What’s your favorite song of all time? What songs make you feel like you could run a marathon? What songs make you cry? What songs feel like they were written just for you or for a certain time in your life? 

Music is an incredibly important part of my life, both personally and professionally. If you’ve been into my studio for a shoot, you know that we keep a playlist going throughout the entire experience, filled with inspiring and motivating songs to pump you up and encourage you to let loose (which is when I capture the BEST photos! 😉). 

Music has a way of settling you and uplifting you. It can make you smile and dance and laugh and scream and maybe even cry sometimes. It’s got this power to it that can transcend any and all barriers, taking you from glum to glam in three minutes flat. That’s why I play music at the studio. It’s this little buffer to any anxieties you bring in the door with you, any worries or insecurities. It can even connect us in strange and fun ways like these monthly zodiac playlists from astrologer, Chani Nicholas. Music is a universal tool that I wield often. 

So today, I want to encourage you to make a playlist for yourself. It can be anything–old jams from your high school days (think of all those mix tapes you made for your friends or your crush), the new music your kids listen to (keep up with the times, girl!), or one to suit specific moods or settings. (Back in the day when I walked to and from work, I found that if I listened to The Talking Heads or Lady Gaga, I got home 10 minutes faster!) 

Keep that playlist handy and when you’re feeling down, throw it on. When you hear a new song that you love, add it to the playlist. Bulk up that playlist for those times when you really need it, and then let those sweet notes and guitar riffs work their magic. 

So go ahead. Channel your inner teenager and make a playlist (or mix tape or whatever you prefer–you do you, girl!). Fill it up and then blast it through your speakers. Then share it! Pass it to your #squad or –even better– make one together like this playlist made by UNVEILED Super Fan, Erin. She crowd-sourced from our BTS Facebook group for everyone’s fave jams “that make you feel like a stripper.” (See if you can guess which one is mine. 😉)