Fishy out of water

There is a lot to be said for taking yourself away from familiar settings. It can be inspiring, scary, exhilarating and restful - all at the same time. It has taken me a few days of this Residency to get comfortable with the idea (and practicality) of having no set agenda, timetable or plan. It has been a bit unsettling actually. I think I am so geared up to the notion that busy-ness equals productivity equals happy that when the opportunity to be still comes along it feels a bit, well, weird.

Lucky for me I am near the sea. It has a remarkable calming effect. It seems there are some very good reasons that being beside the seaside and gazing into the ocean is good for us. For starters, the visual input is so much easier on our brain than sorting out the helter-skelter info we receive in a cityscape - we can decipher a sea-view more readily so it gives our noggins a rest.

Apparently, watching the waves roll in actually alters our brainwaves and helps us enter a mildly meditative state. Our brains are relaxed but focused. I reckon this is the state all creatives long for and hope to achieve when they are making. A state of “flow”. That sweet spot where creating with your hands allows your mind to wander yet, incredibly, maintain focus on the task that is literally at hand.

I will let you know if I manage to get into that flow-sate - here’s hoping!