The Zone

[Don Dougan <dondougan@zzzzzzzz>]

Hi All,

I find discussing the "Zone" difficult.

Not because I don't know what it is . . . but because
I am not sure how to describe it.  The various replies
all have something to recommend them and they all
ring of indelible truth in the fiber of one's being in
the reading.

But putting words to it limits it.  The word "zone" limits it.

Perhaps the zone is simply a cessation of distractions,
an ability to focus on the work without effort.

Getting there is sometimes aided by listening to good
music, but when totally immersed in the work the music
can go off and I don't even notice.

Getting there is easier when the unheated/airconditioned
studio is a temperature that is comfortable, but even
when I am bundled up in layers of clothes to stay warm
or with sweat running off in rivulets I forget about bodily
comfort when focused on the work.

Getting there is easier when the studio is nice and clean --
my studio is small and to keep all the tools I use handy I
have to keep it very organized -- but that too is a distraction
when working . . .  and after working successfully for hours
when I get to a stopping point I will realize that I am standing
in a rat's nest of cords and hoses, a jumbled series of piles
of tools, unused materials, waste materials, and lots of
dust.  A good day's work usually means several hours of
clean-up.

Yes, a cessation of distractions.

Good Carving to You,
Don

http://www.dondougan.homestead.com/indexdd.html