Creative Rebellion Essays: relaxing into focus
JC Caldwell in a state of natural focus, creating art – photo by John S. Couch
Our lives are fragmented by distractions, ranging from social media to the news (often stressful) and just the day-to-day demands of life. It’s even harder if you happen to have ADD or ADHD. Focusing on the task at hand or even on the conversation we are having with another person can be challenging. I believe this distraction is because we are not fully present in the moment.
Like many people, my mind is often juggling multiple tasks at any moment. Because of this, I can feel overwhelmed and projects I have on the docket can feel completely overwhelming. I’m busy as hell but I sometimes don’t feel like I’m accomplishing anything.
focus can come from relaxation.
This may seem counter-intuitive but whenever I try to focus, often involving the furrowing of my brow, nothing good comes out. My mind is too tight and usually, I’m under deadline or feeling resistant to the task. This is why I’ve found meditation to be a key tool and technique to use throughout the day, even in five-minute increments. Yes, it’s good for your mental and physical health but for me, it’s extremely effective for creative health.
Meditation leads me into a centered state, which then allows me to relax. And relaxation leads to focus and flow.
The flow state is well known in the sports world, of course. When you play tennis, if you overthink the situation or feel stressed, you will perform sub-optimally. What you want to do is enter “the zone” or a state of flow as Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has written so eloquently about in multiple books.
The 8 Characteristics of Flow
Csikszentmihalyi describes eight characteristics of flow:
Complete concentration on the task;
Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback;
Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down);
The experience is intrinsically rewarding;
Effortlessness and ease;
There is a balance between challenge and skills;
Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious rumination;
There is a feeling of control over the task.
Fear constricts the mind to thinking only tactically about surviving. Daily life stress puts us into a continuous state of fight or flight, dumping the stress hormone cortisol into our biological system hour to hour, day to day, year to year. Fear is the antithesis of creativity, which requires a fear-free state of mind. I believe most corporate “brainstorming” sessions don’t work because you can’t just become creative on demand in a fluorescent-lit room with smudgy whiteboards and crumpled aluminum Venetian blinds over a streaked window (that doesn’t open) overlooking a parking lot. In such an environment (I’m thinking about the setting for “The Office”), the environment is mechanistic and encourages people to just do the job they were hired to do.
Creativity and focus require a loosening of the mind. This naturally brings you into a state of being in the “now.”
Play is another incredibly important ingredient in fostering a creative flow state and focus. And you can’t play if you are stressed or distracted. We are all capable of focusing when we are in a state of play, whether it’s surfing or playing Xbox or watching a 2-hour movie. When people claim that they can’t focus, I often observe that they are simply not engaged. We are engaged when we are enjoying what we are doing. We are distracted when we are not engaged and our mind is, in a sense, trying to escape the moment we are in by doing something else, anything else, rather than being where we are, doing whatever it is we are doing.
Children play. Puppies and kittens play. Even adult animals play. It’s how we learn what our bodies and minds can do. But as humans age, we lose that drive to play, which in itself is the foundation of focus and creativity. Or rather we don’t allow ourselves the “indulgence” to play. And I don’t mean just playing board or video console games (which is totally fine by the way) but playing with the parts of our unexpressed desires: writing poetry or baking a pie or writing a stage play or recording music.
So, the point is that whenever you feel overwhelmed by these days, sit for a moment, close your eyes and count your breaths. Just do that. It’s overwhelming at first, with all of your thoughts crowding your mind and vying for attention, but keep sitting and breathing. Relax into the moment. Let the thoughts come and go, even though they may loop. Avoid the temptation to check your phone. Just sit. Get bored. And after a few minutes you will feel a settling down. Things won’t fall apart just because you sat still for five minutes. And after you settle and center, relaxation will arise and, with that comes focus. A relaxed focus.
Now go wild and sit still for five minutes.
Relax. Focus. Create.
John
What I’m watching:
Better Things – on FX on Hulu. What a great show. I can’t believe I didn’t watch this sooner. Starring Pamela Adlon, who stars as “Sam” a mother of three girls (Max, Frankie, and Duke), who struggles as a single, working parent in LA, navigating the world of Hollywood as an actress. Pamela also occasionally writes and directs some of the episodes as well as being the star and executive producer. I encourage you to check out the funny and so real comedic situations in the show. Oh, and her mother “Phil” is marvelously portrayed by Celia Imrie.
What I’m listening to:
Homecoming - this Gimlet (now owned by Spotify) produced audio-drama series is incredible. It stars Catherine Keener, David Schwimmer, David Cross, Oscar Isaac, and Amy Sedaris. The series was successful enough to become an Amazon Prime series starring Julia Roberts in the lead role (played by Keener in the audio version). It’s fascinating to experience a story solely through auditory cues – it’s like Orson Welles radio drama, with a sense of space that happens through the background soundscape of a crowded restaurant or a cellphone call from an airport. Your imagination easily fills in the visuals.
What I’m reading:
Substance: Inside New Order – by Peter Hook, the now ostracized but founding bass player for both Joy Divison and New Order (the band that rose from the ashes of Joy Division). Hook had a falling out over a decade ago and was unceremoniously booted from New Order. I’ve read his other book Unknown Pleasures, which was about the rise and fall of Joy Division after the lead singer, Ian Curtis committed suicide at age 22, and it was a great insight into one of my favorite bands. I’ve just started Substance but I’m sure it will be the usual raucous ride that mirrors the thumping, distinctive signature bass lines that the author is famous for. Check it out if you are interested in post-punk music.
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