Concentration
I’m sure many of you can relate to Jason here. I know I can, and I’m not even a pilot! But I sure know the feeling of concentrating so hard on something that at some point I start feeling the stitches and realize I probably stopped breathing a minute ago. Another, and actually more relevant risk for me is to concentrate on something work-related on the computer so intensely (usually when coding, not so much when drawing) that I forget to drink. I have a couple of bottles of mineral water besides my desk for emergency purposes, haha!
I know what you mean, Stef. I’m fine while drawing, it’s when I’m posting a new page and trying to get all my links right, that I have to remember to take a breath now and then.
I wish I had that kind of discipline, concentration, and focus when it comes to certain things. There is a guy I go to church with who is a concert pianist. He practices all the time, so much so that he forgets to eat. He weighs about 125 lbs. My brain on the other hand is full of useless, but funny, movie quotes and one-liners. If I only dedicated that portion of my brain to something useful, my IQ would be off the charts… but would probably be less fun to hang out with.
I play the classical guitar for more than 30 years, purely acoustic stuff and mostly folk or baroque / renaissance. A few weeks ago, I friend of mine took a video of me while I was performing some nicely demanding stuff at a garden party, feeling concentrated, but also in a strange way deeply relaxed. When he showed me the video, I had to laugh out aloud: I was grimacing like mad, because I was so focused on getting it all right. I guess this happens if you forget yourself completely, wiping aside all kinds of your usual vanity.
Hm, bringing back memories of flying my old November Bravo Tango…
“Breathe, stupid! You forgot to breathe!” 😉
This is why I’m not a pilot.