Optimal experience.Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is known as the originator of the term; explaining that"it" describes one's ability to "lose oneself," being totally focused and concentrated on a particular task, over a defined period of time. For me, writing is the experience I find brings me closest to thisflow state. So much so that on a day when I could be doing anything at all (it is currently my Spring break) I am sitting here…writing. Unlike other experiences, writing seems, at first glance, not to require much when comparedto things like riding a motorcycle or painting. I can and often do write in a French bakery, in the back of my classroom, or in the comfort of my home. I can and often do write in a notebook (Moleskine), on my tablet (iPad Air 2), or on my laptop computer (Macbook Pro). Location and the materials do not really matter. Or do they?
Would my experience with writing be less optimal if I wrote in other, less comfortable locations orwith materials that are not exclusive to my chosen ecosystem? I would like to think not. What is it then that truly makes an experience optimal? In my opinion it is a commodity much more precious than the location and/or materials one uses to engage in her/his preferred experience. That commodity is…time! Time comes from privilege and privilege comes from the position(s) we hold relative to others. Put simply, although it's much more complex, I get to sit at the French bakery for an hour and write because others have to wait the tables and make my latte.
Earlier this week I wrote about how what we do is not as important as the language we use to annotate it. Reflecting on how writing is my equivalent to riding a motorcycle at 150 miles per hour comes from the position(s) I hold relative to others…these positions grant me a certain level of privilege…with that privilege comes time. Remembering this makes me appreciate these experiences more. Remembering this makes these experiences feel more…optimal!