---
title: Laps in the ocean.
description: Balancing creativity with structure, the author finds inspiration in the harmonics of an espresso machine, contrasting it with the boundless yet overwhelming freedom of digital sound creation.
image: https://whatsounds.design/hubfs/6C310070-FAA0-4182-874F-7C94866EFB56.png
---

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 Nov 25, 2024, 11:07:19 AM

# Laps in the ocean.

![Picture of Charles Balderston](https://whatsounds.design/hs-fs/hubfs/Round%20Profile.png?width=50&name=Round%20Profile.png) [Charles Balderston](https://whatsounds.design/blog/author/charles-balderston)

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I have two morning rituals. One; I make an Americano on my espresso machine, the second is an exercise in creativity. I sit down at my computer, open a synth and begin creating a sound.

Well, often I find myself at a total loss when placed in my studio but…standing in front of my espresso machine, hearing all the harmonics that it produces, I can’t help but begin to hum along. Its like the bagpipes. The drone of the machine sets up boundaries within which I can play. There is no limit to how I can move with in these boundaries.

When I’m in front of my computer and I have literally no boundaries with regards to sound creation, I feel like I’m doing laps in the ocean.

[creativity](https://whatsounds.design/blog/tag/creativity)

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[Industrial Design](https://whatsounds.design/blog/tag/industrial-design), [product sound design](https://whatsounds.design/blog/tag/product-sound-design)

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