Well, here's a subject close to my heart. Anyone interested in reading about research into the concept of "losing yourself in your work" should read "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, found here on this Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846
The author maintains that flow is a narrow channel between anxiety and boredom and that optimal existence happens in this space. In fact, most of human activities involve a fruitless seeking of happiness when what we really want is 'flow'.
Speaking for myself, I find that a lot of the puttering around that I do is to prepare myself to get to this 'flow' point of the day. I think that getting in this state of flow is what really draws artists to their work, not the prospect of fame or money - it's the (extremely addictive) thrill of connection with the work process. It really has nothing to do with how "good" the work is as an end product. The idea is to lose yourself in the process of painting, and that is what will keep you coming back to your easel until you actually do get "good".
I find this stuff fascinating.