up different areas of the brain at once — hearing, imagination, planning, and the motor control that guides your hand. That mix helps you settle into a deeper creative “zone” and stay there longer.

  • Positive, fast-tempo tracks (jazz, classical, upbeat instrumentals) can unlock fresh ideas and flexible thinking.
  • Heavy lyrics may distract during problem-solving — many visual artists do better with instrumental or mood-matched playlists.
  • Mood matching is real: people can often guess a painting’s mood from the song that inspired it — showing how sound and visuals connect.

In my studio, that simply means: if I’m painting something calm, I lean into soft instrumentals; if it’s bold and high-energy, I’ll pick faster rhythms so my brush can echo the tempo.

Made in Nigeria: Creativity That Dances to Our Beat

My bond with music isn’t only scientific — it’s cultural. In Nigeria, music grows with us from childhood. Many of us made drums from tins and bottles, clapped rhythms with friends, or hummed songs while drawing in the sand. That was early improvisation: building coordination, confidence, and collaboration without even knowing it.

  • Music as character: In homes and schools, songs and performance teach discipline, focus, and pride in our stories.
  • Community first: Across Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba traditions, creativity is often shared — carrying our cultural values into art, dance, and design.
  • Natural improvisers: From street rhythms to church choirs and festivals, we grow up blending sound and expression. Art follows that rhythm.

So while global science explains how music fuels creativity, Nigerian life shows why it feels so natural. For many of us, art already comes with a soundtrack.

🎥 See My Process in Action

Watch a short clip of me painting with my current playlist:

Try It Yourself

  • Pick a theme for your piece, then build a playlist to match its mood.
  • Create two “art playlists”: one calm, one energetic — switch as your canvas changes.
  • Share short process clips — music + art performs well on Reels and TikTok.