Clearing the Mental Cobwebs

A colleague of mine once remarked that she could feel the cobwebs of her mind clear anytime she looked at a good piece of art.

The same happens for me whenever I see quality craft, be that in an effortless seeming dance, a fountain pen’s glide across paper, or the flavors of a fine meal.

Perhaps for wandering minds in particular, the quiet magic of mastery and meaningful work offers not only inspiration, but nourishment.

Seeking Craft

We can find craft anywhere. But I think there is a need to consciously search for it, a deliberateness, a patience, and sometimes even a touch of bravery.

At a party one day, I found myself in a room full of football fans, all strangers, all shouting in sync at the screen. I was not at all in my element.

Usually, I’d slink away, but for various personal and social reasons, I didn’t have the choice here. Rather than allow myself to go numb, I instead somehow mustered the courage, turned to the gentleman on my right, made eye contact, and asked,

He must have heard my sincerity. Because after what was likely a stunned pause, he responded, not just with rules and stats, but stories—of strategy, history, and even connection with his own family.

Behind his words, I could sense what he felt as a beauty of strength on the field.

Confusion Barriers

While I still don’t watch the game, I can appreciate it that much further. And, the connection I had with that momentary friend now imbues it with a new spirit whenever I see a game on the screen behind a bar.

Every craft—whether a game, a new skill, or field of knowledge—presents a “confusion barrier.” At first, it can be bewildering. We might feel lost, wonder what the draw is, need to flip between rules, or seek rescue in online forums.

But with a patience to caringly sit with frustration, we might find a way into the next window of challenge. Complexity may even give way to clarity.

• Kourosh

PS Sometime this week, consider where you might feel that click of mastery, that sign of craft, however small. Where do you see it in the world around you? Where might you see it within yourself? What barrier might you acknowledge to better reach it?

PPS For an extended version of today’s newsletter, along with a dive into a fun board game review, consider the free companion Rhythms of Focus episode: A Delight in Craft – The Unconscious Mind Board Game