3 Ways to Tap Into Creative Flow
When was the last time you felt like you were in a creative 'flow'?
You know that moment you're feeling totally engrossed in a project...
I know you know what I'm talking about. And yet, I don’t think it’s something we get to experience often enough. (I know I don’t when I let my calendar bulk up with too many meetings, travel, inbound emails, or just general life distractions!) But it’s obviously something that, no doubt, brings about a great feeling of joy and makes for beautiful creative work.
This got me wondering. Is there something we can do about it?
Creative Flow = Our Internal Gusher of Attention
I just finished listening to a podcast episode of Oprah‘s interview with Johann Hari, author of the NY Times bestselling book "Stolen Focus". Hari's book explains why we can't think deeply anymore and have trouble, as a society, with focusing. (Thanks very much to modern tech and the business of social media, of course!)
But the part that I found most interesting was when Hari started to talk about tips for how to get into a creative flow more often, which he calls our “internal gusher of attention”. (Love that descriptor!)
So here's my takeaway: If you want to maximize your chances of getting into a flow state for a project there are three things you can do...
*These findings are based on the research of Professor Csikszentmihalyi who pioneered the psychological concept of “flow” as we know it today.
You’ve got to narrow your project down to one singular task. (Eg. "I want to climb this rock", "I want to paint this canvas", "I want to write this chapter"...) Flow requires ALL of your attention so it needs to be singular.
Choose a goal that is meaningful to you. Deeply meaningful. You can't get in a flow for something you just don't find enjoyment in. Bummer for some tasks, I know. (I'll never get into a 'flow' doing my end-of-month bookkeeping, LOL.)
And finally, it really helps if you push yourself to the edge of your comfort zone. This last one might seem counterintuitive but all you have to do is look to Oprah as an example! Try doing something just a little bit harder than the time you did it before -- on the edge of your ability level but not beyond it.
"Flow begins at the edge of your comfort zone. When you push yourself to just the edge of your skills attuned thus far." - Johann Hari