Flow and Creativity

How does one know when they are on the right track? How does it feel when the surge of creativity wells up and starts to bubble over into fruitful enterprise? There has been a considerable body of writing recently dedicated to the concept of “flow”. After over 25 years of research Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as “the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.” Often thought of as the rarified domain of artists, this concept is important to anyone dedicated to the art of living well.

Flow is when we are so engrossed in what we are doing that we loose track of time. That experience of bliss, that over shadows the demands of the temporal world. For each person it could be a different activity that leads to flow. My mother experiences it in her quilting room as she spends endless hours designing her next creation. My wife experiences it during a long morning run when she becomes exhausted enough to forget about daily commitments and connects with life’s ultimate truths. My father feels flow as he manipulates the controls of his airplane flying over a beautiful landscape. I experience flow when I ride a good horse.

The experience requires a “good” horse. A mediocre horse will simply not produce the same effect. A good horse has a certain inherent “lightness”. When one sits on such a horse there is a feeling of being grounded yet suspended on a cloud. A feeling of tenuous synergy that catapults the rider into a kind of joyful dance. A heightened awareness as every movement of the rider produces a reciprocal movement of the horse. A dream like consciousness as the rider and the horse engage in a kinetic conversation then begin to “finish each others sentences”. After the ride there is a feeling of thankfulness and endearment to have been a partner to a great dancer.

Where, when and how we experience flow will tell us a lot about ourselves. Flow is what life is all about. We were made to experience flow. For it is within that flow that we will experience our greatest potential, produce our greatest work, and fulfill the greatest destiny. Once this feeling is experienced our life begins to change. Suddenly creativity starts to pour forth. Other areas of our life seem to improve effortlessly. Flow produces joy. Where there is joy, our greatest potential will be realized.

It is not necessary to be employed in the activity that produces the greatest amount of flow in your life, but it helps. Some of the world’s greatest scientists, most gifted surgeons and most acclaimed philosophers experience flow in their work. So do farmers, factory workers, and accountants. It is not what you are doing that is the important component of flow. It is how you think of your work that produces flow. It is how you perceive the activity that matters. If you experience intervals of timelessness while “working” and feelings of fulfillment and contentment when the task is complete, chances are you are experiencing Flow.

During the next week take careful notes about when you experience flow. The better you become at recognizing the signs of flow the more adept you will become at producing it. You may be surprised by the activities that produce this state. Take notice of the activities you especially enjoy. What you enjoy doing most is often a clue. Some authorities abide by the 80/20 rule. You will achieve 80% of your success while performing 20% of your tasks. Your goal is to identify that 20%. More than likely your Flow resides somewhere in that 20%. Once you have identified what activities produce the most flow it is imperative to grow them into a vocation.