Challenge #10: October 11 Challenge

Fighting the Forces of Entropy

Taking Stock

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has spent a good portion of his life studying the way creators create. One thing he notes is the process of creative flow that often emerges when an artist is in a passionate state while creating something--focus, clear vision, everything falls into place--you know the feeling. It's the one you get when you are in the groove, everything is clicking (whatever cliche you wish to use). It's the runner's high. The realization when you finally look at the clock that you have been doing something for hours and the time has "flown by," we would say. 

It would be nice if we could always (or at least fairly regularly) be in that state of flow. 

But . . . 

Against our creative, adaptive selves, Csikszentmihalyi speaks of the forces of entropy that are constantly pulling at us--we know these forces, too--the ones that say over and over in our heads, "That couch looks soft, and cozy . . . oh, and really warm. And there is the remote. Ah, the couch, the remote, the TV. Hey, isn't there a football game on?"

Now, I have nothing against football and couches and TV remotes, but what is interesting about Csikszentmihalyi's research is that in all studies, people indicate that they are MUCH happier when working or exercising or running errands, than when they are sitting somewhere mindlessly vegetating. The kicker is that even though we know this, even though we know that we feel more alive and happier at WORK, studies show, that if given the choice, we would choose the couch every time.

The reality appears to be that even something we might love or really enjoy is not always fun; it often requires energy and discipline. And when we think we have to work at something, give it energy--suddenly we are like zombies chanting "TV, give me the TV."

With today's challenge, you will have completed 1/3 of the scheduled experience. If this challenge were compared to a school semester, we'd be at that point where the honeymoon is over, the class is not as interesting as we thought, the teacher has suddenly sprouted horns, and the work has piled higher than Mount Everest. 

Let's take stock. 

Let's remind ourselves why we might be doing this challenge. For those of you in the LCS 220 class, you might say, "I'm doing this because I have to. I am getting graded." And yes, that would be correct. But there are probably other reasons for this, too. You bravely signed up for a course devoted to creativity, in the first place. Something motivated you there, some passionate force fighting against your Zombie, couch-loving self. And these motivations are for you to decide. Motivation can't be faked to ourselves. We know if we are lying. So let's take stock. What's your motivation to do this challenge? Be honest.

For those who dove into the challenge, you might say, "I am doing this because I want to explore my creative self or challenge myself or because I am crazy and I really need to think more carefully about looking before I leap." :-/ But you might also be doing this for reasons related to other goals and objectives: because you want to, because you like the idea of playing, because you want to find an outlet for that part of you that loves to create. 

In any case, we may be at that point where we have to remind ourselves of these motivations because I think the Zombies are coming out of the graveyard, waving the remote. And the Housewives are on. I even think I saw one with a bag of popcorn. I am pretty sure I can smell it. There goes another with a warm blanket and a glass of chocolate milk. Hmmm, Brains.

So here we go:

• Take out your water colors and create another wash. Your color, your choice.
• Create a graffiti-style page that maps out your real motivations. Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain? What are your goals and desires? If no one else were to watch you work, see your images, respond to your pages, would you still be doing this? Why? (or why not?) What is your internal motivation to keep at this? Be honest about where you are right now.
• Think about a word/phrase that encapsulates your motivation, your goal. What would that word be for now? Discipline? Passion? Practice? Getting over the Hump? Diving into the Deep End of the Pool? Make sure the phrase or word plays a prominent role on your graffiti page, so you can go back to see what you were thinking on October 11, 2014.

Make sure to send those goals and objectives along to me!  thassele@bryant.edu.