I have been reading about poet Mark Strand this morning. I only have an hour before I have to attend to my responsibilities, so I dipped into a book about creativity. It's an enjoyable subject since it's so applicable to every aspect of our lives, and it's also inextricably woven throughout our psychology. I'll save my rant, about the need for society to value creatives, for a later time.
It's a simple quote. Mark Strand says, "Poetry relocates you in yourself." You can apply this observation to any type of creative writing, art of any sort, and so on. I've always referred to it as being in the zone. The zone is a restful, timeless place of creation, then the bubble bursts. There are techniques for getting into the zone more quickly. You can create a ritual, or meditate your way into that new mental neighborhood, or try my primitive method. I start writing, and keep writing until the bubble explodes and I land on my mental ass with a thunk, back in reality. I usually don't know I've been there until it's over. It's like being in a dream. If I say, "Oh, I know what's happening. I'm in a dream" then, Pop, I'm awake.
Psychologist, Abraham Maslow, attempted to normalize the existence of "peak experiences". They are described as feeling like religious ecstasy, extreme happiness, and creates a feeling of being one with everything. If you haven't heard of peak experiences, I recommend some research on the subject. The relevant part of this sidetrack is that peak experiences are said to release creativity and seem, to me, to be closely related to being in the zone.
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