It took me far too long to realize this one, but it seems like the mind is like a plant… Do not let it’s silence misguide you, it has access to all the information about your intentions. It feels when you’re genuinely interesting in something, and when you’re bluffing, lying to yourself because there’s some arbitrary deadline for a generic test that some pile of carbon molecules wrote…
If you pour a bucket of water over a plant, it won’t magically grow and become 10 times bigger. The mind thrives in environments where it’s externally stimulated and it can interact and play with things, like a kid - to ask questions, solve mysteries, explore, make stuff happen!
The way I phrase work in my mind before I approach it, whether in a specific session or in general, can affect my productivity by hundreds of percents. It’s a relatively elusive matter, because the moment I think of it in these terms, measuring and optimizing performance, the magic disappears. I find it’s best to just be present in the flow, immerse yourself in the rhythm and let the mind take over.
The inner child learns and creates through playing
A while ago, I’ve started working through a wonderful book that takes you through a psychological journey to reconnect with your inner child through art and dialogue. This quote particularily resonated with the idea of freeing your mind to learn by playing, messing around and having fun.
“It is a well-known fact that children develop and learn through play. While playing they explore, test their limits, and develop skills. Allowed to play without pressure and criticism, children’s true creativity blossoms from within. Watch any group of nursery school kids or kindergartners. Left to their own devices they will play with finger paints and clay, scribble with crayons, erect entire cities with building blocks, create magical castles and landscapes in the sandbox, and invent their own world through dramatic play with costumes and props.
Metaphors are natural to children. They adore make-believe. The youngest children create scenarios and act them out. They can turn anything into a prop. A broom handle becomes a sword. A garbage can lid becomes a shield, and a packing crate becomes a fort. No one has to teach children the fun of creative play. It is an intrinsic human ability that shows itself best in the child. On the contrary, society teaches children to stop being creative, to grow up, and to be “practical.” If the Inner Child is to be fully reclaimed, this innate creativity must be allowed to express itself. This creative aspect of the Inner Child is often called the Magical Child”.