so absorbed in their art that they lose all sense of time
and space and the daily stressors and frustrations of
life. This “zone” is endemic to all of us. It is within us.
However, it gets lost and covered up by the stress and
frustrations of daily life. Artists are obviously not any
more immune to losing touch with this “zone” than nonartists. It happens to all of us. Mindfulness practice
gives us an opportunity to rediscover that sweet spot,
which makes it easier for creative types to tap into their
higher creative selves.
FF: Wonderfully put. … It appears that artist and
creative types are particularly prone to ups and
downs, on-and-off moments in their creative lives.
Such roller-coastering sometimes may interfere with
their productivity when needed most. How might
Mindfulness help them get off such a “roller coaster” so that they may be more stably functional?
RO: Mindfulness practice should be directed at learning to be present at all times, not just when meditating
or playing the piano. Mindfulness training is designed
to teach us to try to live in the here and now always,
regardless of what is happening in our world. From my
experience as a creative type, I think the ups and downs
are a part of normal life—the same ups and downs
that non-artists experience, that all people experience.
However, it can be particularly frustrating for creative
people. Mindfulness practice teaches us to acknowledge the thoughts, feelings, and emotions that rise and
fall in our experience, but to not get attached to them.
We learn to see them for what they are, which is empty
of real substance; to look at them objectively with a
sense of detachment; and to always be mindful of that
naturally inherent “sweet spot”, which is quite stable
and calming.
FF: As someone who practices Mindfulness regularly, what do you feel it does for you per- sonally?
RO: As I noted above, Mindfulness practice has been
scientifically proven to change the functioning of our
brains. I will go further and say that when practiced
regularly, it changes everything about a person. I have
been meditating and practicing mindfulness for a long
time. I am not even close to the same person I was
before I started. Of course there are infinite factors that
contribute to how one changes, but mindfulness has
been like the silent pilot for me.
FF: How have you seen it help those who you
teach or give Mindfulness guidance to in terms
of enduring, overall personal benefits or
changes?
RO: Sustained Mindfulness practice will quite
naturally lead one to being more concerned with
his/her health, and the well-being of others. I have
found that people who begin a mindfulness practice
and weren’t already ve