upuaut
September 20th, 2002, 05:04 AM
Once about 6 years ago I opted to pick up a set of Juggling sticks, or Shabutan, or Devil sticks.. whatever you name them.. most people have seen these things in action and wondered how in the hell someone does what they do with them.
It took me three years to become proficient enough that I would actually accumulate change just for picking a corner of the street and playing with my sticks. At first it was quite frustrating until a year or so in, I found a secret. There were blocks in the road of learning. Levels which were like walls needing to be scaled. Usually one reaches one of these walls after playing for hours and hours, wearing oneself down to the point of burning pain in the wrists. Then of course like the dumb animals that humans can often be, we'd attempt to overcome the wall.. but to no avail. Frustration ensues.
the secret was 'sleep on it'. I found that after hours of doing something, if I napped, I would often dream of the subject I was frustrated about. Usually I don't remember dreams, but I'm sure I had many more dreams of the devil sticks then I could possibly recal. Every time I woke, I would surpass that wall I had reached the previous night. It has something to do with the dreaming side of the brain, and creativity.
the point is that Flash is no different for me.. and it might help you to know this. If you reach a wall.. strain against it just a little bit, then sleep on it. It might very well be that in the morning you'll simply know the answer. You're brain will work on the problem and with much greater accuracy and resources devoted to the problem.
Just a tidbit I thought I'd share. One of the other posters reminded me of this with something he said.
It took me three years to become proficient enough that I would actually accumulate change just for picking a corner of the street and playing with my sticks. At first it was quite frustrating until a year or so in, I found a secret. There were blocks in the road of learning. Levels which were like walls needing to be scaled. Usually one reaches one of these walls after playing for hours and hours, wearing oneself down to the point of burning pain in the wrists. Then of course like the dumb animals that humans can often be, we'd attempt to overcome the wall.. but to no avail. Frustration ensues.
the secret was 'sleep on it'. I found that after hours of doing something, if I napped, I would often dream of the subject I was frustrated about. Usually I don't remember dreams, but I'm sure I had many more dreams of the devil sticks then I could possibly recal. Every time I woke, I would surpass that wall I had reached the previous night. It has something to do with the dreaming side of the brain, and creativity.
the point is that Flash is no different for me.. and it might help you to know this. If you reach a wall.. strain against it just a little bit, then sleep on it. It might very well be that in the morning you'll simply know the answer. You're brain will work on the problem and with much greater accuracy and resources devoted to the problem.
Just a tidbit I thought I'd share. One of the other posters reminded me of this with something he said.