By Cansu Waldron

Okay, hear me out.

This might sound weird, and pretty much everyone in my life gave me the ?? face when I first said it — but a few weeks ago at one point, I realized I was… sick of music.

Not sick of a song.

Not sick of an artist.

Music. In general.

I know. I KNOW! I used to listen to everything — Taylor Swift on repeat, then Notorious B.I.G., then some classical music like Vivaldi and Bach, and even the occasional country playlist. Whenever I’m working at my desk with my laptop, I had a playlist on in the background. I also drive a lot, so my commutes were basically nonstop soundtracks.

But one day, I felt like I had exhausted my entire universe of songs. Like I had squeezed every playlist dry. And suddenly, silence felt easier than hearing “Please Please Please” for the 437th time. And I love that song.

That’s when I discovered audiobooks.

And honestly… game changer.

Instead of feeling stuck in music fatigue, it suddenly felt like my brain was going somewhere. Learning something, following a story, being entertained in a different way. It scratched an itch I didn’t even realize I had.

And in case you might be feeling the same thing (but aren’t sure how to admit “I might not like music that much lately”) don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.

Let me put you onto this.

Why Audiobooks Are Perfect for Digital Artists

Because let’s be real: so many parts of our creative life are beautifully hands-on but mentally… open.

Like perfect little pockets of time to slide into a story.

Here are some of my favorites:

Long drives to the studio or your day job
Cooking or meal prepping after a late-night work session
Cleaning your workspace (aka digging your Wacom tablet out from under five sketchbooks)
Rendering time — those minutes (or hours?) when you’re just staring at the progress bar
Batch exporting animations
Sketching thumbnails
Organizing your reference folders
Backing up files because you finally remembered

Audiobooks fit into all the in-between moments of creative life — the ones where your hands are busy, but your brain wants a little adventure.

What I’ve Been Listening To

I started with the classics:

The Scarlet Letter
The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
And right now I’m halfway through Frankenstein!

I’m also loving how fast I finish a book. If you’re someone who constantly worries “I don’t read enough,” audiobooks might be your new favorite thing. I’m finishing a book every one or two weeks, easily.

Do I sometimes zone out? Absolutely.

Am I rewinding? Never.

I just keep going like it’s a fast-moving train and I refuse to look back.

(But if you're more patient and like re-listening to a line three times until it sinks in — you can absolutely do that too. I’m the chaotic one here.)

Want to Try It?

If you’re down to test the audiobook waters, Audible has an awesome deal right now:

$0.99/mo for the first 3 months + $20 Audible credit.

You can listen to podcasts, audiobooks, Audible Originals, and save on any extras you want.

Or, if you’re team-library like me sometimes:

Hoopla (or Libby!) is amazing if you have a library card. You connect your card and borrow audiobooks just like a real library. The only catch: you might have to wait if the book is “checked out,” which is honestly kind of cute and nostalgic.

Anyway…

I’ve been loving audiobooks so much lately that I figured I’d share in case someone out there is quietly in their “I think I might hate music right now???” era.

If you end up giving it a try, tell me:

What’s the first audiobook you’d listen to and when/where do you imagine listening?