Inks & Layers is a blog that serves as a special place where I explore the music, movies, tv shows, written works, performances and the craft of storytelling.
How it began?
So this one time…
When I was in school I realised the huge impact the types of songs were having on my daily life. Maybe it was the booming age of devices like iPods and Walkmans or maybe it was my daily routine at that age when I was very receptive to the kind of music I was listening to and the movies I was watching and the things I was doing as a teenager. They influenced my daily routine, random activities and even emotions at times.
I have been listening to Rock music since as long as I can remember and it has been influencing my perception and views towards life over the years. The earliest bands I remember listening to, include Linkin Park, Coldplay, Green Day, AC/DC and Red Hot Chilli Peppers among the several bands and they made me realise that loud music doesn’t just have to be ‘chaotic’, there is a certain rhythm to those drums that is driving the lead guitarists and the base players. To be honest, even though I used to hum and try to sings some of those songs, lyrics did not impact me as much as the drums did and I always found myself tapping my feet or fingers on the table or in class on my books.
Later, I started listening to Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Guns and Roses, Pink Floyd and even some other genres like Pop music, Hip-Hop and even Classical and Jazz music, as was suggested by some of my friends who were exploring their own music tastes.
Several years later, during my MA, I got an opportunity to study the connections between music and graphic design, and as they say, ‘one thing led to another’ and I decided to write and talk about my research and the creative works I like. That lead me to create this blog, a space where I love to write and think-out-loud about my favourite music-makers, designers, art movements and performer. I want to take it beyond music, I want to explore how music is not just sound but a culture, a language, a blessing in a way. It is a form of expression, communication and storytelling that connects and brings people together.
What is this blog?
I started this blog like a journal, a collection of my research, thoughts and ideas. But I don’t want to limit it to that, as it could grow into something much larger than that.
The topics I want to talk about aren’t new or strange to us, there have been several studies and experiments and exploration related to music, movies and design, the visual aspects and the influences. But I feel like there is still a lot to be uncovered, a lot to be studied, talked about and experimented, especially visually.
There are millions of designers, artists and performers out there, creating new songs, designing new posters, developing animation styles, sharpening their acting skills, experimenting with instruments and digital tools while writing songs and stories on different ideas, cultures, situations and emotions. So through this space- this blog, I aim to talk about them, study them and express my appreciation for their work, and share their work with more people and help build more connections.
Why did I choose this name?
Inks & Layers, is about how I look at things. For example, I see songs as layers of music created by drummers, guitarists, pianists and the vocals of the singers. I see a musical composition as layers of sounds created by violinists, cellists, percussionists and choir singers etc. I see a movie scene as layers of individual elements like the writing, the script, background music, the location and lighting, the characters and their dialogues and delivery. The Ink is about the essence of these layers. I want to talk about the process, the methods, the influences and the impact of these stories and the craft.
As a Motion Graphic Designer, I look forward to visualising these experiences, emotions and feelings and contributing to our understanding of this connection we make with this art-form of storytelling, which has been a huge part of our lives.
And as a creative writer, I want to develop this craft of researching, writing and narrating.
(Note to myself- this sounds like a ‘visual storyteller’. Anyways, so..)
What to expect here?
To summarise, expect-
- Research related to visual music and design.
- A moment in time, when a piece of music stopped me in my tracks.
- A scene from a movie I cannot forget.
- A poster I designed while listening to Jazz music.
& - Questions I can’t stop asking about creativity, its different forms and its connections to our lives.
It is an ongoing research space.
I am excited to see where it takes us.
Thank you for reading.
Share your thoughts in the comments and I hope to connect with you.
(BTS – ok that was good. On to the next one.)
