I started working on an assignment and after a few sections being in the zone I happened to come out of the trance and remember where I was and that there were, in fact, other people that existed. This happens fairly frequently when I find myself immersed in a creative task.

I set out to work on the task with the understanding that the world around me still exists and that time is a relevant and pressing concern. And then I am in the tunnel and all that matters is producing the best work I can from my store of creative energy. Very little can shift my focus in these times, and when it happens it is a jarring experience. It is like being shaken awake from near-REM sleep. You don’t feel groggy and upset, but you are nevertheless disoriented and it takes a minute for reality to come rushing back in.

It’s just good to know that I can still be entranced by the work that I do and that I can also come out of that tunnel with my sanity intact. Well, my version of sanity.