In the painting "Bamboo and Rose", the colors and brushstrokes on the tree trunk were the product of one of those instances. Without really thinking, I knew what colors to use and how to apply them to convey the texture and form of the bamboo.
This kind of consciousness is called "being in the zone", a term used in sports, in work productivity, and in all sorts of creative endeavors. It's a highly desirable state. Sometimes, when I'm laboring mightily and not liking the results, I wonder why I'm not getting to "the zone".
In an excellent article from Lifehacker, "What is the Zone, Anyway?", Martin Rue, a software developer, suggests that focusing on what you're doing, and having sufficient energy and alertness to do your work, are essential, and that distractions should be minimized to the extent possible. Beyond that, though, you need to have sufficient technical knowledge to bring to the task, and you need to care about what you're doing.
I find shutting out distractions essential (and difficult). Music can either be a distraction, or a help, to me, depending on what the music is.
What's your experience with being "in the zone"? What do you do to promote it?
Firstly I think your painting is great and I really enjoy your article about being in the zone. I tend to have a problem lately about that very own subject. I used to become lost in my painting. Nothing or no one was able to distract me from what I was doing. Over time I have abandoned myself to other things and problems so I can't find this zone. Music used to help me depending on the subject or style. Now I just don't know how to get back toit again.
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