#NowPlaying: #WerkBranch Music for Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a powerful way to generate ideas and unleash your creative thinking. Music is another powerful tool that can help you increase your productivity and ideation. We thought, for this month’s playlist, why not mash these together? We collected all the best brainstorming music to create the perfect playlist for next session. Claim your new playlist, here! Don’t forget to check back next month because we roll out playlists monthly.

 Have an upcoming #brainstorming session to prep for? Make sure you have the right #music — @KyleJCDesign has the perfect playlist: Share on X

“Brainstorming is such a natural, creative process and I couldn’t imagine a more appropriate catalyst for it than music.”

– Bach Mai, Design/Social Media Associate at Red Branch Media (@RedBachMedia)

Missed our other playlists? Check them out here:

• Brancher Top 5
• Red Branch Holiday Playlist
• Motivation for the New Year
• Love & Heartbreak
• Guilty Pleasures
• Nostalgia Overload
• Instrumental Focus for Writers & Coders
• Summer Poolside Playlist
• Your Favorite Covers
• Welcome to the Team
• RBM Does Karaoke
• Ultimate Halloween Party Playlist
• #WerkBranch: Music for Work

Ideas for Your Brainstorming Sessions

Getting stuck in a creative rut is terrifying for us all, especially when deadlines are getting closer by the hour. That’s where brainstorming comes in. A brainstorming session with your team can help build ideas you couldn’t think of by yourself. It’s true, teamwork really does make the dream work. So how do you get the most optimized brainstorming session? I’ve collected my top 4 favorite techniques and ideas out there:

• Build “mood boards” – A collection (online or physical) of found imagery that displays inspiring photos, colors, words, themes, patterns, etc. used to help generate a general direction for your project. If you’re working remotely, try using a shared Pinterest board!
• Draw – Sketching out your ideas on paper as they pop in your head is such a great way to get ideas flowing (this is how we designers generate logo ideas by the way, and it’s super effective). A great tip from Hubspot is to:
  

  “Take an object and visually break it down into its tiniest parts. So if you start with the word ‘dog,’ you might draw paws, a tail and a collar. Thinking about all the elements of that object and the environment it is found in will allow you to view an object in a new way.”

• Meet Up Outside of Work & Keep the Team Small – Hubspot also recommends holding small sessions outside of regular team meetings. If you can’t find a new location, try to change something about the environment to stimulate the brain. A group of 10 or fewer people will be able to collaborate without overpowering one another. They can also better build from each other ideas without going too far off track.
• Bring a “Diverse” Team – It’s important to bring a variety of different workers to your brainstorming sessions to get as much perspective as possible. Inviting new members means inviting new skill sets and experiences. The diverse perspectives will also help create original approaches to old problems.

Speaking of creative ruts, we’ve got another playlist designed to increase your motivation during the upcoming new year. Listen now!

Food for Your Brainstorming Sessions

I got to admit, food is crucial to brainstorming.

“…it was an unspoken rule that you had to provide food if you were going to host a brainstorm, and it worked like a charm! Not only did it incentivize people to show up — it also ensured that nobody was distracted by the rumbling of their stomachs.”

–Emily Moore, Glassdoor

If you’re looking to get ideas, make sure you bring the snacks. And if you’re wondering what type of food will help best? I’ve got you covered. Here are the 11 Best Foods to Boost Your Brain and Memory:

• Fatty Fish: The omega-3 are fats that build brain and nerve cells essential for learning and memory.

• Coffee: The antioxidants and caffeine help keep your brain alert, boost some of your “feel-good” neurotransmitters and can help your effectiveness when working on tasks that require high concentration.

• Blueberries: The antioxidants, improve communication between brain cells, an obvious benefit for creativity.

• Turmeric: The active ingredient, Curcumin, help benefit memory, overcoming depression symptoms and develop brain cells.

• Broccoli: The vitamin K is great for your memory.

• Pumpkin Seeds: The zinc, antioxidants, iron, copper and magnesium help with nerve signaling which is great for learning and memory.

• Dark Chocolate: The caffeine, antioxidants and flavonoids increase positive feelings, enhance memory and boosts your mood.

• Nuts: The vitamin E and omega-3 give you a sharper memory and can improve heart health. A healthy heart means a healthier brain.

• Oranges: The vitamin C fights off the free radicals that can damage brain cells, so you are building up what you’re using during long brainstorming sessions.

• Eggs: The folic acid, choline and vitamins B12 and B6 provide better memory and mental function as well as motivating happy thoughts.

• Green Tea: The L-theanine amino acid, caffeine, antioxidants and polyphenols helps improve memory, reduce anxiety and increase relaxation without feeling tired.

Hungry for new ideas? Pair our new playlist with these snacks and let the #brainstorm begin: Share on X

Drinks for Your Brainstorming Sessions

Don’t forget the drinks! As mentioned above, coffee and green tea are great choices due to the incredible brain-health benefits. Another option, if you can believe it, is alcohol. According to Annie Grace, alcohol in the right amount can “lower your inhibition, relax the brain and make you more creative.” So, if your company allows, this might be a good excuse to break out a glass of wine or bottle of beer. Do remember that your brain isn’t above lying about what is or isn’t too much, so drink responsibly. Above all, make sure you have a notepad when you’re relaxing at the end of your day. Inspiration might strike!

How to Find Us on Spotify

There are a few ways to find us on Spotify. First, you’ll need a Spotify account. You can do that by going to www.spotify.com and creating a free account. Unless ads drive you nuts, a free account is all you’ll need. After you’ve got your account, go to our page and click follow. By following us, you’ll get email notifications each time we put out a new playlist. We’ll be creating fresh lists for you each month, so you can listen to them as soon as we publish them! Now go download the desktop application for your computer, the app for your phone or stream music online by taking a listen to our playlist here.

All this talk about brainstorming has probably gotten you pumped for your next session. Bookmark this page or save this playlist to your Spotify account now. Your team will thank you. Don’t forget to bring some of these foods and drinks and to utilize these brainstorming tips in your next session along with your playlist!