What do you listen to while you work? Typically, music that falls into three categories: mellow, nostalgic, or energizing.

How do you listen? Computer speakers or my iPod docking station if I’m not doing work on the computer.

Do you have any favorite music websites/providers? Pandora! I love it. My best friend from high school just created a shared Pandora station for us comprised of all the ’80s love songs we used to listen way back when. It’s called “Separate Lives Radio”—named after the Phil Collins song, but it also alludes to the fact that we live two states away.

Does music influence your work? Can you show me an example? Probably. I sometimes try to match a musical genre to the type of project I’m creating, for subliminal inspiration. When creating my daughter’s birth announcement, I listened to sweet, happy songs that reminded me of her—like “Dream a Little Dream of Me” by The Mamas and The Papas and songs by Ingrid Michaelson. When blogging, I like to listen to one of the Pandora stations because the element of the unexpected mimics the blogging process—browsing blogs and sites, following newfound links, discovering amazing companies, designers and products I never knew existed—or seeing new work by old favorites.

Where do you find music recommendations? Friends, blogs, independent radio stations, and, occasionally, magazines. Blueprint magazine used to have great music recommendations, so I still dig out back issues of that magazine for ideas. Even NPR—that is how my husband and I first heard Arcade Fire.

Who influences your musical taste? My dad listened to a lot of classic rock when we were growing up, and my mom loved musicals and show tunes, which I also still enjoy. But other influences include travel—a trip to France many years ago introduced me to Carla Bruni’s music; my husband—he always finds new bands that we both like; friends.

What song or artist best represents the work you create? Feist. I saw one of her shows and she incorporated some really interesting shadow art and silhouettes. Visually, it was simply executed, not fancy—but it gave the show a warm, creative energy. It resonated with the kind of work I like to do.

LAURA’S PLAYLIST

Leather and Lace, Stevie Nicks with Don Henley

Fitz and the Dizzyspells, Andrew Bird

In Between Days, The Cure

Happiness is Overrated, The Airborne Toxic Event

Ses Monuments, Sea Wolf

Bittersweet, Big Head Todd and the Monsters

The Relator, Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson

Straight On, Heart

One Evening, Feist

Strawberry Swing, Coldplay

Black Balloon, The Kills

Lucky Man, The Verve

All Night Long, Lionel Richie