My favorite place to be in the whole wide world is in my creative zone. It’s a place where my imagination is free to roam and something as simple as a rustling leaf in the wind can become something as complex as a giant troll giving chase to a nymph and a boy in the middle of a corrupt, enchanted jungle. It’s almost magical. It takes some work to get there, but once I have arrived, there is no stopping the flow of creativity. Fifty pages can be typed out in one sitting, or more, depending.
Which leads me to the worst thing that can possibly happen when I’m in this beautiful place: being interrupted hundreds of times for trivial things. A simple iPod usually helps block out immediate distractions, but with a little brother tugging at my arm begging for goldfish crackers or a little sister tapping me so she can show me the latest and greatest song she’s tabbed on her electric Fender or a persistent telephone that doesn’t seem to stop ringing unless I get up and answer it, remaining in the zone can be difficult.
Once I’m out of the zone, getting back into it takes time, and suddenly, all those trivial distractions the iPod was able to block out become more obvious and more demanding of my attention.
It’s annoying. No wait, down right criminal, actually. But it happens and I have to deal. Any thoughts on this? What are some of your methods for staying in your creative zone? Any tips on blocking out distractions?
