How music has shaped my creative instincts – and the way I see the world.
(Image credit: Katie Rosen)
As music continues to dominate headlines, from Oasis’ much-anticipated reunion tour to the BBC’s choices around which Glastonbury sets to show, and Ozzy Osbourne saying his final farewell at what media dubbed "heavy metal’s Live Aid”, it’s made me realise just how deeply music has shaped my creative instincts – and the way I see the world.
For me, specifically, in the Snake Pit.
Over the last three decades, Metallica shows have taken me across continents – from shoulder-to-shoulder moments with strangers in American stadiums to the adrenaline rush of being just feet from the band. One of the standouts? Being on stage with them at Reading Festival, looking out over 80,000 fans while they played mere metres away. Surreal. Electric. Pure magic.
Across more than 330 gigs, something just as lasting – and even more valuable – took shape: a creative philosophy rooted in freedom, connection and fearless evolution.
It’s not something I usually lead with at work – and people are always surprised when they hear about my Metallica obsession. But the truth is, the heavy metal ethos has profoundly shaped how I lead creative teams, build brands, and champion a more honest, more inclusive creative culture.
Embracing the unknown
(Image credit: Katie Rosen)
A lyric from Metallica's Wherever I May Roam runs through my life: “Under wandering stars I’ve grown.” It speaks to more than movement – to the pull of the unknown, the freedom to explore without a map, and the perspective that only comes from choosing your own path. That spirit has shaped countless creative decisions. Freedom fuels ideas.
Creative freedom isn’t about chaos or noise. Sometimes, it’s precision. Clarity. Saying exactly what needs to be said, without compromise. Another track, Leper Messiah, does just that – sonically tight, lyrically fearless, a direct hit on systems and groupthink.
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It’s a reminder that creative freedom isn’t always about being loud or attention-grabbing – sometimes it’s sharp, clear, and unapologetic.
From the pit to the pitch
A sense of immersion – of being in the experience, not just watching it – has stuck with me since those early days of live gigs. Metallica brings the audience in. There’s no fourth wall. Whether it’s 70,000 people in a stadium or 500 diehard fans crammed into a sweaty club gig, there’s a visceral connection. You’re part of it.
That sense of connection and openness to the crowd isn’t accidental. It’s part of how they build loyalty, energy and meaning around everything they do. And that idea – bringing people into the creative experience – has stuck with me since the early days.
That same mindset shaped how I approached fan experience at The Football Association (FA) and Wembley Stadium, during my time as head of design. We wanted supporters to feel like part of something bigger: not just spectators, but part of the story. Whether it was rethinking the journey from Wembley Way to their seats, or how the men’s and women’s teams showed up across channels and tournaments, we focused on evolving tone, modernising the feel and building belonging into every interaction.
During my time as global head of creative at innocent, that freedom took a different form through tone of voice. Not quirky for the sake of it, but specific, warm and human. We gave ourselves permission to be quietly disruptive. To challenge category norms and speak in a way that made people feel something. That’s inherently metal, too.
Subculture as superpower
(Image credit: Katie Rosen)
As frontman, James Hetfield often says, “Metallica is a place for all misfits – all the outcasts. If you don’t belong anywhere, you belong here.” That sense of belonging – real, loud, human – says everything.
Fandom isn’t just about shared taste; it’s about radical inclusion. Through Metallica’s charity, All Within My Hands, I’ve packed boxes at food banks across the US and met lifelong friends along the way. I’ve stood in crowds full of people whose lives, backgrounds and perspectives are wildly different from mine – and felt completely at home. It’s a reminder that subculture connects you to people, place and purpose.
That kind of lived, human diversity – not the corporate version – has shaped how I build teams and creative culture. I’m mindful of who gets seen and heard, and work deliberately to open up space and influence for different voices – especially in environments where creative thinking is often marginalised or undervalued. There’s real energy in that mix of perspectives and lived experience.
Emotion over explanation
(Image credit: Gousto)
The heavy metal ethos also pushes me to lead branding that’s emotionally charged, creatively expressive, and built to connect. Metal isn’t always high energy; it can be quiet, still, even beautiful – but it’s never passive. It’s about range, intent, and making people feel something.
That principle can drive how you shape branding. At Gousto, it’s shifted our creative direction from functional, product-led branding, focused on how the recipe box works, to the energy around the dinner experiences we help create. That’s metal too: intentional, emotionally charged, built to move people.
Evolve fearlessly
Metallica: Seek & Destroy (Mexico City, Mexico - September 20, 2024) - YouTube
Metal also informs my approach to change. Metallica’s drummer, Lars Ulrich, was once the poster boy for resistance to music piracy. He took on Napster and stood his ground. Then he changed. Not because he gave up, but because he recognised the world had shifted.
“We were so caught up in being protective,” he later said, “that we missed the fact the world had changed.” He didn’t abandon his principles; he adapted them to the new reality.
That mindset is gold dust for creatives. You can’t cling to what worked just because it’s familiar. Platforms change, audiences evolve, and the ways in which we connect with them shifts constantly. If your values are clear, you don’t have to fear change. In fact, change is where the most exciting creative possibilities live.
Find your own version
Metallica & San Francisco Symphony: Nothing Else Matters (Live) - YouTube
If you’re curious about Metallica, creatively or otherwise, you could start with S&M (1999): Metallica with the San Francisco Symphony. It’s orchestral, cinematic and a masterclass in what happens when opposites fuse with intent. Or for live energy, try Mexico 2024 and you’ll feel what it means to connect –with the brand, with the crowd, with everything around you.
But really, it doesn’t need to be Metallica, or even heavy metal, that unleashes your individual brand of creativity. You just need to find your own version of the Snake Pit; a place where you feel most free, most fearless, and most you.
More than anything, it’s about staying radically open – to change, to challenge, to new ways of thinking. Close yourself off, and you get left behind. But if you stay flexible and grounded in your purpose, you stay relevant – and keep the people who connect with you loyal.
Katie Rosen is Head of Creative at leading UK recipe box service Gousto. With over 20 years’ experience guiding creative teams at brands like innocent, Natural History Museum, and The Football Association Group (FA), Katie now oversees Gousto’s award-winning team of creative ops specialists, designers, copywriters, photographers, and food stylists who create dynamic brand experiences across multiple platforms.
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