Written by Denva Nesbeth, Jr. ‘24
What brings me joy and fulfillment? What responsibilities do I have to fulfill? These are the two main questions that guide a lot of my decision making and how I allocate my time. With only so much time in the day, moving with intention supports me in making the most of the day and being present.
- Make Time for Play: My biggest creative hobby is working on music production. As fast as the term goes in 10 weeks and as busy as my schedule can be with classes and responsibilities for different organizations I’m a part of, I know that music is super important to me. Music is therapeutic and puts me in a flow state whenever I’m creating it. Thus, I intentionally make time within my schedule to work on it regardless of how busy a week may be.
- Ride the Inspiration Wave: Opening to inspiration, wherever you find it, can lead to great things. I initially made the In The Stacks song while I was in the East Reading Room in 2022. I realized I could create music that I could imagine my peers could listen to while studying, thus inspiring me to create a full album.
- Purposeful Decision Making: When it comes to the music I create, I’ve definitely created a lot of it with a lot of intentionality behind the purpose and sound choices. With my second album Reach Higher, in contrast to the chill atmosphere one might find on a Stacks album, most of the songs on the album are high energy that sound completely different to what I released prior. I wanted to show that I can’t be put in one specific box musically. When creating my newest album Stacks, Vol. 3, I wanted to have chill instrumentals that fit alongside the previous two Stacks albums, while also making something new and not completely duplicating what I had already released. For example, I love the song My Focus Is On 10 from Back In The Stacks, so I was intentional in not trying to have another song that sounded exactly like it on Vol. 3 and regurgitating what I did already. I was intentional in trying different sounds and genres, which produces songs like Beauty Right In Front Of Me, Give Yourself More Grace, and When You’re Going Through It (Reprise) on the album. Even down to the amount of songs on my albums. Every single album I’ve released so far only has 7 songs. That’s been an intentional choice because I want to ensure none of my albums have any filler and it’s a smooth, concise experience for the listener.
Moving with intention has supported me in giving my energy towards things that I find important and feeling fulfilled with what I’m doing. By identifying what resonates with me and orienting my decisions based on that with the time I have available, my mental health has benefited greatly by being present in the moment with full engagement.
– Denva Nesbeth, Jr. ‘24