Deep work is deep play
Cal Newport’s latest book Deep Work is a worthy read. Today we’ll stick to his definition of deep work, but later I’ll post tidbits from the book with the hope they’ll work like breadcrumbs to draw you into the text itself:
Deep Work: Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.
From Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
The creative practice approach replicates the feeling of a spiritual practice. In the same way you reverently come to a yoga practice, that’s how you come to your creative practice. With a set time period of engagement for pure focus time, connecting to the divine within before you begin.
Deep work is deep creativity is deep focus is deep play. Once immersed it is like swimming in a transcendent realm where the boundary lines between inner and outer disappear.
The Daoists call it wu wei. Effortless action.
We call it being blissed out. Or that we’re in the zone. Or in the flow.
It’s the most serious fun to be had outside the bedroom.
For you —
Evan Griffith
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Click here for (occasional) notes at the intersection of creativity and spirit. Once a month, maybe.
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