[Jewelry making - Article 00006] - Re: [Orchid] Concentration and productivity

[Courtney Graham Hipp]

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>       I have heard that the Chinese call the part of the mind that is
>     very verbal and never shuts up the "drunken monkwey". I relate to
>     this, and my drunken monkey is a bit of an engineer, so it can come
>     in handy, but must always be kept busy. 

    Goodness, the "drunken monkey" hit a nerve with me. I felt like I
    was being diagnosed. I was just talking about this to my dad
    recently, and it caused him to ask me some pointed questions. For a
    second, I think he was afraid I was hearing voices. I also like to
    listen to NPR while I'm working; maybe that's why. My monkey feels
    compelled to fill the silence if it's not on. She's more of a writer
    and commentator than an engineer. 

    I have always been more verbal then visual, but have become more
    balanced as I have gotten older and have spent much more time in
    visual pursuits. Nevertheless, I seem to always have two tape reels
    going in my head al all times: the "action reel" and the "distraction
    reel." Nowhere is this more obvious than when I am pursuing my
    favorite athletic pastime, tennis. I may be waiting to receive serve,
    but half of my brain is rattling on about the bird on the fence that
    just won't shut up, going back over the point just played, wondering
    if my left shoe is too tight, etc. The more I can turn down the
    volume on this reel, the better I play. I can't even believe how good
    I am on those rare occasions when I can bind and gag this voice
    almost entirely for a couple of sets. It is the zone. 

    I am quite positive that the zone is there for the finding when I am
    doing almost anything else, including making jewelry. 

    There's a book called "The Inner Game of Tennis" by W. Timothy
    Gallwey. He talks about quieting the part of the brain that feels
    compelled to instruct, to edit, to criticize, so that your muscle
    memory and instincts can do the job they know how to do. Every now
    and again I pull the book back out and start from the beginning like
    I've never read it before. (He has has gone one to write about the
    inner games of golf, skiing, music and work.) I would rather have a
    small, aesthetically pleasing volume control placed on the side of my
    head somewhere (I'd probably turn it up only when writing), but until
    that technology becomes available I've got my tennis book. 

Courtney
Courtney Graham Hipp
cgHipp Jewelry Designs
http://www.cghipp.com

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